Inside UK&#x27;s Planning Crisis with Jonathan Collins

‘Brought to you by Progressive Media’: https://progressivemedia.uk/

KEY TAKEAWAYS

The planning system is too complex, projects that should be simple often get bogged down with unnecessary requirements and delays.
Most council money goes to social care, leaving little for other important services like planning and development.
Extra rules and taxes on landlords have led to fewer rental properties and higher rents for tenants.
The UK's energy pricing makes no sense, we pay the highest possible price even when cheaper energy is available.
Getting planning permission takes too long because councils don't have enough staff and the process is overly complicated.
Infrastructure projects in the UK often cost far more than in other countries because we try to make everything perfect rather than practical.
Local politics has become less cooperative over time, making it harder to get things done that everyone actually agrees need doing.

BEST MOMENTS

"The whole thing is bonkers and if the market means anything, surely it should mean that me as an electricity purchaser can go to a solar person and say, I'll have your electricity."

"When you sit down and you talk to people, most people will agree what the challenges are and some of the ways forward by way of solutions."

"Infrastructure projects suffer because they're over-engineered and gold-plated, which means they run out of money before completion.”

"The nature of our politics has got worse... there's an inability to actually listen and to debate and to understand and to compromise."

VALUABLE RESOURCES

https://www.youtube.com/user/progressiveproperty https://www.progressiveproperty.co.uk/the-progressive-co-founders/

ABOUT THE HOST

CONTACT METHOD

‘Brought to you by Progressive Media’: https://progressivemedia.uk/

Previous Episode

The Real Cost of Political U-Turns: Jonathan Collins on UK's Infrastructure Crisis

Mark talks to Jonathan Collins, friend and former leader of Nottingham City Council for 16 years. They discuss in depth Labour's recent budget decisions, infrastructure challenges, and the complexities of political promises. While coming from different sides of the political spectrum, their frank discussion explores local government, infrastructure investment, and the realities of political decision making. The debate around HS2, regional development, and political accountability makes this a must listen for anyone interested in UK politics and economic policy.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Good infrastructure (railways, roads, broadband) is essential for local economic growth - when these basics are missing, even successful businesses struggle to expand.
Politicians avoid being honest about taxes before elections, creating a cycle of unrealistic promises and voter disappointment.
There aren't enough young people being born causing a social care and tax crisis.
Government projects often cost much more than necessary because officials are too focused on avoiding any possible criticism rather than being practical.
The constant stopping and starting of major projects like HS2 wastes enormous amounts of money as contractors have to keep reorganising their work.
Many areas of the UK are held back not by lack of business opportunity, but by poor transport connections and outdated infrastructure.
Union influence on Labour Party decisions is less direct than many people think.
Professional experts often over-engineer infrastructure projects due to fear of future criticism, leading to gold-plated solutions rather than practical ones.
Local councils face challenges in basic service delivery (like waste collection) due to the complex relationship between unions, management, and practical realities.

BEST MOMENTS

"Part of the challenge with politics is that it often descends into personalities... But ultimately, this is all about how we run the country and it's about policy."

"The country isn't working anymore. It isn't functioning and so the conversation is, so are we happy with that? Are we happy to continue doing that?"

"There aren't enough young people being born. You're not enough working age people to pay for the old people. We've got social care issues."

"If you concentrate on infrastructure and housing, you will get growth. Infrastructure and housing will deliver you growth."

"Why does it cost four times as much to do HS2 per mile than it does to do the TGV?"

"Each time they get all of their payments, as soon as the government decides to stop again, it's massively disruptive and costly. Stop starting. I mean, it's completely bonkers."

VALUABLE RESOURCES

https://www.youtube.com/user/progressiveproperty https://www.progressiveproperty.co.uk/the-progressive-co-founders/

ABOUT THE HOST

CONTACT METHOD

‘Brought to you by Progressive Media’: https://progressivemedia.uk/

Next Episode

Building Your Power Team

This is a revisit of a previous episode. Join Mark as he talks about how to build the power team you need for your business. Mark also talks about how to keep your team motivated and why it’s essential for the success of your business to work with a team.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Working with property is a team sport, you can’t do everything yourself. Find the people who know more than you and work with them.
Due diligence is essential in finding the right people for the jobs you need. There are a lot of specialists when working with property, especially if you are working in renovating or conversions.
You want an expert with experience, someone who has verifiable skills in the exact job you want doing.
Progressive Property Approved, is a list of approved specialists that have proven experience with progressive so you can feel confident you have the right person for the job.
Mentorship is essential for building you and your power team, allowing you to continue to learn from those who have been where you are.

BEST MOMENTS
"I’m a bit of a conductor, trying to find the right person for each job that I need doing”

“You cannot know even a tiny percentage of what goes on in the property market”

“I've kissed so many frogs, picked so called experts, picked the wrong ones for the wrong jobs"

VALUABLE RESOURCES

https://www.youtube.com/user/progressiveproperty https://www.progressiveproperty.co.uk/the-progressive-co-founders/

ABOUT THE HOST

CONTACT METHOD