With the Senedd election due on May 7, a new Welsh Government will soon be in charge of the direction of devolved policy on housing and homelessness. The Spring issue of WHQ highlights the election pledges of the six main parties and the big changes that could be on the way depending on the result.
This edition also looks at issues that will be crucial to the future of housing whoever wins the election. Edward Shepherd explores what Wales can learn from England on land value capture and viability in housebuilding. Wendy Dearden looks at how to boost social housing supply by making use of existing buildings, while Cerys Clark asks whether housing standards are barriers to bringing empty homes back into use.
Tom Spare looks ahead and asks how we can deliver 60,000 social homes over the next decade and Steven Bletssoe and Ben Twomey present contrasting views on what the future of the private rented sector should be.
We also take a look back at housing in the Senedd that has just ended, with reflections from John Griffiths, the former chair of the Local Government and Housing Committee, on a busy term of legislative scrutiny and evidence gathering.
There are also two important features on homelessness. Debbie Thomas writes on the implementation journey that lies ahead for the new legislation and Sara O’Shea considers how services can benefit from the insights of people with lived experience of homelessness that helped to shape it.
It’s all change at WHQ as well, with Sally Hales taking over from Jules Birch as editor after this issue. After 13 years at the helm for Jules, it’s time for some fresh energy and ideas but WHQ will remain the independent voice for Welsh housing and regeneration that it has always been.
Regeneration is an appropriate theme for this Spring issue with all that renewal in the air. We look at projects across the spectrum from large schemes to small but significant interventions. At one end of that scale, Mark Barry introduces our special feature with a look at transit-oriented development linked to the South Wales Metro, while Nick Taylor-Williams considers the policy and funding frameworks for large-scale regen. Catherine Evans reports on plans by Trivallis for the regeneration of the Penrhys estate in the Rhondda Valleys and Rhianydd Jenkins outlines Beacon’s regeneration plans across south Wales.
At the other, Katie Clubb explains how Conwy’s Empty Spaces Pilot is driving town centre regeneration, Craig Sparrow reports on ClwydAlyn’s redevelopment of a historic street in Rhyl and Elliw Llŷr relates how a derelict historic building in Holyhead was transformed. Meanwhile Jen Heal reports on early lessons from the Town Booster Pilot Programme from Abertillery and Llantwit Major.
We hope that all that, plus much more besides, make for an edition with something to interest everyone. We wish everyone in Welsh housing well and thank you all for your support for WHQ.
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