22nd March 2013, 06:14 PM
Sith Wrote:I know I'm a cracked record on this particular topic, but can ANYONE explain to me why we are paying people to buy houses they cannot afford, when the only benificiary will ultimately be the property developers themselves? None of these things are actually stopping them from developing land. Planning rules are only stopping them from developing the most 'attractive' sites and reducing the amount of profit they make.
Sith
I think you are right to be a 'cracked record' on this. The easy explanation as for why we as tax payers are in effect subsidisng property developers is because these property developers have substantial (particularly financially significant) influence on the present government and this is clearly reflected in the language employed by Mr Boles.
Of course as archaeologists many of us rely on development work for employment (either directly or indirectly) and any measures to stimulate development must have at least some positive benefits. HS2 is a headline grabbing commitment to infrastructure development (although whether this government will pick up the tab is another matter), but local infrastructure â schools, roads, etc seems to be largely neglected and I suspect this local infrastructure would more positivily benefit the archaeological industry as a whole.
My main issue is that this government's measures, be they financial or planning related will do nothing to stimulate more development. For example the 'Help to Buy' scheme is being sold as a helping hand to assist people get onto the housing market by funding deposit shortfalls. The problem is that a requirement for a 20% deposit isn't a bad thing per-se (indeed it could be argued to be financially prudent). The problem is the affordability of a 20% deposit and in particular the ratio between wages and house prices. This is particularly acute for low paid workers such as archaeologists where the ratio of wages to even modest accommodation puts home ownership beyond the reach of most.
Likewise these efforts to 'ease restrictions' on planning will not stimulate significantly more house building, what it will do is make the current levels of house building more profitable for developers. The government and developers are doing everything in their power to prevent a re-adjustment in house prices. Indeed it is currently in developerâs interests to control supply by drip-releasing developments to the market - by limiting supply they can keep demand and therefore prices high.
The vast majority of planning applications submitted are granted - planning policy is not restricting development - the non-affordability of houses and the government and house builderâs desire to keep the house price bubble inflated is.
Locally my impression is that politically members are so desperate to see âsomething happenâ that any development that is put forward, no matter how un-sustainable, un-suitable or un-viable, is jumped at with open arms â they are so desperate not to be seen to be âblocking growthâ that all rational consideration of environmental issues is going out of the window.
This government's planning and housing policy will be a double blow to archaeologists - in terms of a stagnant employment market and continuing low wages. For the actual archaeology - I fear developers will land bank those sites that they have that already benefit from planning consents and try speculative submissions for sites that were previously 'out-of-bounds'.
The developers well and truly have politicians in their pockets (at all levels) and I cannot see this as being a good thing for archaeology or archaeologists.
Given that I work in local government I should perhaps note that all views and opinions in this message are mine and mine alone - no inference is implied nor should be perceived as any official view of any company, organisation or body that I may be associated with or employed by at the time of posting.