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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think all tower blocks should be demolished.

110 replies

11122aa · 20/06/2017 18:47

Rather than fitting sprinklers in old blocks should they all just be condemned and the residents quickly relocated.

OP posts:
Out2pasture · 20/06/2017 19:36

i'm sure there will be more issues uncovered than just the cladding.
and I expect this horrible accident to lead to several changes.

EnthusiasmIsDisturbed · 20/06/2017 19:36

Is that you Jeremy ?

Fantastic idea and why not transform all those big houses that are not used all year round into flats

Quite a few rooms going spare at Buckingham and Kensington Palace I hear

problem solved

grasspigeons · 20/06/2017 19:37

I think that we certainly need high density housing but it needs to be far better designed than a lot of the current high density stock and we should have a plan to replace any dangerous buildings over the next decade and to very quickly ensure sprinklers, fire alarms etc are fitted and working

Apparently tower blocks often sit in a largish footprint of land and normal terrace housing actually houses more people in the same area.

zeeboo · 20/06/2017 19:37

Thank God we aren't in the grip of the worst housing crisis in centuries eh?

rainbowsandsunshine · 20/06/2017 19:40

After living in a council estate tower block for 5 years I couldn't agree more!

PortiaCastis · 20/06/2017 19:40

Where would you put the residents of tower blocks OP, especially the folk that own their flats?

SingaSong12 · 20/06/2017 19:48

YABU. Some places may need to be demolished if they are not safe and can't be made safe - proper inspections as well by independent people.

However otherwise not a solution. There are not lots of easily available places to rehouse locally as can be seen by the problems finding housing at the moment and the number of people in temporary housing even though councils (particularly in cities accept they have a duty to help find housing.) In addition to the fact that a lot of people own rather than rent or rent from private landlords even in Council blocks due to right to buy.
There is a community in some of the blocks - there certainly was at Grenfell Tower doing the campaigning.
I think there should be a lot more tax on having an empty property. However even this will have issues as I'm sure that these wealthy investors could charge rents far higher than the housing benefit level and still easily get tenants in London.

Compulsory purchase takes time and money and again an owner may decide to bring the property back into use by renting it out, not necessarily to the person who most needs new housing.

leccybill · 20/06/2017 19:48

I agree with taxes on second homes.

There are an awful lot of houses up north lying empty. It does seem daft.

PotteringAlong · 20/06/2017 19:52

It does frustrate me that there are various areas up north where terraced streets are going to waste

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Where, pray are all these terrace houses going to waste? Have you ever been anywhere in "the north" or are you just going for a mass stereotype?

MyPatronusIsAUnicorn · 20/06/2017 19:57

How on earth would this ever be practical!

YABU. "Thank goodness we have all those houses to put them in. Otherwise this would sound ridiculous and stupid"

this

PickAChew · 20/06/2017 19:59

Oh yeah, those terraces going to waste up North. Mostly in the shittiest of shitty areas of towns like Hartlepool, Ferryhill and Middlesbrough. Just what you want to move away from your family and job for, especially if you're not WASP.

Grimbles · 20/06/2017 20:05

Does this idea include the 'luxury' high rise developments or is it just 60/70's built blocks that have a lot of council tenants?

rainbowsandsunshine · 20/06/2017 20:11

It may not be practical but the truth is that many of these blocks are not fit for purpose.

I moved into my flat as a young single mum with no where else to go. The council said if I refused the flat, I was on my own.

I had nothing.

My flat is old, cold, damp and badly worn- in the winter water runs down my walls. I have witnessed violence, alcohol addiction, drug farms, theft, domestic abuse, antisocial behaviour, intimidation and death. The lift is often broken, littered with beer cans or soiled, often with urine. The lights on the stairs and landings are often broken, the buzzer to gain entry never works. Emergency services have struggled to gain entry on numerous occasions.

I am no longer a young single mother on benefits, but unfortunately I am not yet in a position to move.

Until you have lived it, you have no idea.

heateallthebuns · 20/06/2017 20:30

I agree. If it was possible. They should never have been used for housing. I'll bet all the planners and architects advocating them live in houses. The dangers can never be eliminated entirely, they are impractical for young children and disabled people.

Highalert · 20/06/2017 20:33

They pulled most of the tower blocks down and rehoused everyone where I live.

I think there should be a programme of pulling them down and building proper homes for people.

sweetbitter · 20/06/2017 20:35

In lots of countries people in cities live in practically nothing BUT tower blocks.

It's not tower blocks that are the issue, it's making sure they are safe.

Highalert · 20/06/2017 20:36

It was a great day the day they pulled down the tower blocks on the estate I live on. We all stood up a hill and watched as they got blown up.

Scholes34 · 20/06/2017 20:37

What do the residents of the Barbican think about this idea?

Flyinggeese · 20/06/2017 20:39

I can't stand lazy OP posts like this. Lob in a barely thought through, half (witted) idea, no suggestion as to how it would work, and just run..

Grimbles · 20/06/2017 20:42

What do the residents of the Barbican think about this idea?

Or residents of high rise blocks such as The Heron (£18m for a top floor apt) or The Tower in Vauxhall (around £3.5m for an apt.)

PencilsInSpace · 20/06/2017 20:42

I think we need to seriously look at the old blocks we have and be prepared to demolish those that can't be made safe with e.g. sprinkler systems and extra escape routes.

We also need to URGENTLY look at old blocks that have been retrofitted with cladding and if there is any question at all about materials used or whether enough inspections took place during the work, or whether the inspections were thorough enough, or whether the regulations they met were adequate, then the cladding has to come down asap.

Demolishing all tower blocks would be an unthinking kneejerk reaction though and we shouldn't do that.

TheCountessofFitzdotterel · 20/06/2017 20:44

I think there should just be a law that rental properties have to be fit for human habitation. Someone should bring a bill before Parliament.
Oh, hang on...

TeaChest100 · 20/06/2017 20:45

Rather than joined up thinking which would enable housing stock to be sourced and used no matter where it is located.

Whilst it does irk me that as a taxpayer I'm supporting the housing of people in a city I couldn't afford to live in myself, even I can see that uprooting people and sending them to the other end of the country isn't really on.

Highalert · 20/06/2017 20:45

I don;t think that old council tower blocks can be made safe and they should be pulled down.