Rock the boat: what real estate wants from Gove

Another cabinet reshuffle, another change of housing secretary. Following Boris Johnson’s overhaul of his top team this week, real estate is now looking to Michael Gove for a steer on what his priorities will be in the post. Gove (pictured) was named secretary of state for housing, communities and local government after the dismissal of Robert Jenrick, who had held the post for more than two years and was spearheading a raft of reforms including a revamp of the planning system. Those reforms already seemed as if they might undergo some degree of watering down, but real estate and political figures are now hoping that Gove’s apparent willingness to shake up other ministries will mean he is keen to keep change on the agenda. Mark Prisk, a former Conservative housing minister, said Gove will bring “a reforming mindset and political weight to housing, devolution, modernising local government and the need to rebalance our economy”. Marc Vlessing, chief executive of affordable housing developer Pocket Living, said Gove should push ahead with reforms, even if faced with opposition from within his own party. “The new secretary of state has inherited his brief at a critical juncture, with a series of radical reforms currently held in stasis due to significant resistance from within a governing party unconvinced by the manner and need for change,” Vlessing said. “Yet this is not the time to be timid or seek to reverse away from the fundamental issue that the reforms seek to address. The UK’s housing market is dysfunctional and real change is needed.” James Forrester, managing director of estate agency Barrows and Forrester, is also hoping for the new secretary to show his mettle, describing Gove as “a Whitehall big hitter with a reputation for rocking the boat”. But, he said, “the reality is probably more of the same tired, recycled rhetoric around housing policy”. Forrester added: “In recent times, those charged with addressing the current housing crisis have lasted less time in their post than it takes to sell a house. No wonder the sector has been riddled with scandal and an inability to reach housing targets.” Others are hoping Gove can bridge the gap between his own department and others. Nick Sanderson, chief executive of retirement village developer Audley Group, said he should forge closer links between the housing and health departments. “Under too many of the past leaders, these departments have operated in a fragmented way, ignoring holistic solutions that have the potential to tackle both the housing and social care crises,” Sanderson said. “The need for change is urgent but it must be meaningful, bringing together housing, health and social care under one banner, marking a radical shift towards solving issues at their root.” There will be scepticism, though, over how much any new housing secretary can achieve before the role changes hands once again, given that the post has been filled three times in as many years. An anonymous Twitter account for @TheLandlordWhisperer, an adviser to landlords, said of the appointment: “Nothing will change. He’s in the revolving door position. Even if he did happen to have a good idea he could implement, he won’t have time.” To send feedback, e-mail tim.burke@eg.co.uk or tweet @_tim_burke or @EGPropertyNews Photo © Tayfun Salci/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock