The Power of Community
With conference season in full swing, I spent a few days up in Liverpool last week, at the Labour Party conference meeting some colleagues in the planning and housing sphere and attending panel discussions on current hot topics.
What struck me most from the events I attended, was that the solution to many of society’s difficult challenges lies in community - the power of, being a part of, ownership of, investment in and pride in…community.
From the Hope Not Hate/Power to Change panel on the government’s new Pride in Place strategy (giving communities power over their own assets), to the Centre for Policy Research on Men and Boys’ inaugural conference event, the message was about people feeling better - emotionally, mentally and physically - by being part of a community.
Along the way, I watched Carol Vorderman and Carole Cadwalladr debate free speech and the media (funny and terrifying in equal parts) and attended the YIMBY event on the delivery of new social homes, with MP Chris Curtis sharing that 40% affordable homes should be the aim of any new development.
I enjoyed the best Indian meal I’ve ever had at Delhi House, courtesy of the PLG for Housing Delivery and Growth and met representatives from L&G, Places for People and Dorchester Living, the developers behind one of the UK’s new settlements in Heyford Park, Oxfordshire. The community benefits associated with this scheme include a new school, play areas, hotel and entertainment facilities, as well as affordable homes – and there’s plenty more building to come!
Finally, I sat down to watch the PM Kier Starmer’s speech. While the mood wasn’t quite as buoyant as 2024, when Labour was newly elected to power, there was much to be proud of – from homes (being) built, to NHS waiting lists being down. However, nobody can ignore the challenges of illegal immigration and the recent protests around the UK - but the PM’s plea was for unification and fairness for all. The importance of community values and pride, diversity, and acceptance of our differences was the thread running through the conversations at the Labour conference this year. In Liverpool, a city that has such a strong local identity and long history of welcoming people from around the world through its famous docks, it really resonated.
At Comm Comm, we speak to local councillors from all political parties, and work with lots of different communities – from social housing tenants, to leaseholders, private tenants to developers, local councils to contractors. We work with communities that are losing something, gaining something, want to see improvements and benefits, need new homes and infrastructure. Our job is to make sure everyone’s voices are heard in the planning process, and to ensure that our clients and communities secure the results they want. We’re on the same side.
Hannah Grogan
Head of Operations, Comm Comm UK
