"Young professionals" to infest flats above Iceland

[OldSlapper]

The following planning application is before Lambeth planning committee tomorrow:-

Location: 441-443 Brixton Road and 2 Electric Avenue

Ward: Coldharbour

Applicant: Saracen Investments

Application no: 04/03162

Proposal: Erection of three story rear extension and conversion of the second, third and fourth floor levels to provide twelve 1 bedroom flats, alterations to the rear fenestration to include installation of sash windows and installation of new door to Electric Avenue to provide separate access to upper floor levels.

At present Iceland's on the ground floor, Iceland's workers take their coffee breaks on the first floor while floors two, three and four have been empty for years:-

"The upper floors are currently vacant... The applicant has stated that they have been unused for the past 20 years" (Officer's report)

The report goes on:-

The proposed units will offer accommodation to single young professionals and couples

While I've lived in Brixton Electric Avenue - which should be the jewel in central Brixton's crown - has been a disgrace.

They trashed the canopies and failed to replace them, left large numbers of flats vacant, failed to repair properly the bomb damage from WW2 and ripped up the lovely curved cobbled street and stuck a load of grotty tarmac down.

It's now proposed to infest a key bit of the avenue with yups.

Is this an example of "progress" - to be welcomed by all right-thinking people - or should the space be used for something other than yups?

And will they really be content to live above Iceland?

Source

 

[editor]

It's now proposed to infest a key bit of the avenue with yups.

So are all "single young professional and couples" to be dismissed as yuppies, then, because that would include an awful lot of u75 posters, some of whom would be rather offended to be labelled thus.

 

[IntoStella]

Bugger. I had my eye on those.

Architecturally, aside from having a hideous sixties monstrosity grafted on to the ground floor, they are absolutely beautiful.

 

[editor]

Architecturally, aside from having a hideous sixties monstrosity grafted on to the ground floor, they are absolutely beautiful.

Well, there's still the end building on the corner of Atlantic and Electric Avenue.

The top three floors have (disgracefully) been empty for as long as I can remember.

 

[IntoStella]

So are all "single young professional and couples" to be dismissed as yuppies, then, because that would include an awful lot of u75 posters, some of whom would be rather offended to be labelled thus.

Show me this silent majority of u75 posters who can afford to buy a £300,000 flat, because I'm fucked if I can think of very many.

 

[OldSlapper]

So are all "single young professional and couples" to be dismissed as yuppies, then, because that would include an awful lot of u75 posters, some of whom would be rather offended to be labelled thus.

By me they are, if they can afford a one bedroom flat in this development. They'll sell for about £180,000-£200,000.

If a yup with £200,000 to spend on a one bedroom flat in central Brixton is offended by being called a yup in this forum, so what? Let them be offended. The poor darlings.

 

[editor]

Show me this silent majority of u75 posters who can afford to buy a £300,000 flat, because I'm fucked if I can think of very many.

Have they already announced the prices then?
I couldn't find any on that link.

 

[OldSlapper]

Show me this silent majority of u75 posters who can afford to buy a £300,000 flat, because I'm fucked if I can think of very many.

SilentNate? RaverDrew? IsVicthere? Fanta? There's four. You can tell they're wealthy young men about town from the way they post.

Come on Stella. Stop being such an old class warrior. Fanta works hard for his money. Why can't he spend it as he pleases?

 

[OldSlapper]

Have they already announced the prices then?
I couldn't find any on that link.

You know roughly how much a one bedroom flat in that position offering

accommodation to single young professionals and couples

will sell for.

My only fear is that the

single young professionals and couples

won't approve of Iceland. Perhaps they could start a petition now to get Iceland moved?

 

[fanta]

Come on Stella. Stop being such an old class warrior. Fanta works hard for his money. Why can't he spend it as he pleases?

Hey, If I had the dough I'd buy one. But those prices are way out of my league!

 

[OldSlapper]

Here's a pic. They intend stashing the yups on the left.

 

[editor]

They'll sell for about £180,000-£200,000.

So why are a couple earning just £22,000 each to be dismissed as "yuppies" when they're earning below the national average wage?

The approach can make a dramatic difference. A couple earning £22,000 each could borrow up to £110,000 — two-and-a-half times joint income — using traditional multiples.

