| Topic: | Re:Re:Re::Front page article re. area planning committees | |
| Posted by: | Guy Lambert | |
| Date/Time: | 12/06/11 11:57:00 |
| George says earlier in this thread: "So far as office developments are concerned I think that Councils should be empowered to charge some kind of occupation tax while the buildings are empty so that the developer thinks much harder about the rents he will charge. Say for buildings over say 40,000 square feet. Oh dear I hear Adam say, do I realise how that will drive developers away because of the prospect of not making a profit." There's a thread I started on the 'other' forum here: http://chiswickforums.co.uk/showthread.php?338-Does-anyone-understand-the-commercial-property-market which is concerned with the logic of buildings (in this case a good deal less than 40K sq. ft) built and remaining empty for years. Despite Ralph's responses to this thread I am still baffled. I have not read every word of this thread but it is interesting - and to be applauded - that Sam Hearn has resisted the temptation to make cheap political points here in favour of a rational argument (though it seems he and John Todd may have different views). I don't have a strong position about local area committees but Sam's points seem to make sense. And I'm very aware of the power of nimbyism and in particular the ability of certain vocal minorities to use localism to sway decisions in favour of their sectional interest even where wider local opinion, let alone the interests of the wider community, may be different. I would also observe, having recently moved from Chiswick to Brentford, that Brentford continues to be blighted by large swathes of empty - mainly commercial - property and vacant sites, many in potentially very desirable riverside locations. We are desparately short of housing in London and the commercial developers are having great difficulty justifying residential development, whilst the economy bumbles along the bottom. Is this not an excellent moment for public investment: if we could replicate the Brentford Dock estate, built as I recall by the GLC, this would provide huge benefits. |