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Sam Dumitriu

@samdumitriu.bsky.social
3.9K followers 128 following 329 posts

Head of Policy at Britain Remade.

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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Burnham has effectively abolished the Triple Lock. From 2030, pensions would rise by the higher of inflation or 2.5%, with an earnings floor to stop them falling behind average wages.
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Britain Remade @britainremade.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
How did we spend 1/4 of a billion pounds on the Botley Road bridge? For all the issues around Victorian flood defences and the muddle of accountable bodies, we must see the bigger picture of it costing too much to build anything in Britain, @samdumitriu.bsky.social tells BBC Radio 4's PM.
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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Zack Polanski claims the Government have classified data centres as 'critical infrastructure' and as a result they'll get priority access to water and power over households. Is this true? In short, no. www.samdumitriu.com/p/no-data-ce...
samdumitriu.com
No, data centres will not be given priority access to water in droughts
Zack Polanski needs to get his terminology right
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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
New: The first of the post-Planning and Infrastructure Act 'Environmental Delivery Plans' has been published. It should unblock around 15,000 homes in Norfolk and unlock £30m+ for nature recovery. The challenge is now to roll them out nationwide. consultations.defra.gov.uk/consultation...
consultations.defra.gov.uk
Nutrient Pollution – draft Norfolk Environmental Delivery Plan consultation
Summary We’re inviting your views on a new draft Environmental Delivery Plan (EDP), designed to support nature recovery in Norfolk: Broads Special Area of Co...
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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
This will be good. Come along and say hi.
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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Want to understand just how hard it is to build in London? Hackney Councillors just failed to approve Hackney Council’s own application to turn a former one-bed flat back into a one-bed flat. www.samdumitriu.com/p/how-hard-i...
samdumitriu.com
How hard is it to build in Hackney?
Even Hackney Council struggles to get planning permission from Hackney Council
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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
The Chancellor just announced a 'Rail Cost Review' modelled on the Fingleton Review. Here's why it's needed. @britainremade.bsky.social and @britishprogress.org analysis found British rail projects cost on average 93% more than what they cost in other major developed economies.
britainremade.co.uk
Building More for Less: A cost-free path to European levels of investment | Sam Dumitriu, Michael Hill, David Lawrence and Pedro Serôdio
Contrary to what has become a standard view in policy circles, the British state does not invest far less than its peer countries. Britain’s broken system of infrastructure investment has limited the ...
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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
New: Healey confirms that not only will he stick with reforms to make it harder to JR energy infrastructure projects, he will also extend the reforms to all forms of infrastructure. My summary of the reforms from May below. www.samdumitriu.com/p/the-real-p...
samdumitriu.com
The real problem with JR
Why further reform is necessary
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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
NEW: My verdict on Labour's planning rewrite. When I read the draft, I thought the 'train belt' policy could be transformative, but viability challenges (high affordable shares) mean it disappoints. However, there's one really radical policy in there... www.samdumitriu.com/p/the-really...
samdumitriu.com
The really radical policy in Labour's planning rewrite
What's in the new National Planning Policy Framework
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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
When Italy hosted the World Cup in 1934, Benito Mussolini awarded the runners-up a special Coppa Del Duce that was so heavy it required four people to lift it. You wouldn’t put something similar past Trump and Infantino if Argentina lose, would you?
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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
Starmer and Reeves's planning reform agenda is working, but unfinished. My latest describes four reforms (in the works) that Andy Burnham should keep when he takes power next week. www.samdumitriu.com/p/what-burnh...
samdumitriu.com
What Burnham should keep
Four pro-growth reforms that should outlive Starmer and Reeves
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Iain Roberts @slowbikeiain.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
Have you ever wondered why, compared to our friends on the continent, our infrastructure in the UK is…well…pretty rubbish? Why we can't build rail, Leeds doesn't have a tram and the nation's roads are covered in potholes? A 🧵
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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
