I am delighted to announce the launch of a new book – The Battle of Hamble.

It’s an in-depth look at the Hamble Gravel Quarry, an example of everything that is wrong with Broken Britain’s inept planning process, bureaucracy, and how greedy corporates arbitrage the system to their own ends. I’ve written about the quarry many times in the Morning Porridge.

Hamble Village won the first battle yesterday – Hampshire County Council turned down an application by Persimmon (via Cemex) to dig a destructive quarry right in the heart of our village. It would cause massive health and economic damage while raising flood risk. Persimmon will appeal – so we are preparing for war.

Politics and Corporate Greed are close bedfellows. This week’s market will be driven by the US inflation number and what it means for rate cut timing, but the costs of inflation fall hardest upon the poor. Political populism is driven by inequality and corporate greed, and underlies market instability.

The following letter is being sent to object to CEMEX and Persimmon digging a massive quarry in the centre of the village of Hamble in Hampshire. It will create enormous health, safety, environmental and economic risks. Its also an affront to carbon emissions and unsustainable. Please write to your MP about it! Its corporate greed vs local democracy and the enviroment.

The UK’s failure to balance regulation, oversight, and planning is highlighted by insane plans to dig a non-economic quarry in the centre of a prosperous village with no upside except to prioritise shareholders over residents.

Persimmon, the UK home builder, demonstrates just about every single possible corporate failing; bad governance, greed, social and environmental contempt, and protects itself with purchased politicians. Time it was disciplined by the market.