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[CLKD]

   Political Parties jumping on the band wagon, suggesting building K1s housing across Gt Britain   .........   particularly targeting the idea of homes for low income families.  Yep that was Council housing in my day  - both of us were raised in Council houses B4 Maggie decided it was a 'good' idea to offer the properties to tenants, cheaply.  Without building any more to fill the gaps .......

For years Planning Consent has been given across the UK - as long as the builders offer up a % of housing-scheme properties within the Plans.  i.e. anything over 76 properties has to include 20 low-priced, 1-bedroom houses or flats.  Agreed with the Council.  Passed. Ticked off.  Until the footings are dug for the more up-market properties - then the Plans are re-submitted with the proviso that Social Housing is no longer beneficial or cost effective.  For whom: other than the Building Companies who know that not many Councils can challenge the alterations in Court.

So the large, expensive properties are built and bought.  Then the Companies move on. With very little chance of snagging problems being sorted as the large Companies are self regulating and the Councils no longer sigh off footings etc..  Instead of the Planning Consent insisting that the housing-scheme properties are built first? .......... to make sure that they are actually erected?  How short sighted the Councils seem to be 

I've seen this across Warwickshire and Northamptonshire as well as in the Fens during the last 10 years  .  The UK does not need new housing, looking at the Estate Agents there isn't a lack of stock except in villages where young people can't afford to buy.  So villages are dying and children don't see their grandparents etc. as regularly ..........

If Boris ventures any closer to me I will jump.  Loud and Hard - look out for me on the News 

[Pennyfarthing]

Corbyn pledged today to build 100,000 new council houses ...... no doubt to house all the people from other countries who Labour want to welcome with open arms.  The housing crisis has been caused by us allowing too many people in.  We need to operate the same way as Australia do.  It's just basic commonsense. 

We need more social housing  around here because young local people cannot afford to buy and this has been the case for many years.  Local people should take priority not people from other counties or even other countries. 

[CLKD]

That doesn't work though. Without housing medical staff nor teachers would be able to work across the UK.  Had there not been housing DH wouldn't have gone to Uni, I wouldn't have worked in Wales nor in the area we eventually moved too.  No property, no work opportunity.

It's because Maggie sold Council Houses  .  Where are 100,000 properties going to be built?  Too many on flood plains already  and that means new schools, surgeries, hospitals ......... who will finance those properties unless they are Housing Associations or shared ownership?

[Annie0710]

A lot of the housing, healthcare, schooling  problems have arisen because we are simply over populated surely?

Young girls know by getting pregnant they will be housed too.  It's all a complete joke in this country.

I agree with PF x

[CLKD]

The UK is probably under populated.  People have always had children  .......... it's lack of housing, not the reasons for babies that's to blame.  In the 1970s girls did get onto the housing ladder by getting pregnant but there have been no follow ups as to whether they were married etc.. 

Councils got wind of that though .

[Pennyfarthing]

I need to make a correction. Corbyn actually said he will build 100,000 houses A YEAR for the next 5 years.  Where he thinks he is going to build them is another matter as is where is all the money coming from?

I don't know why people close their eyes to the fact that our population has increased by millions over the past few years and they all have to live somewhere.  it stands to reason. 

it seems to me that if you can flout the rules you will get housed. If families say they are evicting one of their adult children they get a house. If girls get pregnant they get a house, if you trash a privately rented house and don't pay rent you get evicted and then rehoused ..... how crazy is that? 

If you sit patiently and wait you get nowhere.  One of my nieces and her partner were on the housing list for over 10 years despite both having full time jobs.  She was told by the council she was not priority because they had no children.  She could easily have made that happen but they wanted to do things in the right order so they continued private renting which was expensive and not very secure.  Finally they have got a shared ownership house and now have children but it was a real struggle to get there.

i also know someone who went to the council following a marriage breakdown and he was told he had no chance at all of getting a house as he was “white, single and employed.”  He complained and told them he would take his story to the national press.  Within a week he was sent a letter saying that if he didn't accept a certain bungalow they were offering him they would remove his name from the housing list.  That was a joke because his name wasn't even ON the housing list. They were just worried about being named and shamed. He took the house!