But Mortgage Intelligence, a broker, says they could get nearly £70,000 more — £178,750 — from Nationwide, which assesses homebuyers on how much they are able to pay. (Sunday Times)

 

[OldSlapper]

Hey, If I had the dough I'd buy one. But those prices are way out of my league!

I hope I haven't offended you Fanta?

 

[Pickman's model]

SilentNate? RaverDrew? IsVicthere? Fanta? There's four. You can tell they're wealthy young men about town from the way they post.

i don't know about fanta or isvicthere, but i doubt sN or raverdrew are going to march down to the estate agents with a case full of cash at any point soon.

 

[Donna Ferentes]

A single professional writes

Keep an eye on them for me, will you? I should have a chance if I get a pay rise of about 400 per cent.

 

[editor]

You know roughly how much a one bedroom flat in that position offering

Ah. So it's a random figure you've made up!

But hey! Don't let that stop you pre-accusing buyers of being yuppies, eh?!

 

[fanta]

I hope I haven't offended you Fanta?

You've just reminded me that if we (better half and little 'un) are to ever get a place with more than 1 bedroom then we'll have to leave Brixton and move further out...

 

[fanta]

i don't know about fanta or isvicthere, but i doubt sN or raverdrew are going to march down to the estate agents with a case full of cash at any point soon.

Well, you can add me to that list!

 

[OldSlapper]

So why are a couple earning just £22,000 each to be dismissed as "yuppies" when they're earning below the national average wage?

They'd have to be a pair of very small yuppies - mini-yupps - to occupy these flats as a couple.

 

[Pickman's model]

Here's a pic. They intend stashing the yups on the left.

here's somewhere else they could stash the yups.

link

 

[Donna Ferentes]

Ah. So it's a random figure you've made up!

But hey! Don't let that stop you pre-accusing buyers of being yuppies, eh?!

Oh, don't be silly. He could halve the price (to a figure far less than anything in Brixton is going to be) and it's still be far more than most people can afford.

His point is a legitimate one and you know it.

 

[editor]

They'd have to be a pair of very small yuppies - mini-yupps - to occupy these flats as a couple.

So you've seen detailed plans for the flats then?

 

[Pickman's model]

Ah. So it's a random figure you've made up!

But hey! Don't let that stop you pre-accusing buyers of being yuppies, eh?!

what's "pre-accusing"?

 

[fanta]

So you've seen detailed plans for the flats then?

Do you think that most ordinary people are going to be able to afford one of them?

I reckon I earn a good wage compakred to many locally, and I doubt I'll be able afford one.

 

[isvicthere?]

SilentNate? RaverDrew? IsVicthere? Fanta? There's four. You can tell they're wealthy young men about town from the way they post.

QUOTE]

I'm presuming an irony is intended here which I fail to get. Please explain.

 

[editor]

His point is a legitimate one and you know it.

What is his point?

He doesn't know how much the flats are going to cost, but he's already sneering on about "yuppies".

If we go along with his makey uppey figure of £180,000, that puts it within the scope of a couple on an income on £22,000 each. I'm curious how people on that kind of income can be derided for being "yuppies" when he doesn't know the first thing about them.

Personally, I can't afford that kind of money (I'm on even less) and I wish that the housing was used for social housing and affordable rents, but seeing as it's clear that it's not likely to happen, I'd rather the buildings be put to good use than left to rot away any longer.

If they were "luxury lifestyle penthouse apartments", I would agree with him, but by the sound of it they're just regular, over priced London flats - and I don't agree that anyone who can afford one must automatically become a "yuppie".

 

[editor]

Do you think that most ordinary people are going to be able to afford one of them?.

I'm not sure what an "ordinary person" is, but I certainly can't afford one (so maybe I'm abnormal?!).

But I don't go along with the notion that anyone who can afford to buy one (and remember, that could be a couple on just £44,000 per annum) is automatically a 'yuppie'.

Do you?

 

[fanta]

Bet you could afford one Ed, huh?

Any chance of a loan?

 

[ernestolynch]

A couple on this magic figure you keep quoting £44,000....they could get a mortgage of £132,000. Unless they did a self-assessed income thing and lied, then they'd be forking out over £1100 a month on the repayments.

 

[Pickman's model]

who are these saracen investments, eh?

they don't seem too obvious on google, though i did turn this up.