1st July 2005, 10:21 AM
North south divide - what country do you live in?
Curator Kid,said
"I'm quite lucky in that house prices here are so ludicrous that the cost of such an evaluation would be swallowed up in most circumstances by the likely inflation of the house's selling price between the start of the development project and its completion".
Please tell us which part of the country still has rising prices so that we can alll invest there?
There are difference from county to county, region to region in the way PPG 16 operates. The south is not characterised by high house prices and the north by mills, coal tips, and flat caps in any event.
In any event it is not the price of the new house that is important it is the profit margin. At present in the south-east profit margins are depressed so many small developers are not developing.
Curators should be bothered about the cost of archaeology causing a development to go ahead because it amounts to a refusal. A planning condition must be fair reasonable and practicable. At one appeal the inspector zapped the archaeology because it was too expensive.
The argument of watching brief/evaluation is a none starter - an evaluation is always cheaper in real terms particularly on a small development. The problem is if nothing is found on the evaluation then the cuaror still wanting a watching brief.
If nothing is found then there is no real issue with either a watching brief or an evaluation the problems and costs only starts when there is significant archaeology and cost.
Local Planning Authorites make several calls on the developers profits - contributions to housing, education, open spaces and similar. Add archaeology to that and the figures can eaily not stack up. There is also the issue of the social/affordable housing quotas.
One year Bloor Homes made 0.5% return on capital funding on their house building operations. Even with soft south east house prices archaeology can make developments not profitable.
A significant about of new houses in the SE are social/affordable housing where exceptions to the planning system have been made and are projects funded by the state and undertaken by not for profit organisations.
Peter
Curator Kid,said
"I'm quite lucky in that house prices here are so ludicrous that the cost of such an evaluation would be swallowed up in most circumstances by the likely inflation of the house's selling price between the start of the development project and its completion".
Please tell us which part of the country still has rising prices so that we can alll invest there?
There are difference from county to county, region to region in the way PPG 16 operates. The south is not characterised by high house prices and the north by mills, coal tips, and flat caps in any event.
In any event it is not the price of the new house that is important it is the profit margin. At present in the south-east profit margins are depressed so many small developers are not developing.
Curators should be bothered about the cost of archaeology causing a development to go ahead because it amounts to a refusal. A planning condition must be fair reasonable and practicable. At one appeal the inspector zapped the archaeology because it was too expensive.
The argument of watching brief/evaluation is a none starter - an evaluation is always cheaper in real terms particularly on a small development. The problem is if nothing is found on the evaluation then the cuaror still wanting a watching brief.
If nothing is found then there is no real issue with either a watching brief or an evaluation the problems and costs only starts when there is significant archaeology and cost.
Local Planning Authorites make several calls on the developers profits - contributions to housing, education, open spaces and similar. Add archaeology to that and the figures can eaily not stack up. There is also the issue of the social/affordable housing quotas.
One year Bloor Homes made 0.5% return on capital funding on their house building operations. Even with soft south east house prices archaeology can make developments not profitable.
A significant about of new houses in the SE are social/affordable housing where exceptions to the planning system have been made and are projects funded by the state and undertaken by not for profit organisations.
Peter