Vision, ambition and scale

The government has set out – and repeated – its commitment to build 1.5 million homes during this parliament. The ambition is there, the scale is unmatched in the recent past and the vision… well, some of the detail is in need of colouring in.

New towns will be a critical part of that equation, though how significant depends how 1.5 million gets counted come the end of the parliament. The New Towns Taskforce set up by government is almost six months into its work and halfway to reporting to ministers. So far, more than 100 submissions for sites with the potential for at least 10,000 homes have been lodged, with urban extensions to existing towns or cities around London, the South East, South West, and East of England the most represented.

The 10-year strategy for housing promised this spring will need vision, ambition and scale if those goals are to be realised.

A 10-year strategy for infrastructure is also promised. A new paper from the Institute of Civil Engineers is well timed. Investors see the UK as a risky bet, with concerns about policy reversals, regulatory constraints and delayed or cancelled projects. The public, meanwhile, believes government should pay for most major infrastructure projects, but doesn’t trust it to deliver.

Whether they are right to think so is incidental; the clarity of messaging requires urgent attention if cynical investors and a doubting public are to be convinced. The ICE pulls no punches: “Paying for infrastructure with new funding and financing models is not the answer; improving communication, skills, regulations and delivery should be prioritised.” Or to put it another way: explain the vision, the ambition and the scale. Now.

At ING we’re practising what we preach.

Last week we hosted our first Innovative Breakfast Club with CREtech. Designed to showcase some of the pioneering work taking place across the built world, this first quarterly event focused on creating places that engage and inspire young people. Our fantastic panel ensured the discussion was never less than visionary and ambitious.

And scale? Well, this month we are announcing our global expansion with the opening of our first international office in Singapore and the strengthening of our Manchester presence. Each is a key market with immense potential and we couldn’t be more excited about them both.

Let’s all be more VAS – it may just catch on.