Telegraph - HANDS OF OUR LAND - House prices face cuts under planning reforms

Turnbull2000

My my, hasn't the Telegraph changed their tune. Just a couple of years ago they were one of only a couple of newspapers that highlighted the damage caused by high prices and shortage of supply.

But as soon as the possible solution looks like becoming a reality...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/hands-off-our-land/8793118/Hands-Off-Our-Land-house-prices-will-be-cut-by-planning-reforms.html

The Planning Officers’ Society (POS) has told ministers their proposals will mean homes are “blighted” by the prospect of new developments in their areas.

The society, which represents senior planning officers and managers for local councils, also said the supposedly pro-growth rules would make it harder for companies to do business and create jobs.

The criticisms are the latest blow to the planning policy framework, which is also under fire from the National Trust and the Campaign to Protect Rural England. The Daily Telegraph’s Hands Off Our Land campaign is calling on ministers to reconsider.

Mike Holmes, the POS president, said the framework as written would have “detrimental effects” on property prices.

“The risk is you get a big splurge in development in an area – or the prospect of it – and prices go down for properties already there,” he said.

Ministers have said they hope their planning rules will mean more houses are built.

Grant Shapps, the housing minister, has said the Coalition wants “house price stability”, leading to criticism from home owners who benefit from rising prices.

Wookster

One word for this: nimby-ism.

the_flying_pig

this is really pathetic. they could at least pretend to be driven by a nobler motive. that's the usual way with these things, no?

nearlynew

Turnbull2000 wrote: »

My my, hasn't the Telegraph changed their tune. Just a couple of years ago they were one of only a couple of newspapers that highlighted the damage caused by high prices and shortage of supply.

That reminds me of you.


Have you bought a house yet?

abaxas

Hands off our land!!!!!

Stop building hospitals, police stations, etc!

They blight the landscape.

ukcarper

I'll believe that all these houses are going to be built when I see it.

Cyril

The Telegraph is really championing this cause.

Probably because all the NIMBY's are wealthy old pensioners with too much time on their hands.

Just the demographic of their readers I imagine.

Never mind all these oldies will die off in a few years and then realism will be brought to bear.

Where are people going to live if more houses and particularly affordable houses aren't built. Why is there such hysteria over planning / building. It doesn't have to be all on greenbelt land.

And the view from the window of one person isn't a strong enough argument to deny many people a home of their own.

I agree its not ideal but more land has to be released to cater for future generations.

ruggedtoast

There will be far more people joining the 60plus age bracket next year than exiting it by death.

And far too few younger people working to pay their high house prices, pensions, health care etc. Something has to give.

the_flying_pig

the DT is using this "hands off" [note - not hands of] construction quite a lot in these silly pro-pwoperdee 'campaigns'. they must think it's particularly persuasive or summat.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/capital-gains-tax/7773125/Capital-Gains-Tax-campaign.html

IronWolf

the_flying_pig wrote: »

this is really pathetic. they could at least pretend to be driven by a nobler motive. that's the usual way with these things, no?

Indeed. Let's hope this minister has the balls to stick to this and not make it another pressurised u-turn like the "selling out forests" fiasco.

MacMickster

The whole issue is a bit of a red herring at the moment.

Developers are sitting on land banks but choosing not to build on them, as they would not make the level of profits that they want due to the stagnant housing market. Until the current supply of land suitable for development shows signs of being exhausted, then most local authorities will still have good grounds for refusing the type of planning applications envisaged by the Telegraph.

What the proposed relaxation of planning rules is likely to do is cause a mini boom in the price of land which speculators think that they may be able to obtain planning permission on, in the same way that agricultural land in Ireland was being sold at a premium a few years ago, particularly if it had fantastic views (for the cattle?).