Ed Hammond
@se13ed.bsky.social
Local government governance person, supporting English councils on stuff relating to decision-making, oversight, transparency, etc. Views my own.
amusingly the exception is drafted so as to exclude only three councils in the whole of England from the need to move from the committee system to leader-cabinet
November 25, 2025 at 4:07 PM
amusingly the exception is drafted so as to exclude only three councils in the whole of England from the need to move from the committee system to leader-cabinet
Peter always gets irrationally angered when he awakes during November as his body is still adjusting to the temporal act of treason known as "British Summer Time" - a pernicious misnomer given that it is imposed upon us by those who would gleefully welcome the return of the Brussels jackboot
November 24, 2025 at 7:33 PM
Peter always gets irrationally angered when he awakes during November as his body is still adjusting to the temporal act of treason known as "British Summer Time" - a pernicious misnomer given that it is imposed upon us by those who would gleefully welcome the return of the Brussels jackboot
rather than combating the Thing with a flamethrower, Kurt Russell engages it in debate over whether, from the perspective of ontological existentialism, it can (as an organism) demonstrate a true sense of "eigentlichkeit". The film did poorly at the box office
November 24, 2025 at 1:58 PM
rather than combating the Thing with a flamethrower, Kurt Russell engages it in debate over whether, from the perspective of ontological existentialism, it can (as an organism) demonstrate a true sense of "eigentlichkeit". The film did poorly at the box office
"The Thing 2: This Time It's Thingier"
November 24, 2025 at 1:44 PM
"The Thing 2: This Time It's Thingier"
He should wait for the results of the geophys!
November 22, 2025 at 8:50 PM
He should wait for the results of the geophys!
The missing link is the need to create community consensus through the creation of significant incentives for existing freeholders, leaseholders, and renters
November 22, 2025 at 2:38 PM
The missing link is the need to create community consensus through the creation of significant incentives for existing freeholders, leaseholders, and renters
Heygate's a great example because it shows why this model of development petered out - we can and should do big "area renewal" with local ppl, and for them, not just "at" them. Notwithstanding NIMBYism
November 22, 2025 at 2:38 PM
Heygate's a great example because it shows why this model of development petered out - we can and should do big "area renewal" with local ppl, and for them, not just "at" them. Notwithstanding NIMBYism
In the postwar era we understood sthg we've now forgotten - terraced houses were often built speculatively to poor standards; many are suboptimal as homes (poor insulation, tiny rooms, downstairs bathroom behind the kitchen etc). Retrofitting to modernise possible, but v expensive
November 22, 2025 at 2:07 PM
In the postwar era we understood sthg we've now forgotten - terraced houses were often built speculatively to poor standards; many are suboptimal as homes (poor insulation, tiny rooms, downstairs bathroom behind the kitchen etc). Retrofitting to modernise possible, but v expensive
Social landlords also own surprisingly large tracts of terraced houses too
November 22, 2025 at 2:07 PM
Social landlords also own surprisingly large tracts of terraced houses too
It was surprisingly easy politically right up until the end of the 80s - the standard model for constructing social housing, in London and elsewhere
November 22, 2025 at 2:07 PM
It was surprisingly easy politically right up until the end of the 80s - the standard model for constructing social housing, in London and elsewhere
what's wrong with people! three houses on our street last weekend! you'll be fed up of it by 25/12 and end up taking them all down on Boxing Day!
November 21, 2025 at 6:47 PM
what's wrong with people! three houses on our street last weekend! you'll be fed up of it by 25/12 and end up taking them all down on Boxing Day!
so in that sense, making fake runways and building control towers out of bamboo... sort of worked?
