Monday, Oct 26, 2009
What about the shortage if they start building?
Telegraph: Tory plans to kick-start housing projects get backing from property chiefs
Under proposals put forward by the Conservatives, local authorities would be given greater decision-making powers.
Low interest rates and a cheap pound make the UK a great investment proposal and it is vital that we do not let outdated planning laws hinder recovery."
Posted by mander @ 10:23 PM (1201 views) Add Comment
24 Comments
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1. paul said...
Sorry, I mean "pwep school".
2. paul said...
Looking after the interests of the common man (or "plebian" as we call them) ever since we were in prep school.
3. drewster said...
"local authorities would be given greater decision-making powers"
Would this make things better or worse? I can't help but feel that some local authorities will use their greater powers to prevent any new development in their area.
4. enuii said...
You won't need any new development when a good proportion of those resident in the UK have left!
5. drewster said...
enuii,
All trends show the UK's population will continue to rise for the next 20 years. It may be that the wealthy bankers move to Switzerland and the middle classes move to Australia, while a new cohort of third-world migrants arrives; but whatever the balance, the total number is definitely on an upward trend.
6. crunchy said...
5. drewster
Totally agree.
I hear about building houses, yet I hear nothing of building infrastructure other than plans to price citizens out of using the little we have.
7. tyrellcorporation said...
Paul sparks up his class-war antics yet again. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz....
Get over it matey!
8. charlie brooker said...
The Conservative Party, City nankers and the land owners are all peas from the same pod.
They are a throw back from the days of the Norman invasion and ever since then have colluded to capitalise on their ill-gotten gain at the expense of the ordinary Brit.
9. letthemfall said...
Unfortunately class inequalities are still acutely prevalent, as Rageh Omar's programme on Ch4 demonstrated last night.
Is it just my prejudice, or does anyone else see a studied conceit in the faces in the above photo?
10. tyrellcorporation said...
Oh geez...not you aswell Brooker!
11. tyrellcorporation said...
LOL. It's odd but In a perverse way I'm starting to migrate into a property bull just because I know rising house prices are going to irritate the hell out of the bigoted, class-obsessed socialists on this site!
12. tyrellcorporation said...
I've been visiting and posting on this site for 5 years now and I think I'm nearing the end of the road with it (certainly posting on it). When it gets to a situation where people like Paul are just putting up photos of people when they were in a club at college, as if somehow this if proof enough they should not allowed to achieve anything in life then the focus of the site has gone.
We all have our own political persuasions but this is now overriding the debate on HPC. What has this picture got to do with the article? Nothing.
How about reacting to the proposal Paul, I'd like to hear your views. Is it a good idea to build more houses and streamline the planning system? (which Labour have clearly failed to do)
13. drewster said...
tc,
The relevance to HPC is clear - Cameron owns a £2m country house, Osborne is in a similar situation. A future Conservative government looks unlikely to do anything about the massive inequality of housing wealth in this country. That's not to exonerate Labour - they've failed to do anything about it for 12 years now.
I'm certainly no class-obsessed socialist; but I'm indignant when it comes to unearned property wealth.
14. str 2007 said...
Well turning back to property and planning. Aswell as the large developers having a slice, I think every town and village should always have available plots of land (prices set at large developers rates).
These plots should be replenished when sold and only be available to owner occupiers (min 5 years or significant tax penalties).
This will help all local economies with a proportion of that spent on houses going into the economy (labour and materials) instead of just into an enourmous mortgage.
Providing legislation from on top along these lines was put forward then more could be handed to local authorities.
But to be honest I'm very wary as most local authorities seem to have a distinct aversion to more houses of good quality.
Scanning through rightmove etc. it seems that if you want to build a £1m+ pad then there are no shortage of £500k + plots in most places.
But surely there should also be a plentiful choice of plots for say £100k allowing people to build a nice family house and while doing so put £150-£250 (their build cost element) directly into the economy.
15. p. doff said...
9. letthemfall said...''Is it just my prejudice.......''
Yes, I think so. Apart from the stupid outfits, the group photo is very reminiscent of my schooldays photos, from the expressions right down to the haircuts - and I only went to a state grammar. Dammit, I could swear that's Jezza Wrigley from 5C right there on the back row.
16. tyrellcorporation said...
@ Drewster.
What has this picture got to do with the article? Nothing.
17. stillthinking said...
Most public schoolboys go on to do purely average in later life, it is a myth from the 1920s that there is automatic entrance to some high wage superclub. Wealthy parents are not restricted to the upper classes.
18. mander said...
There is no shortage as it is right now but if they want to start building, conservatives will need to underwrite the value of the land for builders first cause the price will be sky high for the new built and there will be no value for money offered against those houses.
But wait houses will be built for foreign investors as the pound will be low and we will have also Kirstie as a Tory adviser.
19. mark wadsworth said...
Hmmm, sounds like a teeny tiny step in the right direction. Not that it's necessary for them to "kick start" anything, all they need to do is liberalise planning laws.
As to this: "They would also be encouraged to streamline the planning process by being offered bonus payments equal to tax income generated by newly built homes and commercial property.", yet again, Land Value Tax Man rides to the rescue!! A council just zones something for development and the money comes rolling in, whether it's developed or not (and you'd be stupid not to develop, seeing as you have no income from the land until you do).
20. Cozza said...
Drewster,
Look what happened in 1930's when London swelled to 8 million and decreased rapidly thereafter. I am leaving the UK and so are many people of my age. Don't expect trends to just go up.
21. montesquieu said...
Tory councils are the ultimate NIMBYs. 'Greater decision making authority' can only lead to less permissions for new build on green field land. Much of the new-build we've seen in recent years has been forced on councils of all stripes by central government through regional planning directives.
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23. letthemfall said...
tyrellcorp
How do you think the bigoted, class-obsessed Torys will react? The political discussions may seem irrelevant but I think they are pertinent to the situation with house prices, as I think is clear from other articles and posts here. (PS I have no party-political allegiance.)
stillthinking: I think you're wrong there. Coming from a privileged background is an enormous advantage, and although I can't point you to any figures off the top of my head, there has been quite a lot of press over the last 2 or 3 years about the lack of social mobility.
pauls photo is just a bit of fun, but consider how many senior figures in govt over the years have the background of those in the picture - Eton, Oxbridge. Is this because they were immensely talented individuals who rose to the top because of their superior abilities? Don't know about you, but I don't believe that for a minute.
24. Smithdebs said...
A house is a home...???