[CLKD]

I have heard several stories like that PF - but the Council properties have been in appalling conditions, in 1 case condemned by that particular Council. 

In mainland Europe of course people rent more than buy.  Especially in Cities.  My idea of .........

The flood plains are already being built over, which leaves where exactly.  Politicians are jumping on what they think that the Public wants to hear.  Which is what happened when Maggie decided to allow renters to buy Council properties - it was an election year 

[squeaker99]

It's not just the number of houses, it's the type and quality too.
Around here these featureless new estates have sprung up on boggy wasteland. No shops, no play parks, no school/GPs etc
They look soulless and the outer walls have quickly gone green and streaky due to damp. Depressing places to live.

Been to Sweden a few times and they really know how to build mix used integrated housing areas complete with parks/swimming pools/cafes.  Nice places to live where people of different incomes and life stages can mix. It really isn't rocket science and would provide a thriving local economy.    Closest things I've seen in UK is Poundbury that Prince Charles was involved in 20 odd years ago.

Problem is councils are looking to reduce the housing list on the cheap. Bids to the lowers contractor etc Not interested in quality of life.

[CLKD]

There doesn't seem to be a lot of green space in Poundbury though 

Sweden is hellish expensive to visit!

[squeaker99]

I recommend Gothenburg - it is one of the most beautiful towns I have ever visited
and really easy to get around and out to the islands around it. Went in June and got
cheap Easyjet flights. We used the trams/ferrys and ate from these amazing pop up
catering vans - tacos/crepes etc so you can eat cheap although alcohol is expensive.
Lots of outdoor swimming/concerts/parks/museums. Just a gem.

[CLKD]

Suitable for a house filled with menopausal women 
I watched a programme about travelling by train across Norway or Sweden      ...... stunning.

[Sparrow]

I've been on the train from Oslo to Bergen, did it last summer, absolutely stunning. 

[Kathleen]

Hello ladies.

Public sector housing has to be rationed when demand outstrips supply and I recall that a points system was often used. The more dire your situation, the more points you were awarded which seems reasonable and is similar to the triage system used in medicine.  When Thatcher brought in the right to buy scheme public sector housing declined but the government prevented Councils using the money to build more affordable homes to replace the ones sold off. Consequently a buyer's market was created which favoured private landlords and kept all house prices high. The one thing the scheme didn't do was solve the housing shortage.

I think providing good quality public housing is the duty of a decent government and it's a scandal that things have been allowed to become so bad.

Wishing you well ladies.

K.

[Sparrow]

Hello ladies.

Public sector housing has to be rationed when demand outstrips supply and I recall that a points system was often used. The more dire your situation, the more points you were awarded which seems reasonable and is similar to the triage system used in medicine.  When Thatcher brought in the right to buy scheme public sector housing declined but the government prevented Councils using the money to build more affordable homes to replace the ones sold off. Consequently a buyer's market was created which favoured private landlords and kept all house prices high. The one thing the scheme didn't do was solve the housing shortage.

I think providing good quality public housing is the duty of a decent government and it's a scandal that things have been allowed to become so bad.

Wishing you well ladies.

K.

I agree 100% Kathleen 👍

[Katejo]

I recommend Gothenburg - it is one of the most beautiful towns I have ever visited
and really easy to get around and out to the islands around it. Went in June and got
cheap Easyjet flights. We used the trams/ferrys and ate from these amazing pop up
catering vans - tacos/crepes etc so you can eat cheap although alcohol is expensive.
Lots of outdoor swimming/concerts/parks/museums. Just a gem.

I went there in 2013. I have a friend who lives there and she invited me. I really liked the city but the highlight of my short visit was the boat trip to the Archipelago.