Housing in Shetland

[oddtablet]

Is it no likely to be work to keep the building windproof and water tight...?!?

[Ertieiddabanks]

Is it no likely to be work to keep the building windproof and water tight...?!?

 

They're digging up the ground where the car park is going to be. You might be right though, i know very little about the needs of elderly buildings.

[Caeser]

hopefully they have got planning permission now and the building works will move forward with utmost haste.

 

The housing shortage in da town is silly and can only be improved by new builds and stopping 'right to buy.'

 

Not much parking up da lanes and as far as I can see there are no empty houses there.

 

I wonder how many of the people who need a roof over their head desperately are really worried as to whether they have a car space or not?

[Ghostrider]

^^ I appreciate the point you're making, but think you're missing another, arguably, important one.

 

Just now while demand exceeds supply by such a margin, all is good, apart from folk, due to taking "somewhere" that will "do for now" still desiring and attempting to acquire something more to their liking, remaining in the property market and adding pressure to it. However there has to come a point in the future where demand and supply become more balanced, and people looking for accomodation can, and will be much more choosy about what and where they rent/buy.

 

Once such a situation exists, accomodation in particular areas, and with certain drawbacks/without certain facilities will top the "undesirable" list, and will as a result become increasingly populated by "undesirable" type elements who don't give a monkeys what or where the place is so long as its free. Which, the greater number of reside in a particular area, the faster others tend to vacate it.

 

With the high levels of usage and dependency on vehicular transport in today's society, IMHO, it is not unreasonable to expect a certain level of parking facilities reasonably near to your accomodation in a tiny town such as Lerwick. Whether or not a resident owns a vehicle or not, they will have visitors from time to time who will, and they will be the exception if they do not on occasion have deliveries and tradesmen calling. If, for example, someone living in a lane is having a piece of furniture delivered, and the van cannot park closer than the pier, or a similar delivery is being made to St Olaf's Hall, and the nearest parking can only be found in Ronald Street or Greenfield Place, it won't take long for delivery companies to be reluctant to deliver to such addressess, or change extra for doing so, and that is the beginning of the end.

 

Its not like there's a shortage of land around Lerwick, let it expand north, south and west. Its a desire to cram too much on to too little that's causing the space issues.

[paulb]

or build outside of lerwick. its cheaper easier and nicer.

[Carlos]

The revised application seems to be just for office space, no residential element because of the extra parking that would need.

I'd not noticed any reporting of the new application, but since there is a "decisions" part on the SIC planning site, it got approved one way or another.

[Colin]

The housing shortage in da town is silly and can only be improved by new builds and stopping 'right to buy.'

 

Forgive me for appearing a little 'thick' but, in which way would stopping the 'right to buy' option increase available housing stock?

[hellsbells]

If the right to buy of cooncil and hjaltland properties is stopped there would be more houses to let (eventually) as when the tenant died,moved away,went into care etc the house could be relet and not just kept in the family or sold on. I agree that there needs to be more houses built for renting and unfortunately it isn't happening quick enough.

[Caeser]

If the right to buy of cooncil and hjaltland properties is stopped there would be more houses to let (eventually) as when the tenant died,moved away,went into care etc the house could be relet and not just kept in the family or sold on. I agree that there needs to be more houses built for renting and unfortunately it isn't happening quick enough.

 

Thank you for clarifying my mesage. This was exactly what I was talking about.

[Colin]

If the right to buy of cooncil and hjaltland properties is stopped there would be more houses to let (eventually) as when the tenant died,moved away,went into care etc the house could be relet and not just kept in the family or sold on. I agree that there needs to be more houses built for renting and unfortunately it isn't happening quick enough.

 

Thank you for clarifying my mesage. This was exactly what I was talking about.

 

Not wanting to start an argument on this and, right at the start, I DO NOT AGREE WITH RIGHT TO BUY' but, I don't think that you have thought it through properly.

 

Right to buy has no real effect of long term housing availability, it just transfers ownership (and liabilities) from the public to the private sector and I expect that, eventually, councils will not own any appreceable quantity of housing at all.

eg;

I rent a house from the council and, after a few years, I buy it. Nett effect on available housing is nil.

A few years later I decide to build a new house and sell/rent the one I bought.

Nett result, 1 extra house available to rent/buy.

 

The real problem is the moratorium that was placed on councils building new houses.

This issue is being (belatedly) addressed by proxy through housing associations who are not subject to the same right to buy regulations.

