HEX
Server: Apache/2.4.58 (Ubuntu)
System: Linux ns3133907 6.8.0-86-generic #87-Ubuntu SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Mon Sep 22 18:03:36 UTC 2025 x86_64
User: cssnetorguk (1024)
PHP: 8.2.28
Disabled: NONE
Upload Files
File: //old_home_backup/roofmagazine.org.uk/public_html/roofblog/2007/05.html
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd">
<html>
	<head>
	<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"/>
		<title>ROOF Magazine - ROOF Blog - May 2007</title>
	<link rel="canonical" href="https://roofmagazine.org.uk/roofblog/2007/05" />
		<link rel="shortcut icon" href="../../images/roof/favicon.ico"/>
<meta name="Title" content="ROOF Magazine - Lunchtime news May 31"/>
		<meta name="Description" content="The Home Office has confirmed plans to include closure orders in the upcoming Criminal Justice Bill. The new powers will enable local…"/>
		<meta name="Subject" content="Lunchtime news May 31"/>
		<meta name="Publisher" content="ROOF Magazine, Shelter, 88 Old Street, London EC1V 9HU United Kingdom; roof@shelter.org.uk."/>
		<meta name="Date" content="31 May 2023"/>
		<meta name="Keywords" content="news"/>
		<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="../../roof_styles/reset.css"/>
		<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="../../roof_styles/roofstyles.css"/>
		<script type="text/javascript" src="../../scripts/jquery.js"></script>	
		<script type="text/javascript" src="../../roof_scripts/basicscripts.js"></script>
		<script type="text/javascript" src="../../roof_scripts/blog_scripts.js"></script>
		<!--[if lt IE 7]>
			<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="http://www.roofmagazine.org.uk/roof_styles/ie_less_seven.css" />
		<![endif]-->
<!--[if lte IE 6]>
<style type="text/css">
.clearfix { height: 1%; }
</style>
<![endif]-->
<!--[if IE 7]>
<style type="text/css">
.clearfix {display:inline-block;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
	</head>
	<body>
<script type="text/javascript">
try {
} catch(err) {}</script>
		<!--div id="baseline"></div-->
		<!--div id="columns"><div id="columns_bg"></div></div-->
		<div id="container" class="clearfix">
			<a name="topofpage"></a>
			<div class="line" id="adbar60">
  			<div id="toplh_ad">
   					<a href="/" target="_blank"><img src="../../openx/www/images/homelessness_conf_2010.homelessanim.gif" width="468" height="60" alt="Lime Legal" title="Lime Legal" border="0"/></a><div id="beacon_6c9124f5b6" style="position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; visibility: hidden;"></div>
  			</div>
  			<div id="toprh_ad">
   					<a href="/" target="_blank"><img src="../../openx/www/images/localgovbanner.gif" width="468" height="60" alt="LocalGov" title="LocalGov" border="0"/></a><div id="beacon_4a017f8783" style="position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; visibility: hidden;"></div>
			</div>
  			</div>
			<div class="line">
  			<div class="item" id="header">
   				<div class="sap-content">
   					<a href="/"><img src="../../images/roof/roof_logo_final.png" alt="ROOF - For better housing" id="roof_logo"/></a>
   					<ul id="main_navigation">
     <li><a href="../../roofblog">Blog</a></li>
     <li><a href="../../features">Features</a></li>
     <li><a href="../../opinion">Opinion</a></li>
     <li><a href="../../jobs">Jobs</a></li>
     <li><a href="../../diary">Diary</a></li>
     <li class="final_item"><a href="../../about">About ROOF</a></li>
</ul>
   					<form method="post" action="/">
<div class="hiddenFields">
<input type="hidden" name="ACT" value="19"/>
<input type="hidden" name="XID" value="a94c51547ff410e6ec88ed84b915acd0"/>
<input type="hidden" name="RP" value="search&amp;#47;results"/>
<input type="hidden" name="NRP" value=""/>
<input type="hidden" name="RES" value="10"/>
<input type="hidden" name="status" value=""/>
<input type="hidden" name="weblog" value="features|diary|roofblog|opinion|about"/>
<input type="hidden" name="search_in" value="everywhere"/>
<input type="hidden" name="where" value="all"/>
<input type="hidden" name="site_id" value="1"/>
</div>
	<div id="searchbox">
      		<input type="text" name="keywords" id="main_searchfield" value="Search this site"/>
      		<button id="main_search_button" type="submit"></button>			
      	</div>
</form>
   					<div id="subscription_promo">
	<p id="promo_text">Online access is now Free. If you have an existing subscription <a href="../../subscriptions">click here</a> for more information</p>
<!--p id="password_reminder"><a href="https://roofmagazine.org.uk/subscriptions/reset_password.php">Forgot your password?</a></p-->
</div>
 					<!--div id="login_instruction">Login for your online access: </div--><!--div class="item" id="login_box"><form method="post" action="http://www.roofmagazine.org.uk/"  >
<div class='hiddenFields'>
<input type="hidden" name="XID" value="cc48a894c7a26b592c935e8ca3625c0d" />
<input type="hidden" name="ACT" value="9" />
<input type="hidden" name="RET" value="//roofblog/2007/05" />
<input type="hidden" name="site_id" value="1" />
</div>
      		<input type="text" id="login_user_name" value="ROOF reference" name="username" />
      		<input type="password" id="login_password" value="Password" name="password" />
      		<input type="submit" name="submit" value="Login" id="login_button" />			
</form>
</div-->
   				</div>
  			</div>
 			</div>
 			<div class="line clearfix">
  			<div class="item" id="content_column_blog">
<ul id="breadcrumb_trail" class="clearfix">
	<li><a href="/">ROOF</a></li>
	<li><a href="../../roofblog">ROOF Blog</a></li><li>May 2007</li>
</ul>
						<div id="blog_listing_archive">
<h1>ROOF Blog archive</h1>
<div id="blogpage_description">
<p>Displaying ROOF Blog articles from <strong>May 2007</strong></p>
</div>
  					<div class="blog_item clearfix">
							<h2><a href="../../roofblog/2007/05/lunchtime_news_may_31">Lunchtime news May 31</a></h2>
								<div class="clearfix">
								<div class="post_details">
									<p class="blog_date">31/05/2023</p>
									<p class="blog_author"><strong>Posted by:</strong><br/>Julian Birch</p>
								</div>
								<div class="summary">
								<p>The <a href="http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/about-us/news/asbo-house-powers" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/about-us/news/asbo-house-powers’);" target="_blank"><strong>Home Office</strong></a> has confirmed plans to include <strong>closure orders</strong> in the upcoming Criminal Justice Bill. The new powers will enable local authorities and the police to temporarily close and seal the homes of anti-social home owners and tenants.</p>
 <p>The <a href="http://www.housingcorp.gov.uk/server/show/ConWebDoc.11158/changeNav/431" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.housingcorp.gov.uk/server/show/ConWebDoc.11158/changeNav/431’);" target="_blank"><strong>Rural Housing Advisory Group</strong></a> has held its first meeting chaired by Housing Corporation board member Candy Atherton and pledged not to be just a talking shop.</p>
 <p>Confusion reigns over <strong>house prices</strong>. <strong><a href="http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/8411" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/8411’);">The Express</a></strong> interprets new figures released by the <strong><a href="../../assets/library/documents/hpir0507.pdf" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.landreg.gov.uk/assets/library/documents/hpir0507.pdf’);">Land Registry</a></strong> as proof that prices are &lsquo;continuing to soar.&rsquo; Meanwhile <strong><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