My last house, in Northamptonshire, was sold in 1938 for £75. Not £75,000, but £75. At the time that represented eight months' worth of agricultural wage (40/- a week).
How much of a house could someone buy for eight months' worth of minimum wage today? A doormat?
Problem with vision of little houses with gardens separated by parks is the distances and frequency of public transport, making 2 cars and more land for roads often near-essential. Most gardens and parks are of minimal conservation value. Planners of the 1960s/70s have a lot to answer for with the dreadful quality of their high-rises in Britain. But a quality, spacious high-rise, as in most Chinese cities (or even low-rise, 5 or 6 stories), can be exceptional places to live, and you can walk to the station or run a bus economically every 5 minutes, as well as having shops on the ground floors and schools locally.
I don’t fully disagree but, given most people are living somewhere, perhaps government stoked demand is the problem?
It seems absurd that those in housing benefit are paid 4x more in the South East than places like Blackpool. Working families make choices about housing composition, location, schools and cost but those not working stay where they have always done.
Housing benefit becomes the cost floor and keeps economically inactive people crowding out housing in prosperous areas.
A universal housing credit based on citizenship would encourage movement, inter generational living, two parent families and price sensitivity. It would probably help regenerate some abandoned regions away from the South East.
In Hertfordshire Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire it appears that not only Green Belt are being attacked by local Councils but Allotment Land protected under Law in our case Cottonmill Nunnery 1 & 2 Allotments society and the Council ( under Philip Bruce Green council employee) removed the Allotment Land Act Sign before "allocating allotment holders different plots of Land to be replaced somewhere else for cash or kind. Other alotments have been destroyed and built on eg Batford and Harpenden area.
Great stuff General Director. This very important subject needs thoughful debate. Thank you.
As no politician will ever dare address these real issues can I suggest one simple way forward.
We all love freedom and most believe in competition ..... so let's give every planning authority freedom.
And that freedom, subject of course to the ballot box in their area, would create the competition needed to allow for every planning choice.
AND one furthermore ~ allow each planning authority to keep all the financial rewards of any developement gains. As things currenntly stand planning authorities do NOT gain financially from any daring decisions.
If you want to live in an area left exactly as is vote for the party offering limited planning.
If you would prefer to live in an area with good public swimming pools, loads of good ammentities, more new business, better parks, cheaper homes, better retail, safer communities etc etc ... then vote for a more liberal & relaxed planning programme.
And if you are unable to build what you want then vote with your feet.
And the above changes might slip by easily for any and all political parties.
My last house, in Northamptonshire, was sold in 1938 for £75. Not £75,000, but £75. At the time that represented eight months' worth of agricultural wage (40/- a week).
How much of a house could someone buy for eight months' worth of minimum wage today? A doormat?
Problem with vision of little houses with gardens separated by parks is the distances and frequency of public transport, making 2 cars and more land for roads often near-essential. Most gardens and parks are of minimal conservation value. Planners of the 1960s/70s have a lot to answer for with the dreadful quality of their high-rises in Britain. But a quality, spacious high-rise, as in most Chinese cities (or even low-rise, 5 or 6 stories), can be exceptional places to live, and you can walk to the station or run a bus economically every 5 minutes, as well as having shops on the ground floors and schools locally.
I don’t fully disagree but, given most people are living somewhere, perhaps government stoked demand is the problem?
It seems absurd that those in housing benefit are paid 4x more in the South East than places like Blackpool. Working families make choices about housing composition, location, schools and cost but those not working stay where they have always done.
Housing benefit becomes the cost floor and keeps economically inactive people crowding out housing in prosperous areas.
A universal housing credit based on citizenship would encourage movement, inter generational living, two parent families and price sensitivity. It would probably help regenerate some abandoned regions away from the South East.
No mention of uncontrolled immigration.
No mention of 700k empty homes.
No mention of 1.4 million houses that could be built on Brownfield.
No mention of all the unused retail space that could be used.
I wonder if you’ve had any contributions and meetings with developers ??
Q me
In Hertfordshire Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire it appears that not only Green Belt are being attacked by local Councils but Allotment Land protected under Law in our case Cottonmill Nunnery 1 & 2 Allotments society and the Council ( under Philip Bruce Green council employee) removed the Allotment Land Act Sign before "allocating allotment holders different plots of Land to be replaced somewhere else for cash or kind. Other alotments have been destroyed and built on eg Batford and Harpenden area.
Great stuff General Director. This very important subject needs thoughful debate. Thank you.
As no politician will ever dare address these real issues can I suggest one simple way forward.
We all love freedom and most believe in competition ..... so let's give every planning authority freedom.
And that freedom, subject of course to the ballot box in their area, would create the competition needed to allow for every planning choice.
AND one furthermore ~ allow each planning authority to keep all the financial rewards of any developement gains. As things currenntly stand planning authorities do NOT gain financially from any daring decisions.
If you want to live in an area left exactly as is vote for the party offering limited planning.
If you would prefer to live in an area with good public swimming pools, loads of good ammentities, more new business, better parks, cheaper homes, better retail, safer communities etc etc ... then vote for a more liberal & relaxed planning programme.
And if you are unable to build what you want then vote with your feet.
And the above changes might slip by easily for any and all political parties.