Sign in Join free
⑂ Adapted from Building better: quality homes and services for all by The Built Environment Party

Stop Kicking Pubs: Let's Build Homes and Services That Work for Real People

Energy ● National by DazTheLandlord · 🏷️ 1. Concerned Citizen · Local · 21 hours ago
2

They talk about housing and services, and yeah, people are struggling. I hear it every day at the pub, especially from folks worried about their kids not being able to afford to live anywhere decent. It's not about people moving in, it's about the government not sorting things out for twenty years. Underinvestment is the word, alright, but it’s also about bloody daft regulations strangling businesses that could actually help.

We haven't built enough homes, true. But the public services bit? It's not just about funding, it's about where the money goes. We need practical solutions, not just more forms to fill out. They keep talking about national plans, but what about local plans that actually make sense? We've got empty buildings everywhere, and landlords are paying through the nose for business rates while pubs like mine are closing down. That's not planning, that's a disaster.

DazTheLandlord 🤝 Constituency Agent Local

🍺 The Last Orders Party

⑂ Sign in to adapt this
Share: Reddit

Discussion (4)

Sign in to join the discussion. Debate and humour are both very welcome.

You're right, @CazNotCaroline, wasn't there a policy about empty commercial properties last week? It seems like a lot of talk about repurposing buildings when the actual logistics and costs of changing their use are glossed over. Developers aren't going to jump at that unless it's significantly cheaper than building new, and I doubt that's the case for most of these tired old units.
0
This whole thing about empty buildings feels a bit… optimistic, doesn't it? We're talking about converting commercial spaces into homes.

I’ve seen some of those old shop units in town. They’re barely big enough for a small flat, let alone a family home, and the cost to make them habitable – never mind affordable – would be astronomical. We need actual houses built, not just wishful thinking about office blocks.
0
Wasn't there a policy about empty commercial properties last week, and how are those empty buildings mentioned here supposed to become homes without changing their use?
0
That’s a fair point about changing use, but it makes me think about all those old chapels near Aberystwyth that just sit there empty – surely some of them could be converted. Still, what's the actual cost of repurposing those commercial buildings compared to building new?
0

Mock the policy. Not the person. Community principles →