Wednesday, Dec 12, 2007
Housing shortage?
BBC: MoD paying for 8,000 empty homes
More than 8,200 homes rented by the Ministry of Defence for use by military families in England and Wales are unoccupied, the BBC has learned. Figures show 20% of married quarters are empty, but cost taxpayers £28.78m a year in rent paid to a housing company.
Posted by alan @ 10:13 AM (382 views) Add Comment
5 Comments
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1. Dave The Box said...
But isn't there a lack of supply of housing? That's why we're told prices are so high.
Obviously someone's been lying to us!
2. talking rot said...
I've looked into this because I've spotted MOD "empty homes" near where I would like to live. Sadly, no opportunities for a cheap buy or low rent because the homes are simply not available for public use. As ever, the BBC and the Lib Dems have not got the full story. The homes are empty because:
1. They are unfit for human habitation and so are waiting renovation or destruction pending a rebuild plan. The planning process within the UK is cumbersome and years can pass before the houses can be renovated / rebuilt.
2. They are in the wrong place because the Naval base/Army barracks/RAF airfield where military personnel used to work has been closed.
3. They are in the right place but there are no sailors/soldiers/airmen to put in them. This is not a ludicrous as it seems because the 1st Armoured Division, currently, in Germany, will be pulled out after 2012. If all the military housing is full, where will the 30,000 soliders be accommodated on their return from Germany? Are the Lib Dems really this ignorant of UK Defence policy or are they merely totally myopic?
4. They are located within secret establishments. Many jobs within Defence that used to be filled with military personnel are now being done by civil servants and contractors who do not need military accommodation. However, if the building is behind the wire, it can not be sold by Annington Homes for non-military use. Besides, who would want to live in the ground of, say, Porton Down - the biological and chemical weapon research site?
This article seems to have no point whatsoever. It makes me wonder to what end it is being used?
The bottom line is there is a whole bunch of military personnel who are currently living in Germany and who will be returning to the UK at some point after 2012.
3. Jj said...
Don't forget if our squaddies get posted back to the Uk from a foreign country with their families ie. Germany, they need somewhere to live !!!! Dohhhhh
4. p. doff said...
Meanwhile, Annington Homes were selling off surplus MOD houses 7 or 8 years ago for £12000 to £18000. I suppose this was in line with Government policy of selling off assets in the slump to get the worst price for the taxpayer!!!
5. cyril said...
@ talking rot - couldn't agree more. The statistics are just to score a cheap political point.
The sell-off to Annington homes was another one of GB's Enron-style accounting tricks to get the cost off the public sector balance sheet.