Andy Burnham video when England go out in the QFs to a wondergoal from Vini Jr: "Vini really? Little one for fans of the Durutti Column there. Signed to Factory records of course. Tough night, still the boys have done us proud. I'm in Manchester to announce our new Maxine Peake drama fund."
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Britain Remade @britainremade.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
In infrastructure, Britain spends more and gets less. Look at what we could build without raising a penny of tax just by getting our costs down to European levels.
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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
New study: Britain spends a third more on transport infrastructure than its peers, but because of high construction costs ends up with a fifth less. The UK spends £1.65 to get what £1 buys in France, Germany and Spain. (1/N) www.britainremade.co.uk/moreforless
britainremade.co.uk
Building More for Less: A cost-free path to European levels of investment | Sam Dumitriu, Michael Hill, David Lawrence and Pedro Serôdio
Contrary to what has become a standard view in policy circles, the British state does not invest far less than its peer countries. Britain’s broken system of infrastructure investment has limited the ...
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Borners @borners.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
Good measured post by @samdumitriu.bsky.social, what I would say is there is a higher synthesis, as UK hyper centralisation + high costs lead to this kind of instability within projects. www.samdumitriu.com/p/is-feast-a...
samdumitriu.com
Is feast-and-famine funding the cause of Britain's high infrastructure costs?
A response to Alon Levy
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Britain Remade @britainremade.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
Hinkley Point C might be delayed again. Why? Because Natural England say the £700 million spent on fish protection at Britain's next nuclear power station is not enough. We can't go on like this. youtu.be/NeuUdwD0_-g
youtu.be
Why Britain's New Nuclear Power Station Might Be Delayed... AGAIN
YouTube video by Britain Remade
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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
Recent reforms designed to stop legal challenges delaying infrastructure are working. So why is the Labour Government going even further? My latest explains the thinking (and why further action is necessary). www.samdumitriu.com/p/the-real-p...
samdumitriu.com
The real problem with JR
Why further reform is necessary
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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
This is exciting. British tram projects take longer and cost twice as much as they do in Europe. So the Government have announced a 'mass transit taskforce' (Fingleton for Trams) to identify the reasons why British projects cost more. www.gov.uk/government/n...
gov.uk
New mass transit taskforce to reshape the future of transport in towns and cities
The new taskforce will make recommendations to improve transit systems so they can be delivered more efficiently across the UK.
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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
Wes Streeting has proposed equalising Capital Gains and Income Tax rates. He (well, CENTAX at LSE really) reckons it'd raise £12bn If the UK adopted this plan, it would give us the highest rate of CGT in the OECD (for long-and-short term gains) albeit with a much more entrepreneur friendly base.
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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
I find it remarkable that there are serious conversations about capping supermarket prices, but to my knowledge, no politician has called for the scrapping of the 'Town Centre first' policy despite extremely good evidence that it increases supermarket prices. www.samdumitriu.com/p/how-to-cut...
samdumitriu.com
How to cut the cost of the weekly shop
Planning policy makes your groceries more expensive
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Britain Remade @britainremade.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
Building "luxury flats" actually makes housing more affordable for everyone. It's an effect shown in studies around the world. The chains created by people moving into high end properties free up homes all the way down the ladder.
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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
Britain's first nuclear build in three decades is set to be delayed because Natural England have decided £700m on fish protection isn't enough. A 2 year delay would mean 2-4bn cubic metres more gas burnt and 4-8m tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere. www.samdumitriu.com/p/natural-en...
samdumitriu.com
Natural England is a threat to Britain’s energy security
Britain's first nuclear plant in three decades faces delays
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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
Kemi Badenoch's speech in Parliament yesterday was, according to Hansard, only the second time the phrase 'Epic Fail' was used in Parliament.
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Britain Remade @britainremade.bsky.social · 07/05/2026
You don't tackle climate change by stopping things. You tackle it by building things.
Graphic showing the difference in outcome after a change to planning rules making it easier for judges to throw out judicial review cases with no merit.

