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[mythoughts]

"Three Ugly Sisters"

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard-mayor/article-23488481-details/The+towers+high+on+Boris+Johnson's+agenda/article.do

Phew...can you imagine a 33 storey high-rise block across WH? Is that how we might end up facilitating 10,000 new homes - or is it 15,000 now?

Homes plan faces court threat

http://www.whtimes.co.uk/content/whtimes/news/story.aspx?brand=WHTOnline&category=News&tBrand=HertsCambsOnline&tCategory=newslatestWHT&itemid=WEED30%20May%202008%2011%3A55%3A27%3A043

[MikeHobday]

So Mike, on what specific data can you base an argument for 10,000 extra homes across Welwyn & Hatfield? Surely such a huge committment can't be done on guess work. I mean, surely St Modwen and the Council at least did some homework to decide on the £100m Hatfield development but look what's happened to that. So, I repeat, on what SPECIFIC data are you supporting this initiative on?

I am not arguing for 10,000 extra homes across Welwyn Hatfield. I am arguing that we face (over the coming years) a serious shortage of homes in Hertfordshire and the South East. When I was a County Councillor from 1997 to 2005, I strongly supported the proposed 10,000 home development "West of Stevenage", and I support the "North of Harlow" development for similar reasons. I support the Government insofar as it is working actively to address this housing shortage. I am opposed to the Conservative approach, which seems to me to be one of seeking to restrict development pretty much everywhere.

With regard to Welwyn Hatfield, I have consistently been critical of the 10,000 figure for two reasons:
- the lack of proper consultation prior to the public inquiry;
- the potential threat to green areas, particularly those within Hatfield and WGC

Clearly, we can accommodate many of the houses that I believe are needed in Hertfordshire. The development at the former Aerospace site was achieved with no real loss of environmental quality (the loss of the factory in 1992 remains a disaster sixteen years on), and I am pretty relaxed about the prospect of some further development between that site and St Albans. But I am far from convinced that 10,000 homes can be built within the Borough without damage to residents' environment.

Mike

[mythoughts]

TORY shadow housing minister Grant Shapps made a rallying cry to residents of Henham and Elsenham last night (Monday, June 2) to fight off plans for an eco-town.

http://www.hertsandessexobserver.co.uk/hertsandessexobserver/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=319616

[mythoughts]

Barratt and Taylor Wimpey's woes deepens as shares tumble

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2008/06/11/bcnbarratt211.xml

[mythoughts]

Two pioneering Hertfordshire towns could be the inspiration for Finland’s future housing settlements, it was revealed today.

http://www.24dash.com/news/Housing/2008-06-11-Finlands-housing-minister-visits-groundbreaking-Garden-City-towns-for-inspiration

Good job they didn't wait another five years to pay a visit...it won't be much of an inspiration then!

[mickeyl]

I think question of 10,000 new homes for Welwyn Hatfield is becoming very hypothetical

Gordon Brown's target is for 240,000 homes to be built annually in England

The House Builders Association reckons there will be 110,000 new homes built this year [year 2008] and only 80,000 next year.

So what is the Government doing about this ??

1. By borrowing extra money [and including the £37 billion already projected to be borrowed in Oct 2007] eg a further £2.5 billion pounds in March 2008 to 'buy off' interest groups such as 10p in the pound tax-payers [lobby led by Frank Field MP], this inevitably causes interest rates to rise to allow the Government's demand particularly for extra and previously scheduled funds for borrowing to be satisfied. Higher interest rates mean higher mortgage rates which makes it more difficult for new would-be home buyers to enter the market place.

2. Meanwhile Housing Minister Caroline Flint is 'monitoring' the situation. I am sure this is a great consolation for those people who can no longer afford to buy new homes or do not have the necessary deposit.  If ever there was a case of 'fiddlng whilst Rome is burning' this has to be it.

[mythoughts]

I think you'll find the Government has now become both bank (mortgage lender) and builder...that's their new strategy!

I suggest they call the new company: "On The Rocks"

[mickeyl]

We now have a government of a lot of talk and very little 'do'
 
You would think the way that this government goes on, they have solved the unemployment problems, they have solved the mortgage and building problems, they have eliminated repossessions, victory is around the corner in Afghanistan and there will be no more child abuse.
 
In point of fact they have merely tickled at the fringes viz the almost total drying up of new building starts

[mythoughts]

HCC say "non"...
 
http://www.stalbansreview.co.uk/news/4029210.Unanimous_Hertfordshire_housing_protest/
 

[AFC]

Interesting that as regards "The green belt, extra 15,000 homes, transport, town centres, schools" the WHT says "the future is in your hands" but is that really true? Only part that in my hands is to get out of here!

[mickeyl]

I defy anybody to name an issue where the public have voiced a majority view opposed to the Labour Government's preferred scheme at a consultation exercise, and where the Government has then gone along with the public's preferred view as opposed to proceeding with its own view.
 
Public consultations are just a sham.

[bbtzs]

Organic growth in brown field sites, accepting the need for a smaller indistrial area and sensible infill with some relaxation of planning controls should be enough to give a good lift to local housing. More housing on the Tesco owned site in Broadwater road including some upwards development should help to provide more houses and more shopping demand as an example. One thing is certain though, we are unlikely to realistically be able to sustain the 10,000 homes requirement without much improved infrastructure. We are sucking in workers from abroad and failing to educate our own workers and train them to a high enough standard. We are getting full up without having space on this crowded isle. I think that has to be tackled urgently. Isnt everyone just fed up with the already crowded roads, trains and transport systems let alone shortage of housing. The only good thing about this down turn/recession is that it may reduce the numbers of obvious economic migrants so we can do something to control our numbers.

[Flyingshop]

Regarding the Lafarge proposal for 4260 homes on green belt land this new web page with some better photo's of approximately were the sites are, and a bit of background on the Commons nature reserve can be found here:

http://www.welwynhatfield.co.uk/housingproposal

There is also a link back to this forum at the bottom of the page.

[Shepherdess]

Looking at that makes me so sad.. just hope that it doesn't happen until I've left this planet..all the farmland by the Reserve has been my world for nearly fifty years.. Most of us of a certain age don't care too much for a massive change to their life.. after living in my quiet corner of the world for that length of time.. the destruction of that special place would be unbearable..
Shep

[jonmorris]

Well, people may get a few more years as I cannot see why there would be such huge demand for new housing in the next few years. Property investors may well have got out when they could, and who wants to come to a country that has so many social, and now financial, problems?

If anything, rather than these people protesting about foreign (but totally legal) workers coming in to build a plant, we should all be looking for work abroad and trying to better our own lives. It's sad that others will come here to better themselves (and of those, some are sadly looking to milk us dry) but so few of us will do the same in reverse. Myself included.