Reply to: Property DOOM: Westminster council to ban supersize new homes

[Hobosapien]

Good idea, but that's down to the councils and the rates.

Landlords too, if all the recent high profile chain stores going into administration after failing to re-negotiate favourable lease terms are accurate.

Something needs to be done otherwise the whole high street will soon be owned by the Mike Ashley of Sports Direct.

What is Mike Ashley's plan for the High Street?

[AtW]

They need to ban foreign ownership.

What about ownership by UK entities?

Or in UK persins trust?

[Bean]

Exactly. And it doesn’t work for those who need housing.
Might work for those who have no interest in humanity but only in profits.

So, while you might think that free market capitalism is the best thing ever, it’s certainly got nothing to do with society or social responsibility.

It's the best thing anyone has come up with so far, (that works in practice) - or do you disagree with that?

Indeed, social responsibility comes from the humans in a 'society'.

Bill Gates got filthy rich (read: interested in profits) and then started up his charitable foundation, to serve society (globally) - for example

[WTFH]

Most of the time you ban them...

There’s really only one person I ban (repeatedly), and that’s cause he cycles round Swindon.

Very few others.

I don’t even give out many infractions - I’m a bit too tolerant.
Maybe I should hand out a few more, and watch my PM box fill up with whines.

[Mordac]

You saying I should be defending those with issues on here?

Most of the time you ban them...

[WTFH]

It's almost as if people buy up property in the in-demand areas as an investment, in a free market capitalist society - imagine that

Exactly. And it doesn’t work for those who need housing.
Might work for those who have no interest in humanity but only in profits.

So, while you might think that free market capitalism is the best thing ever, it’s certainly got nothing to do with society or social responsibility.

[WTFH]

Not on here you don't...

You saying I should be defending those with issues on here?

[Mordac]

Normally I defend the needy and those requiring help.

Property prices in London are prohibitively high for those who work there. How many properties in London are bought as financial investments with no intention to use them to live in (or rent out)?
How many workers in London are in social housing, or sharing rooms with their whole family?
The city bankers, etc, want to have people serving them in shops, cleaning their offices, etc, but the people who do that work need somewhere to live.

Not on here you don't...

[Bean]

Normally I defend the needy and those requiring help.

Property prices in London are prohibitively high for those who work there. How many properties in London are bought as financial investments with no intention to use them to live in (or rent out)?

Didn't Cornwall pass laws recently due to the same problem?
It's almost as if people buy up property in the in-demand areas as an investment, in a free market capitalist society - imagine that

The city bankers, etc, want to have people serving them in shops, cleaning their offices, etc, but the people who do that work need somewhere to live.

If only there was some kind of transport system, that could let potential workers travel between their residence and their place of work.....

[Mordac]

Or commandeer them for social housing while empty. Gets all the homeless off the streets.

Apply same to high streets where anyone can do a pop-up shop for free in an empty retail unit until the owner finds a paying tenant, that's the ghost town high street sorted too.

i.e. allow the demand to command the price, which is zero if there's no demand at the price being asked.

Good idea, but that's down to the councils and the rates.

[WTFH]

Normally you defend immigrants, but when they're rich immigrants, you change your position and wish to punish them financially (that is to say, it would cost them more to live in Belgravia* than it would cost a British citizen). I think you have a problem with anyone who can say "I am considerably richer than you" as Harry Enfield might have put it.
Would you prefer it if we only let in poor immigrants? Less of a threat to you?

Normally I defend the needy and those requiring help.

Property prices in London are prohibitively high for those who work there. How many properties in London are bought as financial investments with no intention to use them to live in (or rent out)?
How many workers in London are in social housing, or sharing rooms with their whole family?
The city bankers, etc, want to have people serving them in shops, cleaning their offices, etc, but the people who do that work need somewhere to live.

[Mordac]

Or tax it.

Tax foreign ownership, and double the tax if the property is vacant for more than 3 months of the year.

Yeah, get the bleedin' foreigners out...

Normally you defend immigrants, but when they're rich immigrants, you change your position and wish to punish them financially (that is to say, it would cost them more to live in Belgravia* than it would cost a British citizen). I think you have a problem with anyone who can say "I am considerably richer than you" as Harry Enfield might have put it.
Would you prefer it if we only let in poor immigrants? Less of a threat to you?

*Other hideously expensive parts of London are available.

[Hobosapien]

Or tax it.

Tax foreign ownership, and double the tax if the property is vacant for more than 3 months of the year.

Or commandeer them for social housing while empty. Gets all the homeless off the streets.

Apply same to high streets where anyone can do a pop-up shop for free in an empty retail unit until the owner finds a paying tenant, that's the ghost town high street sorted too.

i.e. allow the demand to command the price, which is zero if there's no demand at the price being asked.

[WTFH]

They need to ban foreign ownership.

Or tax it.

Tax foreign ownership, and double the tax if the property is vacant for more than 3 months of the year.

[GreenMirror]

They need to ban foreign ownership.