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‘People power’ could get in the way of recovery
When it comes to new builds, the green shoots of recovery in the UK housing market are in danger of being nipped in the bud by Government plans to introduce village referendums according to a web site which deals exclusively in newly built homes.
Spokes person Vernon Pethard, of newhomesforsale.co.uk, says the Government’s referendum plan would give too much power to the wrong people.
The coalition Government plans to introduce local referendums which would give villagers the power to approve all new housing developments in their area.
“These referendums could spell disaster for the property market and especially for the developments of England’s villages and rural communities,” says Pethard, founder of leading property portal newhomesforsale.co.uk.
The schemes would remove the need for council planning permission and instead require villagers to reach a 90 per cent agreement in favour of a new building.
But Pethard questions a village community’s ability to come to an agreement and thinks dismissing an overruling council decision will prove a disaster.
“It would be ridiculous to suggest that all communities would be incapable of making the right decisions for their area, but it would also be ridiculous and naive to expect all of them to be able to do so.
“Local opinion is important but our young people need homes to live in and passing this responsibility over to local communities, who may resist any form of change that impacts on their own rural idyll, would be frankly nothing more than a cop-out.”
Pethard – a champion for new homes – has been a strong supporter of many Government policies since the coalition formed, but questions this latest move and the effect it will have on the property market.
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