Proverbs 28/20

Paakwa is mindful that today is a Sunday, and also notices that Craven district council (CDC) has now given permission to blight another wild place, a haven for Paakwa and his frog brethren.
Burnside allotments is to be converted into 41 dwellings, despite this being a greenfield site, despite the wishes of the allotment holders and other residents, and despite some of these being 3 storey dwellings and out of keeping with the town.
And despite the increased traffic flow along Gargrave Road, already earmarked for a colossal development with sub-prime lenders HML and its subsidiaries, and - possibly worst of all - despite this being a high risk area for flooding.
So why is CDC pushing ahead with this, and what will be the possible outcome?
The reason given by the council is that of affordable homes, Craven needs them, and the developer has promised to build 17 of these as part of the development.
Well that's all right, surely?
Yes and no.
CDC's track record in this area is appalling. Not just the thoughts of Paakwa, but the writings of the Audit commission, as follows:

On the question of how well CDC understand its housing market and developed the right proposals, the Audit commission states:
'There is a high risk of failure and poor outcomes.'
Grade - High need for improvement

On the question of how well the council monitors its progress and how effectively this feeds into future plans, the Audit commission states:
'There is a high risk of failure and poor outcomes.'
Grade - High need for improvement

These statements by the Audit commission are not calculated to inspire confidence in CDC, and a quick look at some of the reasons are even less inspiring.
It's a few short years ago when CDC sold our council housing stock to Craven Housing at a little over £5,000 each, with the understanding that they, Craven Housing, would build 20 affordable homes each year. As this was 5 years ago, we should have around 100 - we actually have around one dozen, the reason being that Craven Housing's contract allowed them to get away with so few, presumably the council is not good at reading small print.
This housing association pleads exemption from the Freedom of Information act, calling itself a charity, but the government now seem willing to act on this cop out by a public service company, so they may find themselves under the spotlight soon.

The developer who has been given permission to develop the allotments is Burley Develoments, (advisors GVA Grimley) and for those interested there is much information HERE including how they pushed the principle of building on a greenfield site right to the boundaries at Scalebor Park, receiving consent for 135 properties, amongst them a large percentage of affordable homes.

So just how many of those 135 new homes turned out to be affordable?
Er...
Exactly none.

Burley Developments decided that they didn't want any to be affordable - perhaps the great and good don't want the not so well off living in their midst? - And so they decided that zero affordable out of the 135 was a good number.

And they're allowed to do just that, by parting with money to the council instead of building any affordable homes. They also allowed a mere 0.6 parking spaces for those properties, - homes with up to 6 bedrooms - and then sold off the site to another developer as soon as the groundwork had been done.

Should any developer find that building costs are higher than originally thought, perhaps because the ground is wet by being in a high flood risk area, then Carleton Road residents might find themselves the proud owners of a pond instead of affordable housing or allotments.

Whilst Burley Developments have promised to go along with any conditions concerning wildlife on the site, Paakwa will be interested to know just how many conditions can be met whilst building 41 houses on this small site. Maybe one of the houses will have a small pond?

In the true spirit of British fairness, it should be known that whilst no 'affordable' homes were built at Scalebor Park, the developer DID build a sports pavilion.

So why is CDC desperate to allow building on a high risk flood area?

Paakwa believes that CDC are rushing headlong into allowing development on this watery plain because of its insatiable need for money.
In all likelihood they will be more than happy should Burley Developments part with cash instead of affordable homes, after all, where has the £8 Million gone from the virtual give away of our council housing stock?
Not into affordable housing, that's for sure!

Hence the title:

"He that maketh haste to be rich, shall not be innocent."

It's good news week!

There's been nothing to report for a while, but now...
It's good news week!
Yes, at a time when the stock market is reeling from the collapse of the sub-prime market, (see HERE) when Victoria mortgages have gone bust, when Northern Rock is on its uppers and holding out the begging bowl to the Bank of England, (that's our money by the way) with Bradford and Bingley shares at almost half price, with Countrywide mortgages having spent the 11.5 Billion dollars they borrowed and gone to the Bank of America for a further 2 Billion, and with Merrill Lynch taking an 8.5 Billion pound loss, what do we folk in Yorkshire do?
Well if you're Skipton building society, not only do you take such news in your stride, but you actually open up a new deal for sub-prime borrowers, even those with unlimited CCJ's against them!
That's right! Pink, (details HERE) a subsidiary of HML which is of course a subsidiary of Skipton building society, has just launched a new range of deals for this very market, including all categories of sub-prime borrowers from feather, light, and medium, to unlimited. That's those with unlimited CCJ's against them.
Fortunately they have allowed self certified statements of income, where the borrowers can merely state their income, and loans up to £500,000 are available.
Details HERE.
At a time when the financial world is reeling from the shocks brought on by the sub-prime collapse in USA it's good to know that here in Yorkshire we're still keeping the flag flying for those borrowers who wouldn't stand an earthly from the likes of Capt. Mainwaring and Martin's bank.
Well done Skipton building society!

Meanwhile Amber, another subsidiary, and the ones under investigation by the FSA for charging up to 11.95% on loans to sub prime customers - is now under fire for selling on its loans. In the small print of the contracts signed by their borrowers was a little clause, which said they could sell the debt on. Customers received letters telling them that if they did so, then nothing would change, but things did!
Amber sold loans on to a company called Redstone mortgages, who hiked interest rates up by an eye watering 11% plus -just what you need if you're finding your mortgage a bit tricky to pay!
Amber's comments were that its actions were legitimate, because borrowers had signed the clause allowing the lender to sell the loan on, so that's all right then.
Details HERE
Gordon Jolly, the managing director of Amber, commented that it tried to protect customers from rate increases when loans were sold on, presumably by asking the new lenders if they would not increase interest rates.
Perhaps he asked them nicely:-)
Thinks...Wonder if Skipton building society borrowers have that same little clause in THEIR loans?
Oh well, it won't matter as long as that nice Mr. Jolly protects them.
And with a name as nice as that, every bit as nice as that lovely Mr. Champagne, who regularly picks me out of thousands to win a prize, who could doubt it all turning out nicely in the end?

LORD POLONIUS:
Neither a borrower nor a lender be;
For loan oft loses both itself and friend,
And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry.