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[Brighton] King Alfred
- Thread starter Steve Foster
- Start date
Half Time Pies
Well-known member
I would be fully in support of a change in the way that we view home ownership and house building in this country but I think the point actually was 'if it was possible to get projects like this off the ground during a recession?' which I doubt it is/ was with the UK economy geared in the way that it currently is.
As you say there is to much vested interest in maintaining the status quo and a cultural belief has now developed that it should be everyones right to get on the property ladder and benefit from house price inflation so I doubt this is going to change any time soon.
Seriously? Buildings aren't quite the same as they used to be.
It’s not just housing though. Germany took the opportunity to invest and build in all manner of things from buildings to infrastructure; for example I got 3 new tramlines outside my front door. Money, labour, services, goods are all way cheaper in a recession plus it keeps people in work. In Germany it was a political decision to do this. In the U.K. it was a political decision to not do this.
The planning system in England restricts the number of new homes. I know from many businesses and families I’ve acted and act for that many councils (eg BHCC, LDC, SDNP) and existing residents fight the vast majority of brownfield, urban fringe and greenfield developments every step of the way. Meaning that even modest brownfield developments in Brighton, Hove and Lewes take many, many years to get planning permission .... if lucky.
In France and Germany, whether it be new housing, railway lines or tram lines, the authorities simply get on with it, the views of existing residents and opposing landowners are far less powerful. France and Spain build high speed rail networks and huge new satellite towns wherever the wish, very rapidly.
Not saying that the latter is better or worse, just the way it is.
Half Time Pies
Well-known member
Yes absolutely crazy for the government to claim we needed austerity whilst at the same time the Bank of England was effectively creating billons of pounds of QE money to plough into the money markets and artificially inflate asset prices. If only we had instead used that money for infrastructure projects.
Half Time Pies
Well-known member
Weststander's Avatar
Weststander said:
Today 17:33
Quote Originally Posted by Half Time Pies View Post
The planning system in England restricts the number of new homes. I know from many businesses and families I’ve acted and act for that many councils (eg BHCC, LDC, SDNP) and existing residents fight the vast majority of brownfield, urban fringe and greenfield developments every step of the way. Meaning that even modest brownfield developments in Brighton, Hove and Lewes take many, many years to get planning permission .... if lucky.
In France and Germany, whether it be new housing, railway lines or tram lines, the authorities simply get on with it, the views of existing residents and opposing landowners are far less powerful. France and Spain build high speed rail networks and huge new satellite towns wherever the wish, very rapidly.
Not saying that the latter is better or worse, just the way it is.
It does, but the house builders also have a role to play in restricting supply to prevent prices from dropping. There is an incredible amount of land out there with planning permission in place which is not being built on, something like over 400,000 homes, and the time from planning permission being granted to homes being built has extended by 8 months in the last few years. At the same time the likes of persimmons have been making ridiculous profits off the back of the Help to Buy scheme which has allowed them to add 20% to asking prices. Something needs to be done to tackle this issue.
Weststander said:
Today 17:33
Quote Originally Posted by Half Time Pies View Post
The planning system in England restricts the number of new homes. I know from many businesses and families I’ve acted and act for that many councils (eg BHCC, LDC, SDNP) and existing residents fight the vast majority of brownfield, urban fringe and greenfield developments every step of the way. Meaning that even modest brownfield developments in Brighton, Hove and Lewes take many, many years to get planning permission .... if lucky.
In France and Germany, whether it be new housing, railway lines or tram lines, the authorities simply get on with it, the views of existing residents and opposing landowners are far less powerful. France and Spain build high speed rail networks and huge new satellite towns wherever the wish, very rapidly.
Not saying that the latter is better or worse, just the way it is.
It does, but the house builders also have a role to play in restricting supply to prevent prices from dropping. There is an incredible amount of land out there with planning permission in place which is not being built on, something like over 400,000 homes, and the time from planning permission being granted to homes being built has extended by 8 months in the last few years. At the same time the likes of persimmons have been making ridiculous profits off the back of the Help to Buy scheme which has allowed them to add 20% to asking prices. Something needs to be done to tackle this issue.
blue-shifted
Banned
I agree with you Gwylan. I'd add the biggest difference between the building in the 1930s and now is that we are now entirely reliant on multinational developers to gey almost anything built. During previous recessions, far sighted governments and councils (and i suppose enterprising individuals) would build themselves, knowing it's the best way to get past the hard times. The idea of a council building something as complicated, even as a house in 2019, is totally fanciful. I sometimes wonder if that's where we are going wrong.
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I won the Blue Ribbon Sussex Championship at ten pin bowling within my average band at The King Alfred And will always have such fond memories of the place. It was a bit tatty and a bit claustrophobic but I always bowled well there.
Albion Prem
Active member
Thank goodness it was not built,what a mess
Albion Prem
Active member
Agree very disappointing however we still have the Isore
DumLum
Well-known member
At least the Black Rock Ice Rink hasn't suffered these delays.
Also around 2008 a few of his buildings were having a lot of problems to the point where he was being sued and there were some question marks over the design. Another reason why they changed their mind.
symyjym
Banned
So Rob Starr, the developer who beat LCE Architects to the KA proposal, is now vowing to find another developer to take over the development from himself. 
I can still deliver King Alfred' – Rob Starr finds new developer
https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/178...ng-alfred-39---rob-starr-finds-new-developer/
Does he even deserve another chance to progress with a different firm from the proposal?
I can still deliver King Alfred' – Rob Starr finds new developer
https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/178...ng-alfred-39---rob-starr-finds-new-developer/
Does he even deserve another chance to progress with a different firm from the proposal?
Tom Hark Preston Park
Will Post For Cash
- Jul 6, 2003
- 70,143
So Rob Starr, the developer who beat LCE Architects to the KA proposal, is now vowing to find another developer to take over the development from himself.
I can still deliver King Alfred' – Rob Starr finds new developer
https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/178...ng-alfred-39---rob-starr-finds-new-developer/
Does he even deserve another chance to progress with a different firm from the proposal?
That's one dodgy-looking geezer
symyjym
Banned
That's one dodgy-looking geezer
Last time I looked at his Starr Trust returns as a charity I seem to remember they paid out a very high percentage in wages. Maybe as much as 90% in one of the years I looked at. It might be different today to be fair.
NorthLainer
Well-known member
That's one dodgy-looking geezer
Only had vicarious dealings with him so can't comment personally, but he is a bit of a marmite character - some people speak VERY highly of him ,others regard him as a bit odd. My main issue re the King Alfred is his self proclaimed main qualification for leading a project like this is he had absolutely not qualifications in leading a project like this. I wonder if that has contributed to Crest withdrawing.
Tom Hark Preston Park
Will Post For Cash
- Jul 6, 2003
- 70,143
Well there's many other ways that students contribute to the general good of the town. Not least by manning the Amex catering kiosks. And the huge influx of Chinese students all seem pretty well-to-do and will all be spending big chunks of their allowance SOMEWHERE around town, thereby pumping money into the general local economy. Oh, and Boots in London Road is about to be demolished (and relocated directly across the road) so more student flats can be built. It'll be quite some time til London Road can afford to turn its nose up at further gentrification. It's all good IMHO. Full-on pedestrianisation would transform the place in two shakes of a lamb's tail. Soon come.