The end of bedsit land?

[tim123]

Why destroy the student and academic concentration that leads to the bookshops, cinemas, pubs, concerrts etc that many find so pleasing, just because of a NL dogma that communities must be balanced?

I don't think that this is NL dogma. I'm currently living in a town that suffers from this perceived problem, and it is most definately the Conservative element that is lobbying to have such rules brought in.

I have to say that I agree with the rest of your point, but for an entirely different reason. And that reason is because it's this idea that 'shared' accommodation is bad, that causing the housing shortage. When I were a lad it was normal for people to share for about the first 10 years or so of their working life, now, by squeezing supply of such properties you, at a stroke, create about 2 miliion people who are effectively homeless.

tim

[KathyWoolfe]

Her department has commissioned outside consultants to investigate and come up with proposals within a couple of months.

[PAH]

[I]A sharp drop in population in the summer is a normal consequence of a large student population.

Not forgetting seaside resorts that experience an opposite in winter. What they going to do, ban hotels and b&bs? Blackpool would be stuffed then, it's full of them.

[expat]

"It says "studentification" makes some areas "ghost towns" during holidays.
...
Housing Minister Caroline Flint said: "It is not acceptable that in too many areas, people living in houses in multiple occupation and local communities alike are having their quality of life affected.

"We must have balanced, sustainable communities," she said."

Why must we have balanced communities?

A sharp drop in population in the summer is a normal consequence of a large student population. This may (or may not) be seen as a bad thing, but a University town has other aspects that many see as attractive. these all go together.

Why destroy the student and academic concentration that leads to the bookshops, cinemas, pubs, concerrts etc that many find so pleasing, just because of a NL dogma that communities must be balanced? Personally I don't want to live in a balanced community, there are lots of people that I don't want to live around.

Worse, why is it that once the NL-dogma phrase has been invented, it only has to be uttered and the value-judgement is mde, there need no longer be any discussion of whether it is desirable or not?

[PAH]

Now he'll have nowhere to live either

The squirrels will take him in. He'll come back thinking he's tarzan.

[DiscoStu]

Just when AtW thought it couldn't get any worse:

Now he'll have nowhere to live either

[PAH]

Just when AtW thought it couldn't get any worse:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7339446.stm

Move to end 'student ghost towns'

The government may tighten planning laws to end concentrations of student houses in England's university towns.

The Department of Communities and Local Government is considering building on the introduction of licensing for houses in multiple occupation. [atw-bot: I assume this means charging extortionate fees to put them off]

It says "studentification" makes some areas "ghost towns" during holidays.

Places such as Nottingham, Southampton, Loughborough and Bristol have seen increasing numbers of rented properties empty outside term-time.

Housing Minister Caroline Flint said: "It is not acceptable that in too many areas, people living in houses in multiple occupation and local communities alike are having their quality of life affected.

"We must have balanced, sustainable communities," she said.

"I want to know what more we can do to provide the right housing in the right place, guarantee proper living conditions for all, and ensure our towns are places people want to live and work in over the long term."

Student halls

Her department has commissioned outside consultants to investigate and come up with proposals within a couple of months.

It will investigate how the planning system can create "more effective management" of such shared homes and disperse concentrations.

"Universities are already looking at ways to improve the situation," a spokesman said.

"Many have invested heavily in new student halls, created community relations officers and Loughborough University now requires their students to sign a code of conduct."

So there we have it. People renting out house shares, or those converted into flats, your number's up soon. Whatever the govermin decide, you can bet it will be poorly implemented, unworkable, and a complete disaster for all affected.