if they are in a state that cant be repaired then demolish and rebuild on the same site,
around here there are hectares of brown field sites (previously built on), they should build on that first and only when all that land is full (or the land is contaminated so they can't build on it - in which case it should be turned into a park) should they start building on greenfield sites.
We have an attcahed, brick barn, 14.5 metres by 7 with 2' thick walls which I was all set to convert to give us a living room with open fire, a breakfast room and 2 en suite bedrooms. The walls are there and damp-proofed already. The roof is new and insulated and has solar panels on it. Costs to insulate walls, build new internal ones, a staircase, electrics and plumbing and flooring and so on? 200,000! Twice what it will add to the sale value of our house as it stands.
There's one of those quadrangle farms around a courtyard for sale up the road but no-one will buy it as conversions to living quarters/appartments/separate houses of the original house and barns is so restricted and expensive. It's falling down but could be stunning.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
People's priorities ref housing these days are a bit different from what they used to be, and things like car parking space is much more important than it once was. Many property owners/occupiers have more than one vehicle and so it's important to developers to create sufficient space to allow cars to be parked "off road". This, together with various planning policies means that front gardens are becoming a thing of the past. Apart from that, gardening isn't something many people are keen on - and we might be forgiven for forgetting that, given that this is a Gardening website!
The costs of converting old farmhouses can be enormous, and - round here at least - many of them have been divided into two dwellings, along with the conversion of various farm buildings. Usually the development costs involve more than you might first imagine - countryside properties aren't usually connected to all the "normal" mains services, so the costs of drainage systems (septic tank type) have to be factored in and also provision for perhaps underground LPG storage tanks for heating.
As others have already said, it would seem much more sensible to deal with all the unoccupied properties first, before encroaching on green belt for additional housing and to make these dwellings more desirable in modern terms by perhaps using the square footage in a different way. Bedrooms, for example, seem to need to be much bigger these days - think of the size of modern furniture - and maybe fewer larger bedrooms per property would satisfy current demand more.
I live in the country - surrounded by fields - but on the edge of a popular village where property prices are well above the national average. My work over the past 20 or so years for a local estate agent has given me a good insight into what people actually want - as opposed to what property developers are actually building at the moment. The problem always arises, when development takes place, is an apparent lack - on the part of the local authority - to take into account the other needs which will arise as a result of an increase in the local population. By this I mean more school places and parking spaces in the village itself in order to encourage and enable people to use the local shops etc. If the authorities would consider encouraging developers to create small "play parks" for children in and amongst new properties, I think this would help quite a bit. I have seen this sort of thing in the USA, and it seems to work really well. Parents are always worried about the safety of their children, and properly designed and constructed play areas are a good thing to have, and don't need to take up much space.
Too right HCF. Our local council - small town and 11 villages has pushed the population up by 6000 in recent years as this qualifies them for massive regional subsidies and salaries for the bourgmetsre and echevins. Loads of new houses and appartment blocks but not a single new school or playground, no road safety or pedestrian space on the lanes between villages and parking in the town centre is difficult and expensive so it's dying.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
In our village the builders have built an estate with more houses than the original village - the houses front straight onto the roads which are very narrow so pedestrians and vehicles share the space and each house is allocated one parking space where there are usually two working adults each with a car.....so they park on the narrow road leaving little room for a fire engine to pass if needed. At the planning stage they applied to build a quarter of the number they ended up with, and local people wanted family homes with gardens so we got - guess what - three storey blocks of flats which are mainly owned as investment properties and rented out.
City of trees? Well there were lots of trees originally, but that concept is long past and its more a case of "how many units can you cram into this space" and to h*** with quality of living.
When you cram people into a small space you create problems as youngsters have nowhere to go except to the pub, or to take their cans into the local playpark.
Have we learned nothing from past mistakes? Profit comes before absolutely everything else.
Posts
Probably don't build cellars any more Dove because so many houses are built on flood plains and they'd fill up with water
In the sticks near Peterborough
renovate old houses first,
if they are in a state that cant be repaired then demolish and rebuild on the same site,
around here there are hectares of brown field sites (previously built on), they should build on that first and only when all that land is full (or the land is contaminated so they can't build on it - in which case it should be turned into a park) should they start building on greenfield sites.
