After World War II politicians vied with each other to produce 200,000 … 300,000 … or 400,000 new homes in the following year (interview with deputy prime minister John Prescott, 28 January, page 20).

Now, it seems, we are in for a repeat of the numbers game: who can build cheaper homes – excluding, of course, site value, flood prevention, new roads, new schools, new shopping facilities, new water, gas, electricity supplies, new facilities for employment and ignoring environmental constraints, fees, VAT and so on...

The idea is just being given a new name, while the experience of organisations such as Amphion, which shows the problems of building large numbers of offsite manufactured homes, is just being ignored (28 January, page 15).

Why this presentation by Mr Prescott? Housing authorities and registered social landlords were obliged to sell off usable stock at knock-down prices and given no chance to replace the assets (all for a short-term political advantage). Now, “hey presto”, the same group of property owners are to lose further assets to “Homes for All” at the expense of longer term advantages for the needy.

Alan Mitchell, London SW13

Source

Housing Today