Friday, Apr 17, 2009
ITV1 8pm Fri 17th
Tonight with Trevor McDonald: Empty Home Syndrome
As the number of empty properties in the UK is predicted to top one million this year, Jonathan Maitland investigates why so many homes lie unused when this country faces an acute housing shortage and asks what is being done to tackle the problem.
Posted by little professor @ 06:30 PM (1595 views) Add Comment
13 Comments
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1. mark wadsworth said...
As ever, there's an easy answer to that - too much tax on incomes and production (income tax, national insurance & VAT**) and not enough tax on land/property values*.
The gummint (which every now and then gets something right) made a teeny tiny change to Business Rates a year or so ago, i.e. they reduced empty property relief for Business Rates (which in a static basis is supposed to raise £1 billion, a fraction of the £12 billion VAT cut**) and what happened ... oh ... occupancy rates increased and rents fell.
What's not to like?
* Of course, the overall tax burden is way, way too high, different topic.
** VAT is not a tax on 'consumption', it is a tax on turnover of half the productive economy, again, different topic.
2. This comment has been removed as it was found to be in breach of our Blog Policies.
3. sneaker said...
HAHAHAAHHAA THIS IS HILARIOUS
"Jonathan Maitland investigates why so many homes lie unused when this country faces an acute housing shortage"
There are many unused homes. But there is a housing shortage?
Think again, suckers!!!!!!!!
4. little professor said...
The programme was rubbish, if you missed it don't waste 30 mins of you life watching online.
P.S. what happened to the port story?
5. watchingthewheels2 said...
whoops.......wrong comment to wrong article....sorry.
6. little professor said...
watchingthewheels - that's the sixth time you've posted exactly that same comment on various stories. What's your game? And when are you going to find the right article to post the wrong comment to?
7. crunchy said...
WATCHING THE WHEELS COME OFF MY SIT ON MY BACKSIDE SOMETHING FOR NOTHING ECONOMY.
whoops...... right comment wrong article.....sorry.
8. crunchy said...
Just came back from a holiday that I worked and saved for.
Revolutionary I know!
9. mark wadsworth said...
@ Crunchy, how do you mean, "just came back"? Did you resist popping into an internet cafe and everything?
10. crunchy said...
9. mark wadsworth
Yes. Hell, a holiday is what it is for me.
Now back to being a jerkaholic. lol
11. Tenyearstogetmymoneyback said...
Mark @ 1
Trouble is this happened as well
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/buildings-destroyed-after-rate-relief-is-abolished-892966.html
Where I work they demolished half the site. What will happen if the company ever needs to expand I don't know as
every building not in use was demolished (and the cleared land has now been empty for two years).
12. Kara Gee said...
As little professor said, Rubbish programme. Didn't cover anything worthwhile, showed a couple of empty homes in nice areas and tried to find the owners. Hardly revealing of why there are 1million homes in the uk empty, like the vast swathes of boarded up council estates etc.No proposed solutions, not worth watching.
13. dj2000 said...
But Trevor didn't you hear there's a housing shortage!
Image if the economy was based around house prices it would be in their interests to keep them high and empty than full and worth less.
Build affordable housing and people will come but what will happen to the future of house prices? They will be lower!