News Archive
Robustness at Inquiry
Fordham Research is widely recognised for the accuracy of our primary research and our ability to analyse and interpret primary and secondary data to produce coherent conclusions and recommendations. Our work has always been found to be robust at planning and LDF enquiries: a unique claim in this field.
‘…I do not accept the criticism that the HNS is seriously flawed… I note in particular that the survey assessed the needs for different types of housing across all tenures. …all the indicators suggested that the result of the HNS were realistic. I am also conscious of the fact that the HNS was conducted by an experienced consultant who has carried out similar surveys in a large number of other areas including neighbouring authorities and whose work has found to be accurate and robust’
Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames UDP
May 2007: Modelling Housing Markets in the PPS3 World
There has been a revolution in how evidence about housing is used in policy making. New Guidance from the Government requires far more detailed results from studies of the housing market. Policy must now be linked to actual evidence about local housing markets.
The Government's requirement for evidence is very strict, and goes well beyond what its supporting 'Practice Guidance' requires. There is in fact a conflict between these two aspects of Guidance. The note on Modelling Housing Markets discusses how far the Guidance goes, and how extra technology developed by Fordham Research can be used to fill the gap.
Click here to download the full document: Modelling Housing Markets in the PPS3 World (1.2Mb pdf)
April 2007: Quality Report
There is no quality control in the work done to meet requirements for affordable and market housing. It has been clear for several years that poor work was being done by consultants producing the old Housing Needs Surveys (HNS) and the new SHMAs. However there has been no official action to install quality control. The report A ROBUST EVIDENCE BASE? A Report on quality in Housing Needs and Strategic Housing Market Assessments: Executive Summary provides detail of how bad the situation is. In cases where Fordham Research challenged the quality of work at Planning Inquiries, 60%+ of Inspectors found major flaws in the work, and about a third of them said that the work should be ignored.
Click here to download the full document: A ROBUST EVIDENCE BASE? A Report on quality in Housing Needs and Strategic Housing Market Assessments (1.4Mb pdf)
Planning for the Market - Conferences on the key issues in the new Guidance
A series of conferences are to be held around the country.
Please see here for more details (530kb pdf).
Quality Control Report
A report on quality control in Housing Needs (HNS) and House Condition Surveys (HCS) is now available. It details deficiencies in competitors' surveys and outlines where public money is being wasted.
Two recent articles in the press have helped to illustrate the problems identified in this report:
- Housing Needs Survey (HNS) work: The Sunday Mail (23/1/05) carried an article which refers to the £hundreds of millions lost as a result of poor Housing Needs Surveys, referring indirectly to the situation in Redditch (please see Appendix 1)
- House Condition Surveys (HCS) work: The Environmental Health News (20/1/05) carried a front page headline article about a company working in the field called PPS. (see Appendix 2) This provides some of the detail behind the account already provided in Part B: case C2 of the quality control report (446kb pdf).
These stories cover only the tip of the iceberg, but it is good to see some of the material entering the wider public arena.
Our responses to ODPM announcements and PPS3, 5th December 2005
See here.
Planning Inspectors' Decisions
A summary of Inspectors' decisions can be viewed here (351kb pdf). This details the results of all Public Inquires where Fordham Research has appeared as an expert witness for councils' Local Plans, UDPs and S78 Appeals in respect of affordable housing, viability and planning gain.
The Wirral appeal decision is now available. Please click here to download the details (494kb pdf).
Oxfordshire Local Housing Assessment
The Oxfordshire LHA has now been finalised and the Executive Summary is available here (656kb pdf). Please email Rachel Myers to obtain a copy of the full report.
The LHA provides a detailed understanding of the Oxfordshire housing market and the direction it is taking. It follows the latest (ODPM March 2005) draft guidance on LHAs.
The Cost of Turning Empty Dwellings into Homes
A study by Fordham Research has found that more than 9,000 homes in East Kent are lying empty and going to waste, despite many of these being in good condition. A range of vacant properties across four Kent districts were surveyed for characteristics, condition, letting potential and cost of refurbishment...more
Unsound Evidence Wastes Millions
If a bridge falls down, something has obviously gone wrong. But if a piece of social survey research such as a Housing Needs Survey (HNS) is badly flawed nothing is obvious. The consequences may be just as serious: the community involved does not get the affordable housing it needs, and public money is wasted. But there is normally no visible crash...more
'Millions' wasted on poor HNA's
The Government initiated the field of housing needs assessment (HNA) in 1991, by making it necessary to demonstrate housing need as a condition of seeking affordable housing from developers. It was not until 2000 that any Guidance was provided on what a HNA should contain, and even in 2005 there is still no procedure for checking that consultants do a proper job...more
The London and Sub-Regional Housing Strategy Support Studies
The evidence base available to London Boroughs, the sub regions, the Greater London Authority and the ALG has taken a significant step forward due to the completion of a major study...more
House prices are a growing obstacle to public sector staffing
This is a key finding of a report prepared for the Essex NHS Workforce Development Confederation by Fordham Research...more