We are facing what Marxists have called a ‘metabolic rift’, where the competitive exploitation of the earth’s resources for profit maximisation is creating an environmental catastrophe where all ecosystems are in extreme decline. Cymru is no exception and the Welsh Government declared a nature emergency in 2021. There are a plethora of research reports and Welsh Government statements providing a range of answers, but as we noted in the climate collapse workshop, there is a yawning gap between setting targets and their implementation. 

At first sight the difficulty in getting action can be seen as a tension between the competing uses of land as a finite resource. However, when looked at from the needs of people and the planet it can be seen that achieving production that does not contribute to the metabolic rift, is much more about the power of ownership being used for profit maximisation. As farmer Alex Heffron suggests an alternative “… is required are land reforms that take us beyond the regime of private property, which is so fundamental to the rule of capital. It will need to be a slow, gradual process, but it’s essential for ecosocialists to be engaged in this. We need to move towards a system where land workers gain control. Otherwise, concentration of land ownership will only get worse over time.”

Around 88% of the land in Cymru is farmed. Some of that will be ‘pseudo farmed’ after being purchased to secure planning windfall profits. As this report shows, 55% of farms in Cymru are designated as ‘small’ but they only cover 7% of the farmed land, as it goes on to show there is a tension and contradiction of interest between those who farm for a profit and those who do so to exist.  Any strategy to tackle the decline of ecosystems in Cymru will need to win the support of those who farm the land. Who actually owns the land in Cymru has yet to be comprehensively surveyed, but some will be institutions such as councils and the Crown Estates, potentially helping to achieve this. However securing the needed cooperation and achieving the restoration of ecosystems will require strategies that either provide an income for the farmers or the compulsory purchase of land by the Welsh Government using the legal powers it has dating back to the Welsh Land Act of 1974. These powers have been used recently for this purpose. 

Possible policy and demands

One key demand that would help make the links between farming producers and food consumers in a way that encourages cooperation, is helping to develop food production for sale locally. Local demand such as through the provision of school dinners and meals on wheels and for public institutions such as hospitals and universities. would help but also the re-establishment of a system of cooperatively owned local markets across the country and a legal requirement that all suppliers, including supermarkets, purchase through these before going elsewhere. Welsh Government and local council support would be needed to rebuild this infrastructure. 

It is clear that currently, the Welsh Government is making announcements in terms of white papers and planned legislation, which will not come into operation before the next Senedd elections in 2026. This context starts to open up a space for radical demands. 

This space is also opened up by the final consultations that will be taking place across Cymru during this year, involving each of the 22 council’s Local Development Plans, that will lay down land use planning up until 2036/7. This process is very important and all plans will have to have regard to the Welsh Government National Development Plan 2040, thus enabling strategies and demands to restore ecosystems into the public debate. To help this to happen as ecosocialists we should be facilitating local in person and online open discussions. Many local landowners looking for windfall planning profits will be revealing their intentions in the planning applications, and making the case against, is a real opportunity to expose how destructive profit is to land and ecosystems.

Background – housing

Shelter Cymru, among other research and campaigning organisations, identify the housing crisis in Cymru with six aspects, bad quality, discriminatory, second homes, land values, homelessness, and social housing. And we would add a seventh, exploitative rents and landlords with the average tenant spending 32% of their income on rent. The Bevan Foundation points out that there are currently 6,447 people who are homeless and living in temporary accommodation in Cymru. One recent estimate is that there are 140,000 on council house waiting lists, and 11,000 in temporary accommodation and  yet only around 5,000 new houses are being built of which only 1% are by local councils.

There is a housing crisis in Cymru.

Last October 2024 the Welsh Government started a consultation on ‘adequate’ housing and securing a path to fair rents and affordability. Yet again it has been made clear that whatever is decided it will be after the Senedd elections in 2026 before any law comes into force. This follows on foot dragging on no fault evictions and rent freezes since 2016, when the last piece of Welsh housing legislation came into operation. 

Land, housing and homelessness

Housing as shelter is a basic human need and right. This, however, is far from being our current criteria of provision which is totally dependent on market provision and profitability. Whether social needs or rights are fulfilled is incidental. If you can pay, a penthouse suite or a many floored basement is yours. If you cannot, you will have to sleep on the street or in a tent if you are lucky.

Huge profits are made at every stage of provision and are subsidized by the state if they are not sufficient. Land bought cheap as farmland can make owners millionaires overnight if planning permission is granted. A political decision, made by community representatives for local people who, in turn, will not see a penny of this increased value. Little wonder planning decisions are a constant source of sleaze stories. Houses won’t be built unless the profit is high enough as aided with the Tory’s Help to Buy scheme. Even 98% of those that are built have defects.  Four in ten council houses sold with huge discounts under the Tory’s Right to Buy are now in private renters hands. Landlords can evict if it suits their profits.

There is a fundamental structural crisis in housing that can only be solved by a radical transformation of a socialist programme, completely removing the role of profit, the market from future housing provision thus ensuring provision is based on need and as a right.

But how do we get from here to there with actions now and demands.

Land ownership and planning

Land for development must be a collectively owned resource removed from market forces. Wherever possible land that is owned as corporate farms and large estates possibly using Community Right to Buy such as in Scotland should be collectively owned and controlled, particularly when being sold, and open access ensured.  The decision should be how can it best be used for people and the planet: not what is the value and how can that be creamed off or increased.