The central claim is that planning reform reduces carbon emissions. The chart shows the example of new rules allowing a judge to stop an attempt to block a solar farm in Kent after 2 months, when it would previously have dragged on for 14 months. The new system prevented 31,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent being released in burning gas instead of using the solar farm while waiting for it to come online.
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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 07/05/2026
Failed legal challenges have delayed major infrastructure projects like new roads and power stations by a collective 32 years. Labour recently changed the law to cut the time it takes to throw out anti-infrastructure lawsuits. And it's working. www.samdumitriu.com/p/the-planni...
samdumitriu.com
The Planning and Infrastructure Act is working.
It just got harder to delay infrastructure with bogus lawsuits
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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
Not usually a fan of Banksy, but this is v. clever.
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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
Every govt forecast demand of electricity demand of the last 20 years has been catastrophically wrong. They keep predicting that electricity use will rise. In fact, it's fallen by than in any other developed country. Only Yemen, Zimbabwe, Jamaica, Tajikistan and Syria saw bigger per-capita falls.
samdumitriu.com
Why Britain's electricity demand forecasts are always wrong
Britain's electricity demand destruction problem
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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 17/04/2026
Yesterday, the Government announced they were scrapping an £18 per tonne carbon on electricity. In a new post, @michaeljahill.bsky.social explains the green case for cutting carbon taxes on electricity. www.samdumitriu.com/p/why-the-ca...
samdumitriu.com
Why the Carbon Price Support was scrapped
How cutting a carbon tax on electricity could cut carbon emissions
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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 16/04/2026
Nobody talks about the time when Razorlight got radiation poisoning from the polonium meant for Litvinenko.
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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 30/03/2026
In response to the Fingleton Review, the Govt didn't commit to legislating to fix the Habs Regs to avoid things like fish discos/bat tunnels. However, they are legislating to do just that for offshore wind. Why is it one rule for wind and another for nuclear? www.samdumitriu.com/p/if-its-goo...
samdumitriu.com
If it’s good enough for wind, it’s good enough for nukes
Cutting red tape for offshore wind is welcome, it should apply to nuclear too
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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 17/03/2026
New: How our planning system makes the weekly shop more expensive. Supermarkets are using planning objections and legal challenges to prevent cheaper rivals (Aldi/Lidl) from opening nearby. www.samdumitriu.com/p/how-to-cut...
samdumitriu.com
How to cut the cost of the weekly shop
Planning policy makes your groceries more expensive
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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 14/03/2026
Britain is the most expensive place in the world to build a nuclear power station. Labour have just announced an extremely ambitious supply-side reform agenda to change that. Here's my analysis of what just might end up as the Starmer Govt's proudest legacy. www.samdumitriu.com/p/how-seriou...
samdumitriu.com
How serious is the Government on nuclear reform?
Britain Remade’s analysis of the Government’s response to the Fingleton Review
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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
Remember the Preston Model? The council was meant to have saved their area by shifting spend to local SMEs. But the sums don't add up: council spend is just too small to explain it. @michaeljahill.bsky.social on the real Preston Model: build homes and roads. www.samdumitriu.com/p/the-truth-...
samdumitriu.com
The truth about the Preston Model
How housebuilding, not 'community wealth building', explains Preston's success
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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 09/03/2026
In the Guardian, I argue that Britain’s nature protections often lead to expensive, ineffective mitigations and, paradoxically, harm nature in the long run because they make it harder to build the clean energy infrastructure we need to tackle climate change.
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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 06/03/2026
Sadiq Khan has identified London's golf courses as potential sites for new homes. Here are some facts about London's golf courses. www.standard.co.uk/news/london/...
standard.co.uk
Sadiq Khan takes swing at London golf courses in affordable homes plan
Car parks also on hit list as City Hall draws up plans for 880,000 new homes
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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 06/03/2026
Labour's rewrite of planning policy is genuinely radical, but there's a real risk that good intentions are watered-down due to unclear drafting. Michael Hill and I have set out three problems that could undermine an otherwise admirably bold document. www.samdumitriu.com/p/whats-wron...
samdumitriu.com
