[BBC News] Land plots to be sold for housing

[Tugger]

I sort of approve, but I think there should be refinements to the plans - they should only be sold to individuals, not companies, and they should be subject to the same sort of restrictions on quick onwards sales as council houses in the UK are, to stop people immediately flipping them to Dandara et al.

 

The proble as I see it is, once you buy the plot, you're going to have to get a builder to turn it into a home, and getting builders over here is not easy or cheap

[localyokel]

I sort of approve, but I think there should be refinements to the plans - they should only be sold to individuals, not companies, and they should be subject to the same sort of restrictions on quick onwards sales as council houses in the UK are, to stop people immediately flipping them to Dandara et al.

 

They tried that with Ballavargher in Douglas in the early 90's and it was a reasonable success at the time (ignoring the build issues). I think they had a 10 year restriction on re-sales and it put lots of manx couples on the property ladder because the houses were comparitively cheap and by the time they could sell them they had appreciated well and they could move up the ladder. I agree with your idea and it would work again, but nowdays the banks don't like lending on properties where the resale is restricted. If they repossess they have all sorts of issues. So the government would have to provide the funding to the buyers.

 

All plots should go to genuine 1st time buyers not the usual suspects, but as you say the problem then remains who the hell is going to build your house? This is why the 50 plots is not a sensible idea, because the sort of people who can get funding to buy and develop a plot won't be those who are the most in need of a low cost roof over their heads.

[Albert Tatlock]

They've been trying to sell off these plots for many many years. Nobody wants them no matter how little money they cost. But they keep trying because what else can you do?

 

I did think Juan Wattersons chronic oversell of the whole thing was priceless.

 

http://www.manxradio.com/ReadItem.aspx?ID=...mp;cate=General

 

"Department member Juan Watterson says Jurby has a proud past as a WW2 community of young men and women who worked together to secure our freedom. And he says they will foster an environment where a new generation can create a future for themselves and their families through their own efforts."

 

You could almost hear the Dambusters theme in the background, and was that David Callister shouting "Chocks away Ginger" in the distance as he spoke?

 

If they want to delude themselves that Jurby is the future of a "new generation" of young Manx then god help us all. If the main towns of this Island were not stuffed with empty apartment blocks there would be no need for all of this, and if the market was not being horrendously manipulated we wouldn't have to be selling Jurby as the only place our kids can afford to buy property.

From MR: "Now though, one government department is moving OUT of the capital, lock, stock and barrell. The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forrestry is to set up its headquarters in St John's - in the heart of the Manx farming community."

 

Perhaps we could get DOLGE and Juan Watterson to relocate to Jurby if it's such a great place?

 

 

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[Gladys]

Having heard Juan Watterson the Younger's comments on MR yesterday regarding an increase in the overseas aid budget, I did wonder whether youth really was something to vote for. He missed the point about overseas aid in that if the IOM wants to be an international player then it has to be seen to put its hand in its pocket and play the game of achieving the UN target of GDP contribution to overseas aid, or at least to be seen to be trying.

 

Overseas aid is a much more complex issue then merely giving handouts to third world countries. It is, in part, about being seen as an active participant in world affairs. We will not be taken seriously if we say that our X number of sponsored frog spawn watches for this school in Uganda or that orphange in Bosnia has made our contribution; we have to be seen to be striving to meet the standards set by the international community to be a serious player within it.