Labour’s plans to build thousands of new homes

[dnac]

Anyone else feeling dismayed at the plans announced today to build huge numbers of new homes on the “grey” belt? Why not just concrete over the UK? It’s not just the homes, it’s the infrastructure that will need to go with it that will almost certainly involve cutting down trees, spoiling natural habitats and losing more green space. Plus the boundary between grey and geeen belt will blur over time. Why can’t we put more effort into refurbishing existing properties (or just rebuilding on the same sites?). So much for refreshing, positive ideas from the new administration. Just more of the same ill thought out sound bites that make me despair for the future of the planet.

Good luck with that

A tiny proportion of asylum seekers would have been sent to Rwanda indeed.

But asylum seekers in turn are only a tiny proportion of net immigration figures.

The overwhelming majority of the 800,000 peak net immigration was from people who held student and working visas that the government specifically chose to give them because it believed it to be in the country's best interests,(having taken back control of UK borders and immigration policy).

The council outsource care to agencies. They sold all their residential homes years ago so don't get personally involved, finding it too problematic. They pay agencies.

I think it's sad, we are one of the most nature depleted countries on the planet.

In our cul de sac of properties there are 33 bedrooms for five couples 3 single adults, one family and an Airbnb. I know we're a retirement area which skews the statistics somewhat. But I do wonder how that stacks up nationally.

Council tax in our area is worked on value of property so two bedroom, one bathroom property next door to us is £3.5k pa for two people. If the properties like that lying empty were to double council tax that would be £7k per annum. That might make family reconsider when reluctant to sell up.

We've had in the next road a three bedroom semi detached house empty for six years. No will was written. Man lived alone, died. Eventually there was ivy growing over the house, a rat problem, roof leaking affecting next door.

The council have patched the roof, pulled off ivy, cleared the gardens back and front, dealt with rats. There must be heirs somewhere.

Maybe we need more and better residential care homes. Some of the reports coming out of those places are shocking - it's no wonder people are too frightened to move into one. 😞

@QueenCamilla I live in a housing estate in an area of significant economic deprivation. What a massive assumption you've just made with absolutely no foundations. I live alongside a number of immigrant families (I just don't see why in your eyes that makes an area not "nice"). My world view if you're interested - is that anyone and everyone has the right to seek asylum and to live somewhere safe. I've no interest in gatekeeping at the expense of vulnerable people. I'm also really so impressed that that's the case in your area since that's the demographic I work with and trying to find landlords ANYWHERE that are willing to work with me to house people with those backgrounds is like pulling teeth. "Actually, I do know why. Same reason why some other posters only encounter migrants as doctors." Not the case for me at all. I just have absolutely zero issue with any of the immigrant families living near me who are either paying their way or who are rightly entitled to support. I have zero interest in scapegoating a vulnerable population. Why do you?

@qwerty14 could you explain what you mean by illegal immigration please?

@1dayatatime

Sorry I have had a long day and finally had my tea so my patience has returned 🤣

In all seriousness you’re 25. When I was 25 I was on MN somewhere wishing on a house price crash and complaining that I couldn’t buy a house. Also in the midlands. Albeit we weren’t on good salaries. We earnt 17.5k each at the time.

I am very grateful still to this day that I had a right talking to by a number of users to get off my arse. No one’s coming to save us and if there is a crash well that’s not going to help us either. 18 months later I bought my first house. It was a complete shithole, next to a complete psycho and we did what we could to polish that turd and miraculously sold for a very good profit.

Im now early 30s sitting in a 3 bed 3000sqft detached house which will have 50% equity when the renovation is finished. It is a glorious. However when we bought it, it didn’t have central heating, there were holes in the roof and it was soaking, there were pigeons in the house (both alive and dead), with no kitchen and no functional toilet, and I lived in a garage for a year and a half where I had to visit the garden to go to the temporary loo whilst pregnant multiple times a night!

3 years later we are only just about to have a functioning the kitchen and it’s been a hell of a journey but fun too.

My advice to you is you can afford a house (even if initially it’s not what you want or where you want it). You are in control of making the life and home that you chose. Go and get it. You can do it. Believe in yourself. And Goodluck really. Not being sarcastic about that.

