Sam Alvis
@samalvis.bsky.social
South West native, currently AD of Climate, Energy @IPPR - Climate/Econ policy (views mine)
Green industrial strategy | Bazball | @BristolBears
Green industrial strategy | Bazball | @BristolBears
On HMT- not often depts manage to double the budget for their thing. CfDs have been around for a long time, predictable ROI and market effects, HMT like that. They do what they know (see the budget argument over VAT cuts). So potentially easier to persuade here than say first of a kind investments.
January 14, 2026 at 8:21 AM
On HMT- not often depts manage to double the budget for their thing. CfDs have been around for a long time, predictable ROI and market effects, HMT like that. They do what they know (see the budget argument over VAT cuts). So potentially easier to persuade here than say first of a kind investments.
ha however much they feel the need to massage numbers for the year after election sure
January 14, 2026 at 8:17 AM
ha however much they feel the need to massage numbers for the year after election sure
Not a lot of this will be online by 2030. But that’s… fine? This is credit where it’s due government doing a good job of balancing cost, industrial development and energy needs.
January 14, 2026 at 7:51 AM
Not a lot of this will be online by 2030. But that’s… fine? This is credit where it’s due government doing a good job of balancing cost, industrial development and energy needs.
Are they? I can think of several outside london (e.g., Cirencester) where the former dept. store has becoming a mixed use thing with shopping, cafe, kids play. It's just a big open plan area normally with food licence. Housing probably a diff matter!
January 12, 2026 at 4:43 PM
Are they? I can think of several outside london (e.g., Cirencester) where the former dept. store has becoming a mixed use thing with shopping, cafe, kids play. It's just a big open plan area normally with food licence. Housing probably a diff matter!
Yeh exactly like activities / mixed use is what you need to create but you have to ride out the years where the people with disposable time and income don’t want that
January 11, 2026 at 7:50 PM
Yeh exactly like activities / mixed use is what you need to create but you have to ride out the years where the people with disposable time and income don’t want that
Just put this in another thread - but yes the future of high streets is more people doing things but that’s not what people with the most disposable time and income want now
bsky.app/profile/sama...
bsky.app/profile/sama...
There’s also a mismatch. Spent a lot of time last year talking to people on their high street about their high streets. Take Colchester perfectly lovely - Older people thought it had gone to the dogs because it was cafes / restaurants / activities not a department store. Younger people delighted.
January 11, 2026 at 7:45 PM
Just put this in another thread - but yes the future of high streets is more people doing things but that’s not what people with the most disposable time and income want now
bsky.app/profile/sama...
bsky.app/profile/sama...
Older people blamed it all on a lack of parking. Most younger people we spoke to had housing right near the high street.
January 11, 2026 at 7:43 PM
Older people blamed it all on a lack of parking. Most younger people we spoke to had housing right near the high street.
There’s also a mismatch. Spent a lot of time last year talking to people on their high street about their high streets. Take Colchester perfectly lovely - Older people thought it had gone to the dogs because it was cafes / restaurants / activities not a department store. Younger people delighted.
January 11, 2026 at 7:42 PM
There’s also a mismatch. Spent a lot of time last year talking to people on their high street about their high streets. Take Colchester perfectly lovely - Older people thought it had gone to the dogs because it was cafes / restaurants / activities not a department store. Younger people delighted.