Guest 977- Registered: 27 Jun 2013
- Posts: 1,031
From the Affordable Housing Statement by Pentland Homes on DDC planning application 15/01184 for 31 houses on the site behind the Lydden Surgery -
"In the case of the development proposed at Lydden, the applicants have submitted a scheme of exceptional quality in terms of layout, design and materials, together with a significant reduction in numbers compared to the Local Plan allocation. In addition the topography of the site requires significant abnormal costs. Consequently it is considered that the viability of the development would be unsustainable if affordable housing is provided and specialist consultants will be preparing a detailed viability appraisal to support this view."
There is hardly any affordable housing in Lydden (although in fact all the houses are more affordable than most places in the district as there is no shop, play area, mobile signal or decent broadband!).
Guest 698- Registered: 28 May 2010
- Posts: 8,664
Houses cost money. The price of bricks and mortar, plumbing, roofing, electrics etc is what it is, and wages are rising faster than prices thanks to government policy. The only way therefore to make housing more affordable is to build on cheaper plots of land. Why do some people think they have a right to subsidised housing and have someone else (the taxpayer) pick up the bill?
But why should local authorities not be given the right to CPO land with expired planning permission for the original land value? That would provide a source of cheap building land.
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
Guest 1395- Registered: 5 Nov 2014
- Posts: 463
The trouble is that builders build to the minimum, so any swung cats are in danger!
Lew Finnis
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
We now live in "generation rent" built it is still a very English thing for most people to aspire to own their own home irrespective of the size of it. Subsidies can be a good thing if the alternative is slum landlords and tenants who care little about their surroundings drag down an area, look around sections of any town to see the evidence. The other thing is shared ownership, I saw and ad on a bus in Folkestone the other day that advertised apartments for sale at £.80,000 on these terms.
Guest 977- Registered: 27 Jun 2013
- Posts: 1,031
Peter Garstin wrote:But why should local authorities not be given the right to CPO land with expired planning permission for the original land value? That would provide a source of cheap building land.
That site I mentioned in Lydden had expired planning permission but I doubt DDC would want to buy it at a market price to develop. With a brownfield site that had been shown capable of gaining planning permission it would be a nightmare trying to decide a just price for both sides.
Some authorities like the funds that become available through
Section 106.
Guest 698- Registered: 28 May 2010
- Posts: 8,664
No risk to taxpayer funds with the right indemnity partner Ray.
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
Government money coming in hopefully to address some of the problem of affordable housing locally.
http://www.kentonline.co.uk/deal/news/housing-boost-for-first-time-buyers-118031/Captain Haddock
- Location: Marlinspike Hall
- Registered: 8 Oct 2012
- Posts: 8,083
Excellent news! £508,829 for Dover and Deal divided between the 500 houses at Connaught Barracks would make each of the roughly £1000 more 'affordable'. Ha, bloody ha'.
'Affordable housing, my arse' as the redoubtable Jim Royle would say.
Guest 1849 and John Buckley like this
"We are living in very strange times, and they are likely to get a lot stranger before we bottom out"
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Ross Miller
- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 17 Sep 2008
- Posts: 3,706
The bit that bothers me is this:
"The first year of funding will be used to build capacity within local groups such as improving technical skills, setting up support hubs to offer advice, business planning and providing staff to review local housing needs.
Funding the following year must then be used to deliver housing on the ground for local people."
Which local groups?
Don't we already have organisations capable of offering advice including business planning?
And surely housing need has already been identified as we have point growth status?
Seems like another bloody gravy train to me...
Jan Higgins likes this
"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today." - James Dean
"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,
While loving someone deeply gives you courage" - Laozi
Sue Nicholas- Location: river
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 6,025
Ross you are correct.Local Councils have strategies in place they are fully aware of housing needs .There is a department of officers dealing with housing issues.The money should be spent sooner than later in building on the site.
Jan Higgins
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,878
With my cynical head on would this proposal mean jobs for those civil servants who instead of being made redundant are pushed sideways.
What those seeking to buy a house for the first time need is easier access to a mortgage to get on that proverbial ladder.
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Captain Haddock- Location: Marlinspike Hall
- Registered: 8 Oct 2012
- Posts: 8,083
Sue Nicholas wrote:Ross you are correct.Local Councils have strategies in place they are fully aware of housing needs .There is a department of officers dealing with housing issues.The money should be spent sooner than later in building on the site.
For God's sake Dover does not have housing 'needs'. In spite of the best efforts of single mothers in the area we are not even replicating our population and nor are we an area with great housing stress due to immigration.
How many times do I have to tell you.
IT'S BREEDING BOXES FOR LONDON OVERSPILL.
And encouraged by our idiot council so they can take advantage of New Homes Bonus (catnip for councils).
IF you wish your children to get an 'affordable' home get them trained in jobs where they might earn enough money to be able to afford one.
Someone after all is buying the damn things and I haven't noticed the area full of Chinese billionaires and Russian oligarchs whatever the red-top papers say.
You only have to look at the example of the USA where encouraging home ownership amongst the poor (i.e. black) population lead to the sub-prime crisis and the world banking crisis.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_policies_and_the_subprime_mortgage_crisis.
Yes it would be awfully nice if your kids all owned homes. And had hover-boards. And had a high paid job with Google.
But they don't. Tough.
Guest 1849 likes this
"We are living in very strange times, and they are likely to get a lot stranger before we bottom out"
Dr. Hunter S Thompson
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
Do you feel better for that outburst Bob?
Captain Haddock- Location: Marlinspike Hall
- Registered: 8 Oct 2012
- Posts: 8,083
howard mcsweeney1 wrote:Do you feel better for that outburst Bob?
Nope. But I doubt if Copernicus propounded a heliocentric solar system for the good of his blood pressure!
"We are living in very strange times, and they are likely to get a lot stranger before we bottom out"
Dr. Hunter S Thompson
Jan Higgins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,878
As the Captain says there are plenty of starter homes already available around here so there is not really a shortage in this area.
My grandson and his wife are both full time professionals earning enough money to pay for quite a high mortgage, but it is difficult to save for the deposit when already paying a high rent as well as breakfast club, after-school club and for the car needed to get them both to work.
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I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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Ross Miller- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 17 Sep 2008
- Posts: 3,706
There needs to be decent provision in the rental market with proper rent controls, maintenance standards etc. - just like many local authorities provided until Bob's party flogged them off and didn't allow local authorities to re-invest in more properties... Ah but that is the past and we should look forward.
Perhaps the re-introduction of rent control based on a sensible yield figure (4% ish), a landlords registration scheme tied to permits to rent, proper application of maintenance standards to protect tenants and making it easier and quicker for landlords to evict where there is a clear breach of tenancy (e.g. rent arrears, damage to property, criminal conviction.
howard mcsweeney1 likes this
"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today." - James Dean
"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,
While loving someone deeply gives you courage" - Laozi
Captain Haddock- Location: Marlinspike Hall
- Registered: 8 Oct 2012
- Posts: 8,083
Ross Miller wrote: just like many local authorities provided until Bob's party flogged them off and didn't allow local authorities to re-invest in more properties
Absolutely right Ross. Stupid and immoral policy. IF they insisted in selling off housing stock (which was wrong) it should at least have been sold at full market value.
(The fact that I am a member of the conservative party does NOT mean that I subscribe to all 39 Articles of Faith!)
Ross Miller and Guest 1849 like this
"We are living in very strange times, and they are likely to get a lot stranger before we bottom out"
Dr. Hunter S Thompson
Guest 1849- Registered: 12 Sep 2016
- Posts: 440
Ross Miller wrote:There needs to be decent provision in the rental market with proper rent controls, maintenance standards etc. - just like many local authorities provided until Bob's party flogged them off and didn't allow local authorities to re-invest in more properties... Ah but that is the past and we should look forward.
Perhaps the re-introduction of rent control based on a sensible yield figure (4% ish), a landlords registration scheme tied to permits to rent, proper application of maintenance standards to protect tenants and making it easier and quicker for landlords to evict where there is a clear breach of tenancy (e.g. rent arrears, damage to property, criminal conviction.
If govt interferes problems arise, Mrs Thatcher claimed to be a free marketeer but she sold off council stock at hugely discounted prices which distorted the market. Labour continued it so both sides are guilty. Housing benefit is another example of govt stupidity, taxpayers fund private landlords and inflate rental costs.
Printing money, which the govt tried to con us into by calling it quantitative easing is another example of stupidity. Have a look at Iceland, they jailed bankers, the Labour Party knighted them.
With the exception of law and order govt needs to get out of the way and allow the market to find its natural value.
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Ross Miller- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 17 Sep 2008
- Posts: 3,706
David to an extent
There will always be a need for a safety net for those least able to fully support themselves, hence there is a need to either provide good quality affordable rental properties and/or provide rental assistance.
Equally it is one of the roles of government to set standards we expect people to meet, in this case in relation to the state of a rental property - i.e. is it fit for human habitation and not deleterious to the rentees well-being and to the behaviour of renter & rentee.
"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today." - James Dean
"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,
While loving someone deeply gives you courage" - Laozi