Dawlish News
On Friday 13th May, Teignbridge submitted a bid to build more homes for first time buyers.
Teignbridge has applied to the Government's £1.2 billion Unlocking the Land Fund, which is designed to help bring forward 30,000 custom build or starter homes outside of London by 2020.
If the bid is successful, the scheme could help young first time buyers buy a new home at a minimum 20% discount compared to market prices.
Teignbridge District Council's Leader Cllr Jeremy Christophers said:
"Teignbridge, as a Custom-Build Vanguard Council, is continually looking for opportunities to help young people live in their own homes. This fund means that Teignbridge can bring forward shovel ready sites with planning permission already in place, so that local people under 40 can live in homes which they own themselves."
"With average new build house prices for first time buyers in Teignbridge standing at around £240,000, a new starter home could save young first time buyers an average of £48,000 and help them to get on the housing ladder."
The fund will help councils acquire land such as brownfield sites, as well as helping to overcome issues which have stalled development on brownfield and other sites. The fund will also help to secure planning agreement including necessary infrastructure.
Cllr Humphrey Clemens, Teignbridge District Council's Executive Member for Planning and Housing said:
"Building on previously developed land helps to secure much needed homes. It provides opportunities for regeneration to overcome barriers and make progress on land that otherwise could stand empty for years."
According to Brandon Lewis, the Minister for Housing and Planning, only 38% of people under the the age of 40 now own their home compared with 61% in the early 1990s.
(See Unlocking the Land Fund).
The fund is managed by the Homes and Communities Agency. The deadline for the first round of expressions of interest is 13 May 2016. Local authorities can continue to submit their interest by 31 December 2016 when Teignbridge may seek to submit a joint bid with neighbouring local authorities in the Greater Exeter area.
And what about new housing for those who cannot afford to buy (even with a 20%) reduction in the price.
What about them then eh?
LN. What do you suggest? Give new houses away? I had to save up for every one of my houses over the years. It's all relative - yes house prices were lower back then, but so were wages.
If the likes of Ken and his ilk had their way, then there'd be no new houses built for anyone at all. Full stop. Well, at least not near to where the NIMBYs live.
I am not suggesting that new houses be given away. It is the government that is 'giving away' Starter Homes up to the tune of a 20% discount on the price of each one.
I am talking about homes for those who cannot afford to buy (even allowing for that 20% discount) and who therefore need to rent. In other words I am talking about affordable rental housing (housing with rents no more than 80% of market level). That's the type of homes Housing Associations are involved with.
And although I feel sure that 'Ken and his ilk' can speak for themselves from what I have read of his postings on here and his letters in the local paper it is the twin issues of vehicular access and sewerage that is of major concern and not the building of houses per se.
What is the actual problem with housing availability in the country for those who earn a low wage! They do not earn enough to have a large enough deposit for a mortgage and/or pay for the mortgage and house prices continue to increase.
The governments idea is to have large companies build expansive estates of houses with housing association properties built within the developments for those on low income. The problem is the developer's will do everything they can to wriggle out of any commitments to social housing within their developments. The developers know that social housing does not bode well for their sales of the other properties on their developments.
What is the solution to accomodation that 'low income people/families' can live in at a reasonable cost relative to their income?
If the concept of the council housing estates had been kept to and evolved to keep up with the times we may have had a potential solution to this problem.
Building hundreds of thousands of new homes with a sprinkling of social housing does not resolve the issue of young. low income people being able to have their own home. The problem is the lack of long term structure within the government's that have run this country over the decades.
You can't establish long term construction, education, social policy etc when the ideals/policies change with each change of government.
One thing you can rely on is that things will get a lot worse before they POSSIBLY get better, but you can guarantee those who should be resolving these issues have their own lifestyle/ finances/ homes/pensions well and truly sorted out.