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Dear Editor,
January 27, 2005 12:00 AM
John Prescott's proposals to ease the shortage of affordable housing will do little to help the people of South Devon. The few good ideas in his announcement will hardly scratch the surface of the problem.
We are told that starter homes will be built for sale at £60,000, but in the unlikely event of homes being built at that cost they will end up in the South East or traditional Labour heartlands. Housing Association homes can be sold to their owners in shared equity schemes, but will the proceeds be used to build more houses? Much of the current problem stems from the great council house sale of the 80s and 90s which had the enviable result of allowing people to own their own homes but did not allow replacement houses to be built with the proceeds.
The problem will only be solved by building more houses and providing rented accommodation for those who cannot afford to buy a home whatever the attractions of shared equity and discounts. We need land value taxation to encourage developers to develop their land. We need planning regulations that allow councils to restrict second home use where necessary. We need planning and other mechanisms to encourage sensitive development and renovation in our towns and villages. And we need more central government funding to build social housing locally.
Yours sincerely,
Mike Treleaven
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