My big political wish (well one of them) for 2024

MaizieD There are many reasons why houses are left empty. You are making the classic mistake of assuming that because the two houses near you have just been abandoned, this applies to all houses.

The definition of an 'empty home' is a house that has been unoccupied for 6 months. Over my life I have been involved in emptying and disposing of over 6 houses after someone died. In every case the house was unoccupied for over six months, but only one was unoccupied over a year and this was because there was a massive slump in the housing market and even drastically reducing the price could not dispose of a house in a a market where there were no buyers.

I would be very interested to see the figures on properties empty for a year or more. I think they would drastically reduce the number of vacant houses.

The report also recommends developing flats over shops for residential use. There is no reason why not.

There are between 300,000 and 400,000 empty flats above shops in England alone according to this report.
researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN03012/SN03012.pdf

I agree with Maizie. I live in a market town an most of the flats over shops are inhabited.

Why would people be reluctant to live in a flat over a shop?
If I were homeless I'd prefer that to sofa surfing or sleeping on the streets.

Interesting, though, that the excuses are coming in for leaving dwellings empty...

The thing is MaizieD that these properties are not empty, they are owned, and the majority have occupants in the shops on the ground floor. It would be possible to incentivise landlords to do them up and rent them I guess- but even in a housing crisis I think a lot of people would be reluctant to live there. I live near a small market town, and whenever I go into town at night I can see they are unoccupied - I’d hazard a guess that there are at least thirty even in a small place like this.

Casdon

I think a big percentage of vacant properties are flats above shops, which are in need of refurbishment, and are at the least desirable end of the market?

I think we have to accept that no-one is inclined to take any responsibility for taking over and making such empty properties habitable. Local authorities because they don't have the money and central government because they are ideologically opposed to state spending.

I would like to see Whitewaves sweeping away of corruption, cronyism and undemocratic practices but, like others l don't believe it can happen just by a government with good intentions coming to power but a change of culture could come about over time.

I am one of those who doesn't want an wholly elected House of Lords for the reasons mentioned. However, I would like to see the country properly devolved into Combined Councils with a law that says each must receive an equal amount from the government taxation. It would/could be an idea that the Mayors of the Combined Council each have a seat in the HoL.

I think a big percentage of vacant properties are flats above shops, which are in need of refurbishment, and are at the least desirable end of the market?

You know what, MOnica? The two empty houses in our little tiny settlement of 12 houses are both empty because the owners have moved away and left them. No problems with probate, not 'investment' properties., no legal problems with them at all. Just abandoned for at least 10 years...

I'm sure they aren't the only ones in the entire UK. 1.5 million is not a negligible figure...

Perhaps compulsory purchase powers should be extended to cover properties left empty for a number of years.

MaizieD The reasons properties stay empty are perhaps a bit more complex than just investment vessels. In fact, few people would buy an investment property and leave it empty. Houses deteriorate rapidly when left empty. Anyone wanting to invest in property, makes sure their properties are tenanted and bringing in an income to cover the cost of maintenance.

There are a lot of unoccupied properties in London. Mainly owned by foreign investors, some have London properties as boltholes and income resources if they have to flee their country of origin. Others are invested for capital growth, although as the housing market slows down, they are beginning to disinvest. However these high end luxury flats are of little use to most poorly housed people as the rents are so high.

Once you get out of London. the cause of empty houses is more complex. A good proportion are empty following the death of the owners and many families can take years clearing out a house and putting it on the market. Probate problems can keep houses empty. In addition many probate sale houses need wotk. many elderly people cannot afford or do not bother to keep houses up to date, so that their when houses come on the market, their poor condition hinders a quick sale. We are house renovators and have benefitted from buying old houses in poor condition and renovating them.

Many houses are empty awaiting demolition and redevelopment. Look at the number of properties bought and demolished for HS2 - and those bought and standing empty now that were to have been demolished when the line was extended to Leeds.

1.5 million houses may be empty now, but many will be occupied this time next year, to be replaced by more that will be empty a year or two, before being reoccupied. It is the churn in the empty house sector that makes dealing with it so difficult.

I don’t think that an elected second is a good idea or the answer to our problems. The issue with the HOL is that there are too many politicians in it not too few. I think there is mileage in elegrans idea of a quota system among the professions. We need a second chamber populated by people of good sense with expertise in something other than politics.

Katie59

paddyann54

Independence for Scotland,we cant solve any of our big issues with Westminster holding us back.The drug problem for instance ,they insist its dealt with as they have always dealt with it...surely if something hasn't worked you need a new perspective? Withe very little real power the Holyrood government has made some good changes that BENEFIT the people ,think what we could do with full control.I hope Independence supporters will come out in droves at the next election

Agreed full independance for Scotland no half measures, visas customs borders the lot, no hanging on to Westminster coat tails.

