Say hello to Barratt Homes' 'Brixton Square' on Coldharbour Lane (old Cooltan site)

[Manter]

But does the paradox apply to housing? I can see how it can apply to coal use or energy efficiency. But building houses is not a technological change that makes a resource easier to use.

Houses are infrastructure. Whilst "potential" is winding people up there is a point that the lack of supply of housing is what makes developers happy.

There is an argument for a mass building of Council Housing. This would add greatly to affordable rental stock and push down prices of private rented stock.

I have no idea if there have been any studies on this.... I will look it up on my next conference call!
What I am objecting to is the 'build more' argument being used without any thought- there is loads of housing stock empty. You can't generalise about it, but a more thoughtful policy would address spiralling housing costs, why so many people need/want to be in the south east (I'd sell a kidney rather than move out to the grey culture-free wasteland of the Thames valley, but it is almost as chocka as London, while amazing cities like Sheffield have plenty of space), why houses are empty- both second homes and council houses due to be demolished and rebuilt that never get past shuttered and falling to pieces.... My badly expressed point was that an assumption that if people want more of something you give it to them (well, sell it to them) without reflection has been proven wrong so many times, it warrants careful thought.

 

[Manter]

When the "suits" move in I reckon they're more likely to give their money to property developers/speculators, estate agents, buy-to-let landlords, Sainburys and Tesco than the local economy.

Petition signed, btw

I am going to have to defend suits a little bit- not all are bad. Some (like me and my other half, I hope) moved here some time ago because we liked the people, the atmosphere etc. We have spent lots of time trying to use local businesses and have committed to, and put down roots in, the area. (We do use Tesco though as it is often the only place nearby to get milk at 10pm....) I agree with the concerns as I do worry about the Clapham effect, but lashing out at all 'suits' isn't fair, and risks creating the us and them atmosphere we all surely want to avoid. I think anyone is welcome in Brixton- as long as they treat the place, its history and complexities with respect.

 

[Badgers]

I wear a suit

But I dry clean it with Febreeze

PFWC

 

[ViolentPanda]

I wear a suit

But I dry clean it with Febreeze

PFWC

PFWC know how to sponge their suit to keep it clean, ya middle-class poseur with yer B.O.-neutralising spray!

 

[boohoo]

Marketing day there at the moment - go and inquire about buying and get a free glass of wine!

 

[editor]

I went past but couldn't bring myself to go in. Too many clipboards and swivel action suits.

 

[teuchter]

What's a "swivel action suit"?

 

[editor]

Someone a bit like this:

 

[Brixton Hatter]

Marketing day there at the moment - go and inquire about buying and get a free glass of wine!

I went in, posed as a buyer and drank their free bubbly. I felt a bit dirty tbh.

There was a wide range of people there: posh white people, posh black people, posh asian people.

Two Jamaican guys were stood on the pavement outside looking in and muttering something about "bloodclart rich workers."

They are giving free ipads to people who make a reservation.

There are 5 blocks of flats in the development, which will be called "Windrush", "Academy", "Ritzy", "Brady" and "Village".

Flicking through their glossy brochures (full of pics of Brixton Village, pics of people raving it up in the Academy, and pics of parks which aren't even in Brixton) I was soon cornered by an agent who started giving me the spiel. I was probably the scruffiest person in there but she still asked me if I was a buy-to-let investor (!) and handed me a sheet showing potential rental income and annual gross yields etc.

I was interested in their reaction about the "affordable homes" thing and was about to ask when she handed me a plan of the building showing the make up of affordable, private, commercial etc (I'll scan it and post it up if anyone's interested?) The 'affordable' bits of the building seem to be stuck in the back corner of the development (next to the railway lines) on each floor. There are some flats on the ground floor (which face Coldharbour Lane) which were marked "planning to be agreed" which I assume are the flats in question re: the change in planning we've been discussing.

I made my excuses and left. I felt pretty miserable about the whole thing, which was compounded when I got back outside and saw one of the agents had parked their car right across the pavement. A guy in a wheelchair was coming along the pavement and had to go out into the road in rush hour traffic to get past the car.

 

[editor]

There are 5 blocks of flats in the development, which will be called "Windrush", "Academy", "Ritzy", "Brady" and "Village".

Please no. They're not really plundering Brixton's history in this manner are they?
*sobs

 

[colacubes]

I went in, posed as a buyer and drank their free bubbly. I felt a bit dirty tbh.

There was a wide range of people there: posh white people, posh black people, posh asian people.

Two Jamaican guys were stood on the pavement outside looking in and muttering something about "bloodclart rich workers."

They are giving free ipads to people who make a reservation.

There are 5 blocks of flats in the development, which will be called "Windrush", "Academy", "Ritzy", "Brady" and "Village".

Flicking through their glossy brochures (full of pics of Brixton Village, pics of people raving it up in the Academy, and pics of parks which aren't even in Brixton) I was soon cornered by an agent who started giving me the spiel. I was probably the scruffiest person in there but she still asked me if I was a buy-to-let investor (!) and handed me a sheet showing potential rental income and annual gross yields etc.

