| Topic: | Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Brentford Steering Group Video on Front Page..... | |
| Posted by: | Guy Lambert | |
| Date/Time: | 01/12/14 20:09:00 |
| Raymond, you make some very valid points there, as does Adam. I think most people would agree that they are at least uncomfortable with the preponderance of small flats in current developments, but what drives that has little to do with politics and everything to do with money. Given that there is a shortage of land, and landowners' desire to make the maximum profit out of their holdings, they're going to build to the highest density they can get away with and I'm pretty sure the economics favours flats (and high buildings). This also affects the perceived (and maybe real, I don't know the facts) shortage of light industrial etc space round here: I've certainly heard that landowners are hanging on to industrial land in the hope that it will get rezoned as residential - I believe residential land is worth a lot more. As to the politics - somebody described it as 'the art of the possible'. Anybody who doubts that Labour councillors would prefer genuinely affordable housing, including family houses, to overpriced flats isn't paying attention. I think - well, actually, I know - they are in fact extremely frustrated that they can't make more of this happen. But the truth of the matter is that that whole 'Ballymore' area has been more or less derelict for at least a decade and I suspect a lot longer and this is a huge blight on the town. So there is a priority to get something done and it becomes a debate about what's the best outcome that can actually be achieved. We can regret the flaws in the Ballymore scheme till the cows come home but at least it's SOMETHING and at least there is SOME social housing coming where none was there previously. Personally I would prefer the council to buy the site themselves and use public investment to build a development which reflects public priorities but the only way that was going to happen would be if we elected an entirely different government with an entirely different approach to local government than the one we have today. |