It’s jerry-built legislation that will hurt many Londoners, though parts of the capital and some of its people might gain from the adjustments secured by its Tory MPs
Zac Goldsmith’s New Year arrive-on to London voters was public confirmation that the government has accepted a Conservative amendment to its jerry-built Housing and Planning Bill requiring each vacant council house forcibly sold in London to be replaced by two new “affordable” ones.[br]This foregone conclusion was announced as part of a bunch of measures Goldsmith and David Cameron say will produce 10000 new “affordable” dwellings on top of 50000 the prime minister claims other policies will generate in London. Under a joint byline in the Evening Standard the pair were explicit approximately their motive: “Our mission for 2016 is to serve Londoners of all incomes find a foothold on the housing ladder.” They described their approach as “radical”. Might it also be “divisive”? Does it acquire anything going for it at all?Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com