 

Population growth exceeds supply of new houses and ensures a 'healthy'(?) housing market. Unfortunately, only those with sufficient capital/income can take part, and this (in my opinion) is just plain wrong.

 

The main problem is that people who 'might' have been able to buy, build or rent their homes have been priced out of the market.

[Caeser]

The main difference I can see is that you can have a three bedroom 'right to buy' ex council house available privately for maybe £700 per month, with the one next door still owned by da coonty for £300.

 

The people who bought the house under right to buy do not see any benefit immediately as the mortgage would be similar to the rent. It is only when the house is sold on does the value gain kick in that the problem lies.

 

I heard a story the other day about the council sold a council house in Lerwick for 40k under the right to buy scheme in 2005. They bought it back recently for 120k!!

 

Something is wrong somewhere.

 

The other issue is that affordable housing does not financially add up. The houses cost the same to build as any other non affordable one. Grant support must come into play somewhere.

 

This is the sad situation, where peole who cannot get on the property ladder are faced with private renting as there are not enough affordable houses available in the areas wher the jobs are.

 

That is why I think that building as may affordable houses in the town should be encouraged. It also allows people on lower wages to avoid having a car if they work in the town which helps too and also mitigates the argument about all houses requiring car parking spaces.

[unlinkedstudent]

Well, I'm gobsmacked they haven't stopped Right to Buy.

 

Here in delightful (deffo NOT) London Borough of Newham, Right to Buy was stopped for several years. In fact, it has only recently been reinstated but then not for all sizes of properties.

 

Right to Buy does assist keeping the existing housing stock and ensuring that those who meet the lovely chubbly criteria have a better chance of getting social housing. We currently pay £72 odd a week for a 1 bed flat, 4 floors up, no lift. The flat opposite is owned by a leaseholder who rents it out at £160 per week to a working couple. A similar flat up the road is rented out to an unemployed couple who pay £700 per month - sorry, the tax payer does via Housing Benefit.

 

I've voiced my opinion elsewhere on the new SIC Housing Choice/Allocation Policy (see separate thread); however, as a southerner on the waiting list to move to South Shetland (ducks at the thought of suggesting something), then surely if SIC were serious about reducing their waiting list not only would they apply to suspend Right to Buy, but they would also look at improving the transport systems?

 

And whilst on the subject of Right to Buy, wasn't it Dover that at one stage had no housing stock left whatsover because of Right to Buy?

[derick]

Re 'Right' to Buy.

 

There is a consultation on the SNP's proposed new Housing Bill for Scotland - at

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2009/04/27095102/0

 

Consultation ends on 14 August - anybody can respond using the form at the bottom of the webpage. Personally strongly agree wi points 1-3 below, but no convinced aboot 4

 

Right to Buy proposals are:

 

1 Ending RTB for new tenants. While not affecting the entitlements of existing tenants, this would mean that in general those becoming tenants for the first time, and those returning to social housing from other tenures, would no longer be entitled to RTB on any social housing.

 

2 Reforming pressured-area designations. This would extend the scope of the pressured-area designation process by increasing the maximum period of a designation from five to ten years and by allowing particular types of housing, as well as areas, to be designated. It would also have the effect of making local councils responsible for designating pressured areas.

 

3 Developing guidance for RSLs (housing associations) seeking extensions to the ten- year suspension on RTB.RSLs are able to apply to Ministers to extend beyond 2012 the current suspension of RTB on their properties. We propose to develop new guidance for RSLs to use if they wish to make such applications. This guidance would be underpinned by criteria that reflect the importance of meeting housing need and safeguarding stock and take account of the effect of RTB on a landlord's ability to pay for other policy priorities.

 

4 Revising guidance on landlords' continuous occupation discretionary powers. This would encourage landlords to use their discretionary powers more widely to disregard short breaks between tenancies when the breaks are outwith the tenant's control. This should enable ex-service personnel to count the time they spent in armed forces tenancies towards their RTB qualifying period and their discount entitlement once they enter the social rented sector.

 

Re NEW Council Houses

 

1,343 new council homes will be built in Scotland this year, backed by £26 million from the Scottish Government. Seventeen councils across Scotland will the cash to start a new generation of council houses for rent. The cash injection underpins the largest council house building programme for 30 years.

 

QUESTION - did SIC apply for any o dis money?

[Bryando]

What is Shetland like to get a council house? What sort of rent is it for a private let?

 

(***Mod Edit - Merged with existing thread***)

[MuckleJoannie]

There is a lengthy thread on this subject here

 

http://www.shetlink.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5758

 

As for private renting see the classified section