“You need a system that puts the politicians, the planning departments, the planning officers under pressure to deliver a minimum amount of homes every year, or there are severe ramifications for them.”

Jonathan Vandermolen is the CEO of Vandermolen Real Estate and has over 35 years of experience within the property industry. He founded the Blenheim Bishop agency in 1991, which was the first independently owned land, development consultancy and new homes business before trying his hand at development and forming Vandermolen Real Estate in 2018. Since then, Jonathan has developed a reputation as a thought leader in the residential development market. 

In this episode, Jonathan explains that if he were Housing Minister he would create a planning structure that would have to be adhered to by all local councils, no matter what political party they were from, and ensure councils are obligated to provide a set amount of affordable housing, which start at 40 or 50 units in size. Over time, Jonathan would ensure that the planning system would mandate local authorities to have a minimum number of planning consents granted. Finally, Jonathan explains the need for more greenbelt housing to provide more people with a better quality of life - with environmentally friendly homes at the heart of any new homes policy.