As the government contemplates making it easier for workers to stay away from the office, could this revitalise poorer parts of the country?
Here’s the dream. From now on, more people will work from home more of the time, which means that, for the same total commuting time per week, they can live further from the big, pressurised, expensive metropolitan centres, especially London, but also cities such as Manchester, Bristol or Edinburgh.
Such workers can find cheaper locations where they can afford more space, perhaps a garden, assets that among other things become more important if you’re working from home. For many, it might make the difference between being able to buy a home and forever chasing the impossible mirage of ownership in the overpriced capital.
