Monday 26 September 2011

IN ENGLAND'S GREEN AND PLEASANT LAND

As if somehow we were really stupid and couldn’t have guess it, the Telegraph reports today that companies which have donated hundreds of thousands of pounds to the Tories, and have lobbied said Tories for a change in the English planning regulations, are to build thousands of houses on open fields, conservation areas and ancient woodland, despite fierce local opposition. Clearly the Telegraph has chosen to go with the other kind of Tory, the ones that most assuredly don’t want anything to interfere with the countryside.

They have uncovered plans for major Greenfield developments from three companies which lobbied ministers.

Taylor Wimpey, accompanied by representatives of PR company, Finsbury (a donator to Tory funds), met a local government minister in January. They have plans for a variety of building ventures on green fields.

Helical Bar, whose chief executive has donated over £300,000 to the party, has plans for hundreds of houses on what used to be conservation areas. And the Barnett Group, whose executives have met with ministers on two occasions, are fighting over 3,000 protestors to build executive homes on farmland.

I hope that no such change in the law will ever affect the Scottish planning regulations. Our countryside is far too spectacular to be spoiled with “executive homes”.

You can really see why Murdo Fraser wants to distance himself for these people can’t you?

17 comments:

  1. Tris

    We will not change the planning laws in Scotland, but then we will never ever have a tory government here.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I hope that no such change in the law will ever affect the Scottish planning regulations. Our countryside is far too spectacular to be spoiled with “executive homes”.

    who needs to change planning laws
    You need to go and have a look at what is happening in the Cairngorms national park, Aviemore in particular.

    ReplyDelete
  3. tris

    so your a nimby eh? 'executive homes' thats your cop out then the fact is until houses are build in places some tree huggers/nimby(or selfish bastards) dont like housing will always be more expensive than it needs to be.

    this attempt to thwart building planning improvements in the end will impact on more than just the wealthy house owners.

    I do not know nor ever have seen how an empty untouched landscape is preferable to one with people living a more affordable life in affordable housing.

    I see beauty in ordinary people living decent lives and the landscape is where they live one devoid of people(and little children) to me is just a barren desert.

    not in my backyard yep! when we all say that nobody gains except those already(luckily) housed,

    ReplyDelete
  4. tris

    you and anon are why people(like me) ended up living in slums as for me i got out lots didn't
    and probably never will.

    ReplyDelete
  5. How little you know or understand about life outside your narrow political bubble Niko as those slums weren't always that way as it was only when everywhere round about got built over dragged them into that state.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Ha ha ha ha ha ...what a thought... A Tory government in Scotland ... ho ho ho ho ho

    ReplyDelete
  7. Well, yeah, Anon... There IS Aviemore... yuk...

    ReplyDelete
  8. Well, we just have different idea of what makes a nice outlook Niko.

    You obviously like to see people and buildings and children... me I like to see trees and birds and fields...

    But not Nimby, no. I wouldn't mind some executive houses built in my back yard. It would be a bloody site better than what's there right now.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Mainly the reason people end up living in slums is that they make them slums.

    Neither the council nor the government come round a graffiti the walls, dump mattresses out the windows... or spread dog muck all over the pavements.

    Even the people from the executive houses don't do that. It's the residents that do that.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Niko's becoming a Tory, CH

    ReplyDelete
  11. To be quite honest I have a degree of sympathy with Niko's point of view.

    If you are unfortunate enough to have to move into a slum there is precious little you can do about it - the irreparable damage has already been done but that does not mean that there are not tenants who would wish to improve their environment and they should be encouraged and helped to do so.

    One answer would be a mixture of private homes and council homes which works really well in this area.

    Friends of mine in London live in discounted flats mixed with sheltered housing which promotes communal living. Again, perhaps that could be the way forward.

    If anybody is interested I have some land up here for any executives or nubile young ladies to build upon. I'm not that keen on nettles, thistles and other nightmarish greeny thingies.

    Finally, Niko becoming a Tory - as a Labourite he already is, near as dammit!

    ReplyDelete
  12. PS: Tris,

    I hope your mum still does not read this blog? If she does xxx

    Any word of Sophia?

    ReplyDelete
  13. Mixed housing does seem to work to an extent John. I have a friend (yes, honest, I do) who lived in Docklands where there is that mix. Likewise we have recently rebuilt one of our most awful schemes in Dundee with a mix of private and public housing and I was surprised to see how well that has worked.

    Of course people need homes, and there has to be space to build them, but there are plenty of brown field sites in most towns, without having to build over parks and green fields.

    As I said to Niko, we all like different things, but I guess I'm a country boy at heart. I'd hate to lose it to estate after estate of "executive homes" which usually remind me of that dump that Prince Andrew had, but on a smaller scale. All money and damn all taste.

    We shouldn't kid ourselves that the planning laws have been relaxed so that they can build affordable housing... That's not going to happen.

    My mum does still read the blog, but she's away on holiday at the moment and all she's got with her is a Kindle, so she's missing this. I'll tell her you sere...erm...asking after her good health.

    Nope, nothing from that Sophia though. And that bottle of sherry is near empty now. Just a few drips left in the bottom of it. We need to go round and throw stones at that wummin's windies... what d'ya think?

    Yes, I suppose you're right about the Tories and labour. The Squeezed Middle is the theme of this week's conference. Never mind the Squashed Poor.

    But I see that Harry Harperson has got them to agree that from now on if the leader is a man the deputy leader must be a woman. What absolute nonsense.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Just heard a rise of 17% in the last year of homeless people sleeping on the street in the UK, welcome to the rich UK folks! Were all in it together eh Dave boy.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I wonder if we have enough money to go to war with Iran now, CH, despite all the homeless? I suspect there will be an even bigger rise next year.

    ReplyDelete
  16. And... Dave only has a few homes, CH. Besides Downing Street and Chequers and his London house and the constituency one. But I'm sure he could let some of the homeless use one of these places. Chequers would take quite a few...and we could build a nice scheme in the grounds. Multis maybe?

    ReplyDelete