‘Shaping the Place’ and the Ability to Exclude: Housing and Localism in England

Abstract

Localism is currently en vogue in the United Kingdom. Yet while localism and empowering communities to ‘shape the place’ may have much to recommend them, these empowering and even inclusionary policies can also exclude and restrict, particularly in the residential context. Land use regulations can mean that ‘outsiders’ and ‘others’ find it difficult to live where they would otherwise choose. This analysis of three localist, residential land use interventions explores these exclusionary tensions within such micro-localism. It considers the building of affordable housing for ‘locals’ in rural areas, imposing restrictions on housing in multiple occupation and attempts to limit the use of properties in National Parks as second or holiday homes. The analysis suggests that while localism may have much to recommend it, place-shaping land use laws require careful and transparent evaluation to ensure that localism serves progressive, rather than regressive, policy ends.

Keywords: Localism, Exclusion, Exclusionary Zoning, Land Use, Planning, Property