Nimbys - Nuclear Power Station? Fine. Housing? No!

[Tired of Waiting]

It is much worse than we though.

I just heard on Jeremy Vine, he was asking about NIMBYism regarding the 8 new nuclear power station, and a caller from one of the chosen locations said that the locals are fine with it, and then (at 12:38) he said something like: "The concern around here would be if we had many housing estates pooping up."

It should be on BBC iPlayer this afternoon.

Edited June 25, 2011 by Tired of Waiting

[The Eagle]

That's one of the reasons I left the UK a few years ago.

The lunatics are in charge.

[Tired of Waiting]

That's one of the reasons I left the UK a few years ago.

The lunatics are in charge.

+ 1

[phead]

I just heard on Jeremy Vine, he was asking about NIMBYism regarding the 8 new nuclear power station, and a caller from one of the chosen locations said that the locals are fine with it, and then (at 12:38 AM) he said something like: "The concern around here would be if we had many housing estates pooping up."

You fail to understand that 50% of the people around the Nuclear sites work directly or indirectly for them, to them planning was never an issue, they would have another 6 given the choice.

What does extra housing give them, lower prices?, fat chance, as I keep saying time and time again a house builder will never sell a house for one penny less than maximum market value, they would rather leave the plot empty for 5 or 10 years. So what do they get, extra traffic and diluted local services.

Their position is totally understandable.

[The Eagle]

You fail to understand that 50% of the people around the Nuclear sites work directly or indirectly for them, to them planning was never an issue, they would have another 6 given the choice.

What does extra housing give them, lower prices?, fat chance, as I keep saying time and time again a house builder will never sell a house for one penny less than maximum market value, they would rather leave the plot empty for 5 or 10 years. So what do they get, extra traffic and diluted local services.

Their position is totally understandable.

But they do expect the next generation to pay them their pensions and health-care...

[Wait & See]

Dirty nimbys. Another section of society that should be sent to the gallows for crimes against the country.

[talksalot81]

Why would anyone have a problem with nuclear? Coming from a directly related scientific area I can tell you that the vast majority of people who are against it have no idea what they are talking about. I am not claiming that all experts are pro-nuclear; they are not. However, there is a far greater amount of 'nuclear fear' amongst the public than amongst experts. It doesn't take a nuclear physicist to work out that ignorance is playing a significant part.

[fluffy666]

That's one of the reasons I left the UK a few years ago.

The lunatics are in charge.

I'm so tempted to say 'I thought you'd feel at home, then.'

But I won't. It would be rude and immature. And this is the internet, we're all polite here.

[Tired of Waiting]

You fail to understand that 50% of the people around the Nuclear sites work directly or indirectly for them, to them planning was never an issue, they would have another 6 given the choice.

What does extra housing give them, lower prices?, fat chance, as I keep saying time and time again a house builder will never sell a house for one penny less than maximum market value, they would rather leave the plot empty for 5 or 10 years. So what do they get, extra traffic and diluted local services.

Their position is totally understandable.

Oh but I do understand, I agree with you: NIMBYs are b@stards.

[Tired of Waiting]

Why would anyone have a problem with nuclear? Coming from a directly related scientific area I can tell you that the vast majority of people who are against it have no idea what they are talking about. I am not claiming that all experts are pro-nuclear; they are not. However, there is a far greater amount of 'nuclear fear' amongst the public than amongst experts. It doesn't take a nuclear physicist to work out that ignorance is playing a significant part.

I know, that's what surprised me. Despite this huge amount of over-reacted fear from "nuclear" anything , the people still prefer that to new houses!

[Tired of Waiting]

Dirty nimbys. Another section of society that should be sent to the gallows for crimes against the country.

Well, as I am against the death penalty, I think some 20 years in jail should suffice.

Or maybe some Solomonic justice! This: making them live in rented accommodations, under AST, 1 bedroom flats, children and pets forbidden, and having to move every 6 months (losing their deposit every time, for totally unfair reasons). And for as many years as they had been NIMBYs.

[@contradevian]

The countryside has to be preserved in aspic and maintain its chocolate box cover appearance, a museum to some undefined period of the past. Ironically most of the Nimby's live in properties thrown up in the last half century. They can't all live in thatched Tudor cottages.

Edited June 24, 2011 by John Steed

[Jie Bie]

The countryside has to be preserved in aspic and maintain its chocolate box cover appearance, a museum to some undefined period of the past. Ironically most of the Nimby's live in properties thrown up in the last half century. They can't all live in thatched Tudor cottages.

One case I noticed lately was local NIMBY's trying to prevent a development on what they claimed was a floodplain. The land itself is surrounded by homes, but was just unused woodland and scrubland. Now that has all been cleared I can see that where they are going to build the new homes is around 10-20 m below the average level of the surrounding area.

I don't know much about flooding, but it seems to me that perhaps in that case the NIMBY's will be proved right?

Edited June 24, 2011 by Jie Bie

[fluffy666]

The countryside has to be preserved in aspic and maintain its chocolate box cover appearance, a museum to some undefined period of the past. Ironically most of the Nimby's live in properties thrown up in the last half century. They can't all live in thatched Tudor cottages.

Roads - Man made changes

Pylons - Man Made changes

Stone Walls - Man made changes

Hedgerows - Man Made changes

Fields - Man made changes.

Cottages - Man made changes

Farms - Man made changes

Absence of 90% forest cover - Man made changes

Crops (all) - Man made changes.

Bears, Wolves, Wild Boar (absence of) - Man Made changes.

Rabbits, Horses, Cows (presence of) - Man Made changes.

Percentage of EU with zero evidence of human interference - <0.01%.

NIMBY awareness that 'The Countryside' is in many ways just as much a human construct as 'The Town' - <0.000001%

(Doesn't mean we can't preserve some things - in both town and country - but a bit of realism would be nice)

[@contradevian]

One case I noticed lately was local NIMBY's trying to prevent a development on what they claimed was a floodplain. The land itself is surrounded by homes, but was just unused woodland and scrubland. Now that has all been cleared I can see that where they are going to build the new homes is around 10-20 m below the average level of the surrounding area.

I don't know much about flooding, but it seems to me that perhaps in that case the NIMBY's will be proved right?

They are probably having to build on a flood plain because the damn Nimby's won't let them build anywhere else!

My parents were Nimbys in a small Leicestershire village. It seems they and many others staved off development of an adjacent farmers field (as it is still undeveloped to this day). In the end tired of the constant stress of ending up in the middle of a sink estate they moved to France where there was little chance of any development.

I can see both sides, people retire, and don't want to see huge change. However I think a lot of Nimby'ism is created by petty local politics, and a desire to see some hated local figure, fail to enrich himself. (who is usually also a councillor).

And lets face it, a lot of these developments don't bring a huge amount of gain in terms, of amenity, more queue's at the doctors, lawless kids, crime, more traffic and so on.

I guess this is why Nukes are popular, jobs and more taxation, whereas a windfarm provides neither, just a blot on the landscape.

Edited June 24, 2011 by John Steed

[CrashInHand]

These are both windmills.

The only difference between them is a nimbys perception of them.

I love them both in the countryside.

[Tired of Waiting]

These are both windmills.

The only difference between them is a nimbys perception of them.

(...)

I love them both in the countryside.

I actually prefer the modern design.

[Gerinako]

As a kid I was fascinated by the current modern windmills (and still am to an extent) and asked the parents to drive me up the moors to let me have a closer look at them!

I think they're still nice to look at now and genuinely don't see the fuss about having them IMBY

[Tired of Waiting]

As a kid I was fascinated by the current modern windmills (and still am to an extent) and asked the parents to drive me up the moors to let me have a closer look at them!

I think they're still nice to look at now and genuinely don't see the fuss about having them IMBY

OK, confession time: I remember watching Captain Picard going back to visit his family home in France, and I seem to remember some structures on the horizon, tall, thin and white, that resembled these modern windmills. I liked them. They seemed "futuristic".

Since we don't have the bleeding flying cars yet, at least we can have a "futuristic" landscape.

[Tired of Waiting]

The countryside has to be preserved in aspic and maintain its chocolate box cover appearance, a museum to some undefined period of the past. Ironically most of the Nimby's live in properties thrown up in the last half century. They can't all live in thatched Tudor cottages.

And the real countryside doesn't even look like that any more. It is mostly large boring mono-culture fields, with near zero bio-diversity. BTW, there are studies showing that actually suburbs with gardens have in fact more bio-diversity than modern mono-culture fields.

[@contradevian]

And the real countryside doesn't even look like that any more. It is mostly large boring mono-culture fields, with near zero bio-diversity. BTW, there are studies showing that actually suburbs with gardens have in fact more bio-diversity than modern mono-culture fields.

I think the NIMBY's might be in a shock. I can see the countryside covered in poly tunnels in the not too distant future. Either that or much more intensive cattle farming, with accompanying smell and flies. At least cows would repair the soil.

Just to keep us all fed and less reliant on imported food.

Edited June 25, 2011 by John Steed

[aa3]

NIMBYism is sort of the standard bearer for decline of western nations imo. The whole attitude is so defeatist, anti-youth, anti-progress, anti-business.

It not only denies housing for young people, and interrupts or stops family formation.. it also stops all the jobs that go with development. In today's age most of the good jobs are construction/building trade related.

Its the sheer greed and ignorance of the older generations. And also the attitude Spengler described almost 3 generations ago, of people living only for their own life, to maximize pleasure in it. With no thought to future generations. Its also like most British families I see who would never help out their own children, like buying a business.. versus immigrant families I see working together to build capital.

[Tired of Waiting]

I think the NIMBY's might be in a shock. I can see the countryside covered in poly tunnels in the not too distant future. Either that or much more intensive cattle farming, with accompanying smell and flies. At least cows would repair the soil.

Just to keep us all fed and less reliant on imported food.

Not even that. 1 million family homes would need just around 0.1% (a tenth of 1%) of Britain's surface. The normal annual increases in agricultural productivity is much more than that. Human housing uses very little space indeed, compared with a country's size.

[@contradevian]

NIMBYism is sort of the standard bearer for decline of western nations imo. The whole attitude is so defeatist, anti-youth, anti-progress, anti-business.

It not only denies housing for young people, and interrupts or stops family formation.. it also stops all the jobs that go with development. In today's age most of the good jobs are construction/building trade related.

Its the sheer greed and ignorance of the older generations. And also the attitude Spengler described almost 3 generations ago, of people living only for their own life, to maximize pleasure in it. With no thought to future generations. Its also like most British families I see who would never help out their own children, like buying a business.. versus immigrant families I see working together to build capital.

I agree. Here in Yorkshire Nimby's managed to block new industrial developments. No jobs there then.

They even managed to block a test wind mast here, and when they were filmed by the BBC leaving the meeting hall, most were pensioners!

http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/country-view/revolt_in_the_broad_acres_as_turbines_march_on_1_3493310

[Tired of Waiting]

NIMBYism is sort of the standard bearer for decline of western nations imo. The whole attitude is so defeatist, anti-youth, anti-progress, anti-business.

It not only denies housing for young people, and interrupts or stops family formation.. it also stops all the jobs that go with development. In today's age most of the good jobs are construction/building trade related.

Its the sheer greed and ignorance of the older generations. And also the attitude Spengler described almost 3 generations ago, of people living only for their own life, to maximize pleasure in it. With no thought to future generations. Its also like most British families I see who would never help out their own children, like buying a business.. versus immigrant families I see working together to build capital.

Excellent post aa3!

"Respec" !