What's wrong with Labour's planning rewrite?
Three problems with the draft NPPF and how to fix them
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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
I am more relaxed than most about Palantir's role in the British public sector, but this is disturbing. Not only did the CEO twice use a slur about the intellectually disabled, the company account then reposted it. (His core message on Anthropic is hateful too.)
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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
Starmer: “Every time I go to pull a lever, there are a whole bunch of regulations ... that mean the action from pulling the lever to delivery is longer than I think it ought to be” He has a point. Some London boroughs won't be impacted by his housing target policy until the end of this Parliament.
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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
Labour's plan to build 1.5m homes is reliant on housing targets. One big problem: they are unlikely to impact London, which is meant to deliver a huge share of those homes, until the 2030s! My latest explains how places like Camden can avoid higher targets. www.samdumitriu.com/p/the-london...
samdumitriu.com
The London Loophole
How London’s boroughs escape higher housing targets
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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
There's a big risk that conflict in Iran forces Reeves to reverse tax rises, leaving the Government in an even weaker fiscal position. Her plans bake in a 1p rise in fuel duty in Sep and a 2p rise in Dec. Is that politically possible in an oil crisis?
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michaeljahill.bsky.social @michaeljahill.bsky.social · 16/02/2026
The Shoreditch Works application has taken 4 years and 9,000 pages of documents. Hackney Council has concluded what this project needs is… more documents.
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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 13/02/2026
This is interesting. Looks like the EU is planning to reform the Habitats Regulations out of concern they restrict clean energy development too much. www.tlt.com/insights-and...
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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 13/02/2026
NEW: Labour are on track to miss their 1.5 million home by a distance. Our analysis of planning application data predicts only 800,000 homes will be built in England by 2029. Just 3.4% of people in England live somewhere on track to meet their housing target. www.samdumitriu.com/p/labours-15...
samdumitriu.com
Labour’s 1.5 million homes target is almost certainly not going to be reached
A boom is possible, but it will be too little, too late for the target
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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 04/02/2026
thread
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michaeljahill.bsky.social @michaeljahill.bsky.social · 04/02/2026
Would you say a 9,054-page planning application for an office block and some flats is: A) Too long B) About right C) Not long enough If you answered C, congratulations! You could work at Hackney Council.
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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 04/02/2026
This is a must-read. A forensic analysis of a planning application (and a report from planners recommending its refused). Kafkaesque is over-used, but it is the perfect description of the process so far for the extremely popular Shoreditch Works scheme.
samdumitriu.com
Anatomy of a Planning Refusal
When 7,500 pages isn’t enough detail
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Adam Bell @adambell.bsky.social · 04/02/2026
One of the big problems for marketeers such as myself is that people absolutely hate prices being used to indicate scarcity. Rent controls are exactly the same as calls for constraints on TicketMaster: requests to move towards a system of queuing for scarce products rather than money.
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Sam Dumitriu @samdumitriu.bsky.social · 03/02/2026
Britain is a very centralised country. Britain is also a very expensive place to build new infrastructure. Are these two facts linked? @alonlevy.bsky.social, one of the world’s top experts on infrastructure costs doesn’t think so. Here’s why I disagree. open.substack.com/pub/samdumit...
open.substack.com
Is centralisation to blame for Britain's high construction costs?
A response to Alon Levy of Transit Costs Project
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Britain Remade @britainremade.bsky.social · 02/02/2026
NEW: 45 leading figures from academia, business and politics tell Ed Miliband "Don't U-turn" on the commitment to implement every recommendation of the Fingleton Nuclear Regulatory Review. Full letter below.
Image shows the full text of the letter signed by 45 figures. The letter is too long for alt text, but can be summarised as defending the Fingleton review over a recent Wildlife Trusts report on these grounds:

Some nature NGOs have now begun to campaign against recommendations 11, 12, and 19 of the review. These reforms would:

· Remove the costly requirement for like-for-like on-site environmental mitigation (11)

· Create a streamlined alternative pathway for compliance with the habitats regulation that would unlock significant funding for nature recovery (12)

· Remove the vague National Park Duty introduced by the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023 (19)
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