Yes it is, but by enforcing policies into the planning system such as non- removal of hedgerows, keeping existing trees and planting new ones it can work.
As soon as a developer gets hold of a piece of land they immediately grub up hedges and fell trees. Density needs to reduce so space for nature can exist. Ponds and new woodland areas could be created and specific covenants that are strictly enforced should be part of the planning process. These could be inspected every few years by a body and penalties given to developers who flout the covenants.

Other ideas should be explored too such as compulsory purchase of empty homes and offices developed into housing where possible. Second properties and overseas ownership taxed heavily would also release a lot of housing stock.
More protections and monitoring of existing SSSI sites, heavy fines for pollution of rivers and other watercourses.

"Density needs to reduce so space for nature can exist. Ponds and new woodland areas could be created and specific covenants that are strictly enforced should be part of the planning process. These could be inspected every few years by a body and penalties given to developers who flout the covenants."

Too right! So needed, not only for biodiversity but also for the mental health of the residents and to prevent an urban heat island effect.

My brother lives in Kunming. He sent me pictures of a new housing estate. Not a tree was felled. The architects designed round them. The houses are built at different angles rather than in straight lines. They've created a watercourse that wanders like a natural stream weaving back and forth in wide curves.

It's quite extraordinary how the architects have created such a haven with new builds.

I grew up in the Cotswolds but couldn't afford a house there, so moved up north and bought a house here. In doing that, I am aware that I priced someone local out of being able to live here. It's a vicious cycle that could be broken, in part, by building affordable housing in all parts of the U.K.

Including those places where selfish people like you live.

Oh that sounds gorgeous!
We need to do that here and stop the developer lobby making it solely about profit and not for people and nature.

If the birth rate decreases we will need migration because we need an economically active and productive population.

There is a housing crisis, it's due to immigration crisis.
We need more homes.

And how long can you continue to increase population? Until what point?

Maybe it’s time to look at degrowth.

Brits would never concede to live in apartment blocks Scandi-style, never in a million years. There is too much surrender of autonomy and a strong expectation to act in the interest of the common good and follow the rules of the building / tenancy agreement. What Swedes do without flinching because it's what is expected and what is best for the collective, so many Brits would m a s s i v e l y struggle with. It's a pity because it can really work. But it costs, both financially and in terms of the freedom of the individual which is so prized here.

Following rules, showing respect, just find the right tenants.

I know a housing association retirement complex, over 50s only. If you don't follow the rules you're out.

Where I live there are plenty of homes but they are empty most of the year when their owners are at their main residence.

When we moved here 30 years ago a small handful were holiday lets. All the others had local people living in them. Now the tables are entirely reversed. A handful have people living in them as main residences and the majority are second homes and occupied about 10 weeks a year.

It ain't an immigration issue here. The inequality of wealth and passion for collecting homes is our issue.

We have coastal villages like this. They're like ghost towns for much of the year.

Which is why the government either needs to ban holiday lets and air bnbs, or build more houses.

Having started the post and watched in dismay as it descended, predictably, into an argument about immigration, I just wanted to bring the focus back to the harmful impact on the natural environment of uncurbed development. Which is what prompted my post in the first place.

What’s needed - and lacking - is some lateral thinking to resolve an alleged housing crisis without totally depleting any meaningful green space left in this country. I disagree that there is an abundance of undeveloped space here. Whenever I fly over the UK (all regions) it always strikes me how little distance there really is between built up areas. Small parks /green postage stamp squares in city centres and the odd tree here and there are just not enough to prevent species decline and eventual collapse.

It’s also an easy sound bite for a nascent government to point to increased house building plans as a harbinger of forthcoming economic growth and prosperity, whilst pushing under the mat the negative environmental impacts of the proposals.

i do agree with a previous poster who said that we do need to come to terms with degrowth as a new world order if we want any kind of sustainable and enjoyable world left to live in. But no political party will ever have the courage to mandate for that.

The UK National Ecosystem Assessment (NEA), for example, estimates that less than 1% of the country is "built on", about 2% of England

www.bbc.com/news/uk-41901297

@NotAlexa as you have said they can plan what they want you can also sign what you want - the plans being made to rip up planning legislation and enable infrastructure to be delivered faster includes cutting through alleged nimbyism and riding roughshod over local concerns.