Demands. The key strategic aim must be land, other than that for primary living and private households, should become collectively owned so that planning can be exercised through political and democratic processes. Clearly such a demand would be a challenge to capitalism which is fundamentally defended by some very deep seated vested and personal interests over property ownership. How such a transformation could take place A priority demand should be that the Welsh Government and local authorities fully use the powers of compulsory purchase and exclude any value gain (hope value) resulting from a proposed change of use. The Senedd Research report explains the current situation and still seems to operate within the 1961 Land Compensation Act that added compensation for ‘hope value’ gain. Land compensation is a devolved matter and the 1961 law should be immediately repealed, limiting any compensation to the value before any planning gain.  

Direct action. Between now and 2021 new National, Regional and Local Development Plans will be drawn up to criteria defined by the Welsh Government. These will influence land use over the 10 years up to 2037. The Welsh Government has started the process of considering the criteria and then all local councils in Wales will draw up their plans All local councils are at the final stages of drawing up plans and having public consultations in preparation to submitting the plans to the Welsh Government . At this stage expect all those who own farms or other land to submit for planning permission with the lure of potential fortunes sparkling in their eyes. At all these stages we need to mobilise for demands aimed at benefiting the planet and removing the market and profit from any development, arguing for land to be purchased All land that is currently owned by the Welsh Government and local councils should be used to the maximum to achieve this and in addition compulsory purchase powers are used to prevent any ‘hope gain’ planning profiteering before any planning decisions are made. Action could be taken to identify who owns the land locally so we are clear about who will profit so they can be exposed to public scrutiny.

Housing

Since 2004 the start of the current housing crisis the balance has started to move back to renting so that by 2016 50% of 24 – 34 year olds were paying rent, and a political battle has now started over whether the state should again subsidise owner occupation or whether renting should start to become the norm again with the state supporting this shift through public provision of council housing, devoid of the ‘exceptional needs’ stigma. [Add a full stop after ‘rent’ delete and then reword] What is available to rent should increasingly be provided through an immediate programme of council house building and private renting made more secure through tenancy law, removal of no fault eviction and rent and standards control.  

Demands.

The basic aim must ensure housing is available for all, whatever income, or none. All housing needs to be of the highest standards and quality in terms of space, design, and the environment. It needs to be recognised that housing requirements vary over a lifetime, so the stock should reflect this, combined with ‘constructivists’ ideas about easy adjustment to an existing home, including a variety of options for people who wish to have access to a garden. Community provision in terms of services, local land use, site use has to be part of collective ownership and control.

Market value of housing needs to be controlled so that it does not become the prime source of savings, personal value or source of profit based renting. More than sufficient houses should be available to achieve this the aim should be to build 150,000 new homes in Cymru by 2030. Currently only an average of around 5000 are being built each year and only 1% are being built by local councils and 20% by social landlords. Collective ownership encouraged in all future development through council renting or forms of cooperative ownership and personal ownership facilitated only through mutual building societies. Housing associations should be brought back into council services. Second homes are taxed. Architecture, planning and building services nationalised [Delete initial wording] Unnos currently a small Welsh Government start in providing a publicly owned building and construction services organisation should expand to become the main provider of architecture, planning and building services and merged with worker, political and community control. Help to Buy finances should be moved into house building.

Tenants need to have assured tenure for life if it is their prime home. All landlord immigration controls to be removed. Fair rents only should be charged fixed according to a notional return on the property to provide maintenance. Rent tribunals with power to impose a fair rent re-introduced. The aim will be to encourage all large scale renting to be undertaken through councils in as short as possible time, unless it is renting of the prime house for personal reasons, such as working away. Rent subsidies to be provided according to assessed family need.

Demand that a house is available for all, no one to be homeless for more than one night.

A publicly owned Welsh building, architecture, and planning cooperative to be established to provide all new housing for the Welsh Government and unitary authorities ending competitive tendering and private building.

The provision of safe housing for victims of domestic violence to be provided across all counties.

Rent support to be based upon and included in a minimum income calculation.

The establishment of a mortgage to rent scheme to keep families in their homes.

Immediate demands

1. Assessment for housing of all unoccupied properties, including office premises.
2. Provision of high quality emergency housing for people who fall homeless including refugees and asylum seekers. 
3. Street by street renovation Retro fitting of all homes requiring insulation and refurbishment to the highest standard.
4. Welsh government and councils should use compulsory purchase powers, to build and own homes to rent as well as support collective forms of ownership and control.
5. End to all existing and proposed leasehold clauses.
6. End to the bedroom tax in Cymru.
7. All second homes to pay more than full local rates and taxes. Council tax premiums to apply to all empty and second homes and be paid by the owner not the occupier. 
8. End to section 21 evictions.
9. Rent freeze while rent controls are being put in place.
10. Support all direct community and tenant action campaigns to take these demands forward such as those organised by ACORN and the People’s Assembly, including the occupation of land, houses and publicly revealing all private landowners and their holdings in Wales by an open books legal requirement on all developers, landlords, banks and government bodies.  

Sources used: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KPwnx0HS36TC1eCv1i4kJ1snOANgapDOYkYzv0L60bI/edit?usp=sharing