November 21, 2025 at 3:35 PM
so in that sense, making fake runways and building control towers out of bamboo... sort of worked?
the irony of it was that more recent (disputed) research suggests that some Melanesian locals were deliberately hamming it up for the anthropologists, who very much saw what they wanted to see. In part because the anthropologists and researchers brought with them... cargo
November 21, 2025 at 3:35 PM
the irony of it was that more recent (disputed) research suggests that some Melanesian locals were deliberately hamming it up for the anthropologists, who very much saw what they wanted to see. In part because the anthropologists and researchers brought with them... cargo
is it the case that the high street retail proposition relies increasingly on low-margin transactions - ie, making profitability overly reliant on sales volume? Feels that way with Poundland, and felt that way with Wilko (and brands like The Works, Savers, B&M's, Heron Foods)
November 21, 2025 at 2:56 PM
is it the case that the high street retail proposition relies increasingly on low-margin transactions - ie, making profitability overly reliant on sales volume? Feels that way with Poundland, and felt that way with Wilko (and brands like The Works, Savers, B&M's, Heron Foods)
whenever I've been to the States on holiday it feels like the most foreign place I've ever visited, and I've visited Iran
November 21, 2025 at 2:14 PM
whenever I've been to the States on holiday it feels like the most foreign place I've ever visited, and I've visited Iran
hearing that delegates have cautiously agreed a form of words that would see the fire reduced in size by 50% by 2075
November 20, 2025 at 6:17 PM
hearing that delegates have cautiously agreed a form of words that would see the fire reduced in size by 50% by 2075
it's slightly on the nose to see video of a huge fire breaking out at the COP conference and a load of people just milling around ignoring it
November 20, 2025 at 6:16 PM
it's slightly on the nose to see video of a huge fire breaking out at the COP conference and a load of people just milling around ignoring it
"For the purposes of this paragraph the word "nerd" shall have the same meaning as that defined in Part 3, Section 5, Paragraph 11.1 ("Interpretation")"
November 19, 2025 at 2:27 PM
"For the purposes of this paragraph the word "nerd" shall have the same meaning as that defined in Part 3, Section 5, Paragraph 11.1 ("Interpretation")"
just in case anyone wonders what it's like to redraft a Council's constitution
November 19, 2025 at 2:24 PM
just in case anyone wonders what it's like to redraft a Council's constitution
going to start using this with my kids as a way of telling them off, "that behaviour wasn't very Labour, apologise to your brother", "I think it would be more Labour to do your homework now, before dinner" etc
November 19, 2025 at 12:15 PM
going to start using this with my kids as a way of telling them off, "that behaviour wasn't very Labour, apologise to your brother", "I think it would be more Labour to do your homework now, before dinner" etc
sorry, "climbdown" is a bit of a Westminster-brain way of describing the novel idea of Government engaging with stakeholders and considering its position before changing its mind, which is a thing to be encouraged
November 19, 2025 at 11:08 AM
sorry, "climbdown" is a bit of a Westminster-brain way of describing the novel idea of Government engaging with stakeholders and considering its position before changing its mind, which is a thing to be encouraged
A welcome climbdown from Government on the rights of existing councils to continue to operate the committee system form of governance. Government amendments today provide a way for some councils to continue to operate committees (for a while, anyway) - will write something more detailed later
November 19, 2025 at 11:06 AM
A welcome climbdown from Government on the rights of existing councils to continue to operate the committee system form of governance. Government amendments today provide a way for some councils to continue to operate committees (for a while, anyway) - will write something more detailed later
when you've got a Party youth rally to attend at 5 but before that you have to clear a fatberg
November 19, 2025 at 10:20 AM
when you've got a Party youth rally to attend at 5 but before that you have to clear a fatberg
I'm midway through "The Melancholy of Resistance" at the moment and the translation reads inobtrusively, if that makes sense
November 19, 2025 at 10:12 AM
I'm midway through "The Melancholy of Resistance" at the moment and the translation reads inobtrusively, if that makes sense
additionally the school has an unusually high number of SEND children as it has a resource base - so the resource base lead in theory provides a degree of additional capacity but it still feels unsustainable
November 18, 2025 at 2:49 PM
additionally the school has an unusually high number of SEND children as it has a resource base - so the resource base lead in theory provides a degree of additional capacity but it still feels unsustainable