The Direction Home

A home would be nice

In the upcoming UK's Financial Autumn Statement  (Nov 23rd) Chancellor Hammond has a golden opportunity to re- invigorate the UK economy.


One of the key failures over the last 20 years or so has been around the housing stock , there's not enough of it, it's too expensive and sub standard (particularly around heat retention).


It was interesting chatting to an architect friend this last weekend about housing issues:

Poor quality estates should not be replaced by over dense schemes  

What I learnt from him confirmed my fears about  building developers - they expect exorbitant profit (60 margins are typical) they are unwilling to assume responsibility to improve quality and tend to go for lowest cost at whatever level it is set.


Government needs to  ensure that developers have an incentive to use the stockpiled land they are sitting on and to improve the building standards that developers must comply with.

Ealing Council leader Bell & acolytes
(probably not talking about housing)

Councils to should focus on housing and ensuring that 'Cathy Come Home' is a historic document and not a contemporary problem.


Improved housing can form part of a virtuous cycle where families are able to have better quality of life and be happier.

And it's not just families who need this help recent months have seen rapid increases in those single people sleeping rough,

The Politics of the Possible and Red 12

To my mind the smoke signals and releases  coming from the UK government on the decision on London's airport expansion do not reflect well on the need for a strong approach to the anti-EU vote of this summer.

Should the decision to fudge and prevaricate  be the one that prevails (as in kicking the can down the road) British business will be left worrying about the decisiveness of intent and an opportunity for new British jobs will be at best delayed.

Many people felt that on becoming Prime-Minister Theresa May her pledges were something more than empty rhetoric but already she seems to be embroiled in battling the treasury and second guessing some of her more errant colleagues - No decision on Heathrow may spur  on Gatwick to proceed with its own expansion regardless  and depending on the phrasing of the announcement Zac Goldsmith may decide to delay his by-election but these are small scale wins for the PM and do not show the clear decisive direction that the electorate hanker for.

My first home -Now and   30 years or so ago

Affordable Housing

A price beyond many 

At the same time as London faces decision delay on the Airport expansion housing prices in the capital remain beyond the reach of many - looking in a local estate agent I noticed for rent a 'starter' home in the road (in Ealing) where I bought my first house many years ago - it's up for rent at £1,500 pcm - unattainable for many on above average pay now.

Surely if Government can effect change housing is an area they should focus on.

Red 12

Nature's bounty again with a very Red  Hawthorn berry

Hawthorn Berry  you can make a jelly with them.

Allotments Versus Affordable homes and Red 61

Under threat

If you've stuck with my Blog for a few entries you may well have come across my thoughts on housing as well as the fact that I've got an allotment - well sad to report that there are moves afoot (sure to be resisted)  to use part of our allotment site in West London for 'Affordable' housing (whatever that currently means - my friends former house is on sale at nearly £1.5m).

I prefer it without houses 

I do regret that for many people a home of their own is now but a pipe dream, saddened to find a small bit of Green space that helps to provide head-space to urban dwellers could be sacrificed for housing.


Be far better to use some other land (of course) than London's oldest allotment site - even if the 10% suggested is used for houses it's not going to solve many people's need for housing  - and the allotment will never be recovered (and what about the other 90% -when will the Pathways charity be back for more how is the trust that bequeathed the allotments held to account?)

Fingers crossed that a successful campaign can resist the encroachment - but undoubtedly those without their own homes will be understandably miffed should that be the case.

A sentence could be hanging over Plot 202

Red 61

If life's just trundling along we might ignore it but when it's highlighted in Red can we?

And here's the big question with a red background