There are also quite a few large old farmhouses, nearly always Listed, that are left to go to rack and ruin. Goodness knows why.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
That was quick wasn't it?
In the sticks near Peterborough
It's not just houses. Lots of the 'big shed' type industrial units are being built round here while others have stood empty for years
In the sticks near Peterborough
Dove - planning restrictions and costs.
We have an attcahed, brick barn, 14.5 metres by 7 with 2' thick walls which I was all set to convert to give us a living room with open fire, a breakfast room and 2 en suite bedrooms. The walls are there and damp-proofed already. The roof is new and insulated and has solar panels on it. Costs to insulate walls, build new internal ones, a staircase, electrics and plumbing and flooring and so on? 200,000! Twice what it will add to the sale value of our house as it stands.
There's one of those quadrangle farms around a courtyard for sale up the road but no-one will buy it as conversions to living quarters/appartments/separate houses of the original house and barns is so restricted and expensive. It's falling down but could be stunning.
People's priorities ref housing these days are a bit different from what they used to be, and things like car parking space is much more important than it once was. Many property owners/occupiers have more than one vehicle and so it's important to developers to create sufficient space to allow cars to be parked "off road". This, together with various planning policies means that front gardens are becoming a thing of the past. Apart from that, gardening isn't something many people are keen on - and we might be forgiven for forgetting that, given that this is a Gardening website!
The costs of converting old farmhouses can be enormous, and - round here at least - many of them have been divided into two dwellings, along with the conversion of various farm buildings. Usually the development costs involve more than you might first imagine - countryside properties aren't usually connected to all the "normal" mains services, so the costs of drainage systems (septic tank type) have to be factored in and also provision for perhaps underground LPG storage tanks for heating.
As others have already said, it would seem much more sensible to deal with all the unoccupied properties first, before encroaching on green belt for additional housing and to make these dwellings more desirable in modern terms by perhaps using the square footage in a different way. Bedrooms, for example, seem to need to be much bigger these days - think of the size of modern furniture - and maybe fewer larger bedrooms per property would satisfy current demand more.
I live in the country - surrounded by fields - but on the edge of a popular village where property prices are well above the national average. My work over the past 20 or so years for a local estate agent has given me a good insight into what people actually want - as opposed to what property developers are actually building at the moment. The problem always arises, when development takes place, is an apparent lack - on the part of the local authority - to take into account the other needs which will arise as a result of an increase in the local population. By this I mean more school places and parking spaces in the village itself in order to encourage and enable people to use the local shops etc. If the authorities would consider encouraging developers to create small "play parks" for children in and amongst new properties, I think this would help quite a bit. I have seen this sort of thing in the USA, and it seems to work really well. Parents are always worried about the safety of their children, and properly designed and constructed play areas are a good thing to have, and don't need to take up much space.
Lots of good " common sense " suggestion
we need to tell the politicians , after all we elect them , both local Councillors and MP
Too right HCF. Our local council - small town and 11 villages has pushed the population up by 6000 in recent years as this qualifies them for massive regional subsidies and salaries for the bourgmetsre and echevins. Loads of new houses and appartment blocks but not a single new school or playground, no road safety or pedestrian space on the lanes between villages and parking in the town centre is difficult and expensive so it's dying.
In our village the builders have built an estate with more houses than the original village - the houses front straight onto the roads which are very narrow so pedestrians and vehicles share the space and each house is allocated one parking space where there are usually two working adults each with a car.....so they park on the narrow road leaving little room for a fire engine to pass if needed. At the planning stage they applied to build a quarter of the number they ended up with, and local people wanted family homes with gardens so we got - guess what - three storey blocks of flats which are mainly owned as investment properties and rented out.
City of trees? Well there were lots of trees originally, but that concept is long past and its more a case of "how many units can you cram into this space" and to h*** with quality of living.
When you cram people into a small space you create problems as youngsters have nowhere to go except to the pub, or to take their cans into the local playpark.
Have we learned nothing from past mistakes? Profit comes before absolutely everything else.