Dr Peter Stafford: How to put public property to proper use

If you think land is wasted in the hands of the British state, you can challenge to sell it in as little as six weeks

Professor Ronan Lyons of Trinity College Dublin

In 2014, the British government launched a ‘Right to Contest’ policy which allows the public to challenge government to sell land or property which they believe is not needed and could be put to better economic use in private ownership.

Independent estimates suggest that the British public sector holds around 40 per cent of developable sites and around 27 per cent of brownfield land suitable for housing.

Anyone, including individuals, companies and local ...