Rather than purchase land for some monetary amount, compulsorily or otherwise, and load local authorities / development corporations with debt, a South Anywhere County Development Corporation (SACDC) would issue equity to landowners whose land was affected by the JSP, in exchange for rights SACDC acquired over the land.
Elder Stubbs and Existing Use Value
“Elder Stubbs” is an allotment site in East Oxford owned by a charity rather than the local authority. Something of its history can be found on its website here, but this skips the period in the 1990s when the charity found itself at loggerheads with Oxford City Council. For this I am grateful for the… Continue reading Elder Stubbs and Existing Use Value
How to fix the rental market for real
we need an understanding that better ways are needed for setting rents on longer term tenancies, that these will need the buy in of landlords and their agents, and that they will involve an accurate reflection of local market rents. The history of their development in Germany suggests they were pioneered at a municipal level… Continue reading How to fix the rental market for real
Why I did not vote Labour in 2017
No significance in the timing here, but just putting here a comment on a Facebook post of Steve Bullock, Mayor of Lewisham, 26th May, 2017, https://www.facebook.com/sir.steve.bullock/posts/10211160522747305 As of 29th December 2017, the Labour was still campaigning against charges which unfairly target the more affluent Jeremy Corbyn joins thousands in backing the Mirror’s campaign to end… Continue reading Why I did not vote Labour in 2017
How do we feel about renting?
I am the child on the left here, feeling at home in the rented sector, and where my Dad to this day feels at home. In a few days we’ll be celebrating Christmas there again, now with grown up grandchildren.
Self-build, Community Land Trusts and the Housing Crisis
What follows isn’t meant as opinion, but an attempt to research the extent to which self-build and Community Land Trusts have a role in helping solve the housing crisis. Writing it, I find I want to research more, and ask questions of various contacts who know more about aspects of the subject than me. So,… Continue reading Self-build, Community Land Trusts and the Housing Crisis
Municipalism good, localism bad
Originally published on Sydenham Town Forum, 28 January, 2015 I thought I’d get the message in the subject line, to help anyone who has problems scrolling down on whatever device they are reading this on.
A solution to the asset rich, cash poor problem
This is something I wrote last year, but didn’t publish. I just saw a tweet to which it seems relevant, so with some minor changes I’m publishing it here now. On rereading, I feel it deserves a more thorough rewrite, but I think the central idea, a revenue neutral, non market distorting change to the… Continue reading A solution to the asset rich, cash poor problem
The Long Short for Generation Rent
How are Generation Renters supposed to get on with their lives when housing is so unaffordable that they have no realistic hope of buying their own property – and quite possibly would be ill advised to do so anyway? It’s an agonising personal question for millions of young people, but I’m not aware of any… Continue reading The Long Short for Generation Rent
Nimbyism explained – 2
A while back – August 2013 – I posted this on my local Forum: I had a eureka moment about this a few days ago – the rise of the NIMBY is a consequence of greater fragmentation of freeholding. It’s obvious really – if more occupiers have the legal rights of freeholders, they will use… Continue reading Nimbyism explained – 2