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In a devastating turn of events Sir Howard Bernstein, former chief executive of Manchester City Council, passed away earlier this week at the age of 71 after a ‘period of illness’.

Bernstein began his exceptional career in 1971 where he worked at Manchester Town Hall as a £500-a-year junior clerk. He secured the role straight after he left school and quickly rose through the ranks to be appointed head of urban policy where he oversaw the creation and extension of the Metrolink in the 90s. Following this, he became the chief executive of the council.

During Bernstein’s time as chief executive, his efforts can be described as nothing sort of phenomenal. He played a key role in building back the city following the 1996 IRA bomb, led on securing and delivering the 2002 Commonwealth Games, and kickstarted the transformation of East Manchester. It’s safe to say his presence in the northern city will be greatly missed.

Bev Craig, leader of Manchester City Council, said although Sir Howard has physically gone, his spirit will be forever remembered as ‘a driving force in the city’s turnaround form post-industrial decline to the growing, confident and forward-looking city we see today’.

‘He leaves an incredible legacy in the transformation of the city,’ Ms Craig added.

Tom Stanndard, chair of the IED, has also expressed his condolences for Sir Howards death, stating the company’s thoughts ‘are with his close family and friends.’

‘Sir Howard laid the foundations for the creation of the Manchester City Region and everything that has been achieved since through the leading devolution deals that the City has achieved with government,’ Stannard said. ‘There is a sense of loss within all aspects of the economic development and regeneration communities of the City Region. We were privileged to enjoy a number of years with him as our Patron and he will be widely remembered amongst our membership as one of the best in our profession.’

Moreover, Nigel Willcock, executive director of the IED, said: ‘Sir Howard was an important contributor to economic development professionals both in his work generally but also as Patron of the IED. He was a shrewd and visionary leader and undertook all of his work with an understanding of the need of the communities across the city.’

Image: Architects Journal/Sir Howard Bernstein 

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Maintenance support, communication strategies and complaint responses are all areas that have contributed to levels being at an all-time low.  

Housemark, a leading data insight company for the UK housing sector, have published their first look at the 2023-24 Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSM) survey and the results are disappointing to say the least. Experts found satisfaction levels in England have dropped below 70% meaning it is now at a five-year low.

To conduct their research, experts surveyed 22 English landlords on their TSM performance from April 2023 to March 2024 and discovered the decline in service satisfaction dropped from 85.1% in 2018-19 to 69.4% in 2023-24.

Looking at this research more closely, researchers highlighted significant areas that are contributing to such a stark decline in satisfaction levels. Experts found almost a third of tenants are not happy with their repairs service. Repairs are the main point of contact between landlords and tenants. With social landlords recording an average of 3.3 repairs per property – around 14 million repairs across England – the report says this service is crucial for maintaining tenant satisfaction.

In addition, tenants were also found to be dissatisfied with landlords communication. According to the survey, only 58.9% of tenants feel their landlord listens to their views, leaving almost half feeling overlooked.

Moreover, 33.8% of tenants were found to be dissatisfied with their landlord’s to handling complaints, a drop of 15.2% compared to 2022-23. With the data showing a 14.9% rise in average stage one complaint volumes between 2022-23 and 2023-24, the research highlights a possible shift as landlords record complaints formally, in line with the Housing Ombudsman’s Code, instead of using informal mechanisms.

 ‘While some of the headlines in these results are concerning, it’s important to recognise that meaningful improvements in operational services, particularly repairs, typically take around 18 months to reflect in tenant perceptions. This means that efforts initiated now will start showing results in the 2025-26 TSM data. It’s a reminder that sustained effort is crucial for long-term change,’ Jonathan Cox, director of data and business intelligence at Housemark, said.

He continued: ‘While the current TSM results for overall satisfaction are at a low point, our monthly pulse data since April indicates a modest recovery among landlords who have proactively addressed service issues. This is an encouraging sign that positive changes are starting to take effect, and we expect this trend to continue as more landlords implement improvements.’

Although Housemark’s data highlights tenants upset with housing services, the research also shows investment to improve services will start to be reflected in scores after around 18 months.

Image: Erik Mclean

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There’s a very important first step that needs to be taken in resolving the housing crisis: we need a greater understanding of public sentiment around the Green Belt, and a moderate adult conversation to replace the politicking and propaganda.

Of the many issues impacting on the building of new homes, the Green Belt is perhaps the most contentious. Yet the majority of people, if asked whether they would choose a resolution to the housing crisis or an expansion of the Green Belt would probably choose the former.

Furthermore, addressing the housing shortfall, does not require for the Green Belt to be reduced, simply reviewed. It is a lesser known fact that the Green Belt was actually increased last year despite 235,000 new homes being permitted.

A review would make much better use of less attractive areas the Green Belt. Keir Starmer has recently referred to this as the ‘Grey Belt’. In reality there is no ‘belt’ of disused petrol stations and quarries – it’s a much more complex picture whereby large areas of Green Belt are speckled with grey dots.

However, the principle is a sensible one: identifying areas ripe for development. At the same time there is a strong case for identifying and protecting valuable greenfield land including national parks, agricultural land and woodlands, which are rightly appreciated. In fact a review of the Green Belt need not mean a reduction of the Green Belt, simply a change in its boundaries.

This straightforward approach would appeal across the political and demographic spectrums.

Statistics show how public perception has become distorted. For example, the public believes that 47.1% of England is developed; it’s actually just 8.7%.

In contrast, 12.6% of England is protected by Green Belt, which is increasing year on year. The Green Belt around London is three times the size of the city itself. And there is also substantial Green Belt land around 16 of England’s towns and cities including London, Manchester, Birmingham and Liverpool.

Furthermore, contrary to public belief, not all Green Belt land free to be enjoyed by the public: roughly one quarter accessible (only 9.3% of which is allocated as National Park) and the vast majority is privately owned farmland.

The ‘threat’ to the Green Belt has long been a rallying call for campaigners against new development, with a suggestion that the country’s Green Belt is under threat as never before. But again, the statistics paint a very different picture. In 2023, the area of Green Belt land in England, at 1,638,420 hectares, was its highest in twenty years.

I believe that if people understood the impact of ‘protection’ they may see it differently. Far from the vision of a bucolic ring of verdant countryside open to all, much of the Green Belt is unappreciated and underutilised, often previously developed brownfield land. Even the CPRE has put on record that of the 60,714 ha Nottingham and Derby Green Belt, 36% is ‘neglected’.

It’s important to consider how the benefits of the Green Belt can be delivered closer to people’s homes, specifically the inclusion of high quality natural landscapes within and around residential

developments which addresses both sustainability and social objectives. Many new developments now do so very effectively – infinitely more so than the housing developments of the 80s and 90s. And the new requirement that new developments achieve a 10% biodiversity uplift is a step in the right direction.

Even Tony Juniper, the chair of Natural England, has stated that building on the green belt should be part of the UK’s answer to the housing crisis, provided more effort is also put into improving the quality of urban green space. In a Guardian article in November he explained that new housing and better protection for green spaces, wildlife and nature should not be seen as opposites. He explains that the ‘oppositional mindset’ that sees the two as ‘binary choices’ does not reflect reality and that, ‘Putting woodlands in remote areas is going to have much less social benefit than putting woodlands in areas next to where people live.’

The fact is that housing developments which achieves biodiversity net gain through tree planting, new wildflower meadows and habitat creation provides significantly more environmental value than agricultural land and are significantly more accessible.

This position is supported by think tanks left and right: the Adam Smith Institute and the Institute of Economic Affairs have argued that the release of at least some Green Belt land could help solve the housing crisis, and the Institute for Economic Affairs has stated that the existing restrictions ‘significantly push up the cost of living, while making homeownership unattainable, forcing people into lower-paying jobs and increasing commute times and pollution’.

With housebuilding believed to be at its lowest level since the Second World War and affordability compounded by high interest rates, high build costs, labour shortages and the removal of Help to Buy, a solution to the housing crisis is urgently needed. Of course a Green Belt review is not a panacea, but since the issue has become one of the emotive issues in what has become an unnecessarily emotive debate, some more moderate dialogue would be an important step in the right direction.

Image: ZACHARY STAINES

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Jane Bennett tragically died of lung disease on 8th June 2023 and following her death a coroner has ruled exposure to toxic mould could have contributed to her passing.

Prior to her death, Bennett, who lived in a council owned bungalow in Mansfield, was admitted to hospital four times in the same month for breathlessness and a cough, which she believed could have been linked to the mould in her property. What’s more, a prevention of future deaths report was issued before the inquest into her death, warning there was a ‘risk that future deaths could occur unless action is taken’.

Meanwhile, inspections of other council homes in the area have also been ordered.

Before moving into the bungalow, Bennett lived in a flat but had to move due to her mobility issues and a report found that her health deteriorated after moving into this property. Moreover, Dr John Hutchinson, a consultant at King’s Mill hospital who treated her for lung disease, wrote a letter to Mansfield District Council raising concerns about the impact of mould on her health.

Although, in a devastating turn of events, Bennett’s condition declined and she died two days after the letter was written, meaning it was never sent.

In court, officials were told that Bennett had two large dehumidifiers in her property in an attempt to control the mould problem and had made more than eight complaints to the council. Bennett flagged problems such as a leaky door, celling and radiator – all issues that could have caused the severe mould outbreak.

Nevertheless, Jill Finnesey, head of housing at Mansfield council, said the authority had ‘responded to Jane’s requests’ and carried out necessary work in her home.

She told the inquest: ‘In terms of doing everything we can as a landlord, I feel like we have made every attempt to do that quickly.’

Unfortunately, cases like Jane Bennetts are not unlikely in today’s climate. According to government figures, in England, there are around two million people currently living in homes with significant damp and/or mould problems. With the General Election now just around the corner, members of the public and housing experts are hoping that whoever makes it into Parliament in July seriously prioritises the need to deliver good quality social homes.

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