I was interested in their reaction about the "affordable homes" thing and was about to ask when she handed me a plan of the building showing the make up of affordable, private, commercial etc (I'll scan it and post it up if anyone's interested?) The 'affordable' bits of the building seem to be stuck in the back corner of the development (next to the railway lines) on each floor. There are some flats on the ground floor (which face Coldharbour Lane) which were marked "planning to be agreed" which I assume are the flats in question re: the change in planning we've been discussing.

I made my excuses and left. I felt pretty miserable about the whole thing, which was compounded when I got back outside and saw one of the agents had parked their car right across the pavement. A guy in a wheelchair was coming along the pavement and had to go out into the road in rush hour traffic to get past the car.

What the actual fuck

 

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

l asked me if I was a buy-to-let investor (!) and handed me a sheet showing potential rental income and annual gross yields etc.

.

What are they projecting these places will rent for?

 

[Brixton Hatter]

What are they projecting these places will rent for?

£310 per week for a one bed, £360 per week for a two bed (which they say is based on independent valuations made in April 2012.) Quick calculation makes that £1343 per month for a one bed, £1560 per month for a two bed.

 

[scifisam]

Talking of back yards, it's incredible to see that the adjacent new build is still unfinished along its Valentia Place flank, with breeze block walls still exposed.

I think that's a "style." Several of the new blocks of low-rise flats near me look like incomplete prisons.

 

[Crispy]

£310 per week for a one bed, £360 per week for a two bed (which they say is based on independent valuations made in April 2012.) Quick calculation makes that £1343 per month for a one bed, £1560 per month for a two bed.

Fuck. Me.

 

[Badgers]

Fuck. Me.

Over £16k a year rent on a 1 bed

 

[Greebo]

Over £16k a year rent on a 1 bed

Nothing like affordable.

 

[Dan U]

there are more expensive 1 beds in Brixton according to rightmove, some over £400 pw

pretty staggered tbh. it wasn't that long ago i was living in a massive 3 bed flat off Croxted Road for well under £300pw. Not Brixton i know but even bloody so.

(shared flat that is, not £300pw each)

 

[gaijingirl]

holy crap!

 

[sleaterkinney]

I hoped the recession had seen off all that btl rubbish.

 

[leanderman]

the 2-beds cost £339k and, with stamp duty, £350k+

a 100pc interest-only mortgage at 5pc to cover that would be about £1,458pm

it's £1,560pm to rent

so it seems a crap deal for the renter and the buy-to-letter!

(of course, most landlords will put up large cash deposits and so pay much less than £1,458)

 

[Gramsci]

Flicking through their glossy brochures (full of pics of Brixton Village, pics of people raving it up in the Academy, and pics of parks which aren't even in Brixton) I was soon cornered by an agent who started giving me the spiel. I was probably the scruffiest person in there but she still asked me if I was a buy-to-let investor (!) and handed me a sheet showing potential rental income and annual gross yields etc.

But to Let is still feasible in London if not in other parts of the country. So they are pushing that angle for sales. Buy to Let is no way to create a stable community in an area. A lot of flats in new developments go to Buy to Let investors.

 

[Gramsci]

I went in, posed as a buyer and drank their free bubbly. I felt a bit dirty tbh.

I was interested in their reaction about the "affordable homes" thing and was about to ask when she handed me a plan of the building showing the make up of affordable, private, commercial etc (I'll scan it and post it up if anyone's interested?)

I made my excuses and left.

Sounds like News of the World article.

A new place to go for a dirty night out. Must visit there showroom soon.

Was the estate agent fit?

Thanks for going BH and the informative post. Do scan up the plan.

 

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

I hoped the recession had seen off all that btl rubbish.

I thought it had made it worse tbh. Less people can afford to buy so demand is transferred to rent and pushes rent up, while interest rates are very low. Makes BTL still very attractive to those with the money even if they aren't making the easy capital gains they were.

 

[sleaterkinney]

I thought it had made it worse tbh. Less people can afford to buy so demand is transferred to rent and pushes rent up, while interest rates are very low. Makes BTL still very attractive to those with the money even if they aren't making the easy capital gains they were.

I would have hoped that because mortgages are harder to get hold of now, banks wouldn't lend to people who are leveraged to fuck...

 

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

I would have hoped that because mortgages are harder to get hold of now, banks wouldn't lend to people who are leveraged to fuck...

Maybe for some - the people who aren't in already but fancy getting an extra house and getting someone else to pay for it are probably finding it harder. The even richer ones are still at it though AFAIK.

 

[sleaterkinney]

The even richer ones are still at it though AFAIK.

Probably, yeah, because there's not much money to be made elsewhere.

 

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-mortgages-worth-160bn-drives-rent-bills.html

From the Fail this year. Wankers.

 

[teuchter]

I think that's a "style." Several of the new blocks of low-rise flats near me look like incomplete prisons.

It's not in this case. It's clearly unfinished. It's something that ought to be enforced by Lambeth planning dept really, although I imagine the building's owners will say it's a "temporary" arrangement.

 

[teuchter]

she handed me a plan of the building showing the make up of affordable, private, commercial etc (I'll scan it and post it up if anyone's interested?)

yes please