Fixing housing
All new-build housing to be on brownfield sites, with a minimum of 1500 square metres of garden (about 1/3 of an acre). All housing estates must have at least three different designs of house, with no more than two houses of the same design adjacent to each other.

That'll stop these bloody ugly £250k rabbit hutches cropping up all over the green belt, built so close together you can barely get the bins out.
(gordonjcp, Mon 26 Sep 2011, 11:30, 9 replies)

They're running out of brownfield sites
There was something on the BBC News website about it recently.

Personally, I'd have a five year ban on pastiche Noddy boxes. Force them to build something different for a while instead of insisting that the crap they're building is what the public want. Oh yes, everyone asked would probably turn around and say they want something "traditional", but we rarely get a change to see anything different that might actually change our minds.
(An eejit passing by in a purple satin skirt with sparkly bits, Mon 26 Sep 2011, 11:36, closed)

No brownfield sites? Really?
The developers obviously aren't looking hard enough. With out-of-town retail parks killing town centres, perhaps the old shops in the towns should be replaced with flats, instead of being allowed to fall derelict - or be turned into short-lived bars/pubs.

And the moratorium on building the same old crap should apply to these new flats, so the city centres are revitalised by exciting new architecture.
( Snappyuk gets BIGGER with free sample., Mon 26 Sep 2011, 11:45, closed)

and while we're at it...
new-build houses to have proper breezeblock internal walls not fucking studwork and plasterboard so you don't have to be forced to hear every squelch if someone's having sex in the next room.

And it makes screwing things to the wall that much easier too. Fnarr fnarr.
( Sallyrsm, Mon 26 Sep 2011, 12:07, closed)

I'd just settle for having houses built...
...that normal people can fucking well afford.
(Bicycle Repairman "you're also a bit of a wanker", Mon 26 Sep 2011, 12:24, closed)

I hate those Mean Streets
If I am visiting someone who lives in one I can never find anywhere to park that does not involve using the pavement. And as you say the detached houses are only 3 feet apart (if that, at the eaves) so they are cheek by jowl, like in a terrace but without the benefit of insulation on each side.

Edit: I live in a 1970 house, probably the last time estates were built with wide roads, proper parking and using brick both sides of the cavity (no problem hanging anything on my walls).
(AgeingGeek Father of Two, Mon 26 Sep 2011, 12:48, closed)

Nah. No need.
Just set the council tax on second and third properties at 150% of the current market value* - nobody gets to own a house as an investment or a holiday destination, or tie up money in property that could be invested in a productive business; either live in it, trade from it or sell it to someone who will.

Similarly, tax land with granted planning permission that doesn't get built on in one tax year at 150% of it's developed market value* in the next tax year; Barratt Homes (and Tesco) who are sitting on huge land banks have to either build on it or sell it or pay lots of tax for keeping it.

And if anyone is bloody-minded and deep-pocketed enough to pay the punitive taxes to keep their holiday home/rentier estate/undeveloped land to themselves, the councils receiving the money are only allowed to spend it on building more social housing.

That should release lots of affordable housing onto the market.

*Not for setting the council tax band - just charge the owners 150% of the market value. So if the house is worth £200k, the tax payable is £300k.
( shinyshinyscalp less a man, more a way of life, Mon 26 Sep 2011, 14:21, closed)

And how about
All new housing to have solar panels fitted on the roof while we're at it? Could't add too much to the cost - especially if there was this huge market for them.
(Che Grimsdale Best before:, Mon 26 Sep 2011, 15:26, closed)

Ah, well, if we're going all eco
How about adding rain water collection as well? Collect everything from the downpipes on the house into a tank, add a cleaning/filtering system, feed it into the toilet cistern. No point in using nice clean water from the mains to flush the loo.
(An eejit passing by in a purple satin skirt with sparkly bits, Mon 26 Sep 2011, 15:46, closed)

How about you check this out...
www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/meeting_energy/renewable_ener/incentive/incentive.aspx
( blaireau69 , the Cumbrian Travis Bickle., Mon 26 Sep 2011, 16:18, closed)