👏 👏 👏 . That includes the rest of UK benefitting from the 1.4 billion given to Scotland by Westminster. Wonder who'll get to print their passports. 😂

paddyann54

Independence for Scotland,we cant solve any of our big issues with Westminster holding us back.The drug problem for instance ,they insist its dealt with as they have always dealt with it...surely if something hasn't worked you need a new perspective? Withe very little real power the Holyrood government has made some good changes that BENEFIT the people ,think what we could do with full control.I hope Independence supporters will come out in droves at the next election

Agreed full independance for Scotland no half measures, visas customs borders the lot, no hanging on to Westminster coat tails.

hoses are regarded as investments

or even houses are regarded as investments

The mantra that is most needed right now to replace Blair's "Education! Education!, Education" imo would be "Housing!Housing!Housing!"

There was an article in the Guardian the other day about the rise in squatting. It quoted a figure of 1.5 million empty houses in the UK. Even if half of them were released onto the market what a difference it would make. (Two of them are in the tiny hamlet where I live! )

Part of the problem is, of course, that hoses are regarded as investments with a potential to make gains from, not homes...

I agree how good it would be to sweep away corruption and cronyism, is there such a government past or present both domestically and abroad to a greater or lesser extent who haven't indulged in those vices. The final nail in the coffin of this government was bringing back friggin' Cameron and elevating his well nourished chops to The House of Lords

The mantra that is most needed right now to replace Blair's "Education! Education!, Education" imo would be "Housing!Housing!Housing!" From the many articles I read, a shared problem throughout the developed world. Please God we don't go down the American route of tent cities all over the place, no go areas where shoplifting, an opiate crisis and general malaise surrounding crime exists, sadly it seems we have the beginnings of that already.

....and pigs will fly.

I truly hope for a change of administration, even the staunchest supporters of this Tory govt have to admit that the blatant corruption, cronyism and downright lying has to be stopped. I acknowledge that there is a great deal to be done by the incoming Labour government, and it certainly will not be all wine and roses. I fear that the pre-election period will be an ugly demonstration of the power of the right wing press and their non dom owners. We saw with Cambridge Analytica and the Brexit vote just what the effect of AI can be on the electorate's perceptions, so 7 /8 years later the prospects are scary. As to the HoL, I agree that we need a second chamber, but there should be more control/vetting of the members.

Independence for Scotland,we cant solve any of our big issues with Westminster holding us back.The drug problem for instance ,they insist its dealt with as they have always dealt with it...surely if something hasn't worked you need a new perspective? Withe very little real power the Holyrood government has made some good changes that BENEFIT the people ,think what we could do with full control.I hope Independence supporters will come out in droves at the next election

Galaxy

As a member of the labour party I think it's quite naive to think those things dont exist within the labour party. They do I am afraid. I am in the labour party because I believe in its polices more than other parties, I dont think its immune to corruption, anti democratic behaviour etc. Starmer has done a quite incredible job but there is a long way to go.
Crikey I am the voice of doom

I hope I'm not so naive as to think that they don't, Galaxy.
Human nature being what it is it is bound to be found in most large groups.

But I think that efforts to minimise the possibility of corruption would be very much welcomed by most of the electorate. Things like state funding for political party's campaigns, with only membership fees allowed to add to their funding. No public appointments, such as BBC chair, for any party donors. No 'honours' for party donors....

That would be interesting, wouldn't it?

I find it very depressing. I agree with the sweeping away of cronyism and undemocratic practices, which have been, and will continue to be, much more evident since the proliferation of the use of the internet.
Thirteen years of Labour, who started by blaming the Conservatives for the mess they had to clear up, but then did things which were detrimental to my DH’s pension on retirement, and we are obviously not totally satisfactory, resulting in their losing the next election.
Followed by 13 years of Conservatives which haven’t done anything to improve things and some things which definitely didn’t.
Brexit- for which I hold the Tories and all those who voted for it or didn’t bother to vote against it responsible.
Covid-not so much. There is no evidence that a Labour government would’ve managed it any better or not been just as guilty of mismanagement of orders and payments.
The next government, which I hope will be Labour will as always have to sort out the mess left by the previous government, but my wish is that the sorting out solves the housing crisis, the national health service crisis, and the small boats crisis.
Sorting out the House of Lords, whilst important, comes lower down my list than all those three

mae13

Yes, and no second-jobs for MP's. They get approx. 86 grand (and a lavish pay rise on the way) so they need to concentrate on their constituencies concerns. It's what we pay them for!

£86k plus generous expenses and allowance, at those wages they can live very comfortably without fiddling anything.

Yes, and no second-jobs for MP's. They get approx. 86 grand (and a lavish pay rise on the way) so they need to concentrate on their constituencies concerns. It's what we pay them for!

If everyone 'keeps the heid' and embraces tactical voting at the GE, as many have done at the recent by-elections, then there is a chance to change direction. Sorting the situation will take time. Not bothered about living under a coalition. Most things will be better than what we endure just now. The second chamber? Begin by curbing the dis-honours system. Bring in legislation, about, for example, standards and behaviour, that will serve to cull some of those who should not be in the House of Lords. Hoping it will be a Happy New Year, both sides of the pond.