Mark and Jonathan Collins continue their conversation into the intricacies of UK infrastructure, planning systems, and local government challenges. They discuss the complexities of planning permission, energy and local council operations. Collins shares expertise from his experience in local government and his current role as a planning consultant, making this episode essential listening for developers, property investors, and anyone interested in UK infrastructure development and local politics.

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.”

"Local democracy is great, but we've all voted in a national election and if the government is saying it's infrastructure and growth, sorry guys, but we're going to have to constrain your local ability to say no."

"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

Mark has bought, sold or has managed around 1,000 property units for himself, Rob, his family and his investors since 2003. He is a system and spreadsheet geek and has developed a complex, confidential deal analyser system of buying residential, commercial and multi-let properties.

CONTACT METHOD

Email: Markhomer@progressiveproperty.co.uk

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhomer1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markprogressive

Twitter: https://twitter.com/markprogressive

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

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

Mark has bought, sold or has managed around 1,000 property units for himself, Rob, his family and his investors since 2003. He is a system and spreadsheet geek and has developed a complex, confidential deal analyser system of buying residential, commercial and multi-let properties.

CONTACT METHOD

Email: Markhomer@progressiveproperty.co.uk

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhomer1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markprogressive

Twitter: https://twitter.com/markprogressive

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

Mark outlines his predictions for the housing market in 2025. He talks about what he thinks will happen to rental prices, interest rates and the impact of the US Election as he gives his 6 Property predictions for 2025.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Rent will continue to rise in 2025 due to stamp duty increases, EPC ratings and the repeal of section 21, meaning less buy to let landlords will be buying property, increasing demand.
• Economic growth is still going to be slow in 2025, interest rates are likely to continue to drop.
• Mark predicts that build-to-rent is a sector that is going to grow in 2025
• Donald Trump being elected is going to have a significant impact on the world economy including the UK, particularly if we get a good trade deal directly with the U.S
• If Elon Musk is able to save the US government as much as predicted, what he does will become a model for the rest of the world
• Permitted development conversion caps have been removed, Mark predicts there will be more conversions of office and retail spaces into domestic accommodation in 2025

BEST MOMENTS

"I’m targeting between 5-10% of growth in build to rent”

“If Elon Musk gets into the US government, there’s talk of him saving $2 Trillion a year in their budget”

“You can convert lots more retail buildings now”

VALUABLE RESOURCES

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

ABOUT THE HOST

Mark has bought, sold or has managed around 1,000 property units for himself, Rob, his family and his investors since 2003. He is a system and spreadsheet geek and has developed a complex, confidential deal analyser system of buying residential, commercial and multi-let properties.

CONTACT METHOD

Email: Markhomer@progressiveproperty.co.uk

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhomer1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markprogressive

Twitter: https://twitter.com/markprogressive

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