http://www.jockcoats.org.uk/empty_new_homes_scandal_solution Comments for "Empty new homes scandal - a solution?" en http://www.jockcoats.org.uk/empty_new_homes_scandal_solution <p> ALTER (the Lib Dems' Land Value Tax and Economic Reform group) have spent the time over the holidays preparing arguments for the "Tax Commission II" which will focus, amongst other things on that bit of tax policy that was left hanging at Conference - the details of how to implement Land Value Tax. </p> <p> One thing I noticed just before Christmas which didn't seem to be picked up anywhere else was some research from "<a href="http://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/article.aspx?articleid=1448458" target="_blank">Inside Housing</a>" magazine, also reported in the <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/12/18/nlets18.xml" target="_blank">Telegraph</a>, that in some places up to 50% of new build housing is standing empty, bought up, often "off-plan", by speculators who just want to hold it and hope to make a turn on it selling it on after a year or two, but not even putting tenants into them because they don't want to have to carry out any remediation work before they sell and don't want any "vacant possession" issues to affect their choice of timing. </p> http://www.jockcoats.org.uk/empty_new_homes_scandal_solution#comments Lib Dem Land Value Tax Housing/CLTs Fri, 12 Jan 2007 11:49:42 +0000 Jock 339 at http://www.jockcoats.org.uk