So there's a huge housing shortage in the country, and there are loads of plans for building that seem to be taking yonks to come through.
Eventually, a small development has been almost completed near me, of about 30 houses. I'm a delivery driver, so have witnessed people moving in, and have delivered a lot of their new house goods to them.
There's quite a mix of housing. I think there are only 2 social houses, but maybe some of the flats are too. I can never get an answer at the flats, so have to leave a card and liaise redelivery. I keep discovering that these people all seem to have children at the same school as my kids, despite it being 4 miles away, and so I meet them there with deliveries. They've not been able to get their children into their local school, because it is jammed full of kids from my village who's parents ship them there because it's smaller. I often have to give deliveries to childminders, by agreement because these people are working silly hours to get a mortgage.
I know quite well one of the ladies who's been given a social house. She can't drive due to epilepsy, so has been housed in this village so she can care for her elderly mother. She has 5 children, and again can't get them in the school so has to bus them to our village every day, which is costing a fortune.
The next area of housing that was finished was the large executive homes at the back, with 4/5 bedrooms. Apart from one family, I think they have all been moved into by elderly couples. Now of course, if they've worked for the money, they have every right to spend it on what they like. At least that's what I used to think. But is it really right that people can sit on resources when others desperately need them? Should children all be growing up in cramped accommodation even though their parents are working like dogs? They have no outside space at all, and while I'm sure the elderly people enjoy their gardens very much, is it really right at the expense of children playing? I've already seen a lone child on a bike shouted at for riding on their bit of road, and told to play near their house. He wasn't causing any bother.
The last bit that now seems to be ready, is a couple of terraces of decent sized houses with integral garages. I knocked at one yesterday, and met a bloke. I commented that someone was eventually moving in, and he told me he wasn't moving in he'd bought up all 6 to rent out. So yet more overpriced rentals for all the local people who can't afford to buy them.
I don't think this development has made even the slightest dent into our local housing problems.
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AIBU?
To think that just building houses isn't going to solve any problems
125 replies
SEmyarse · 03/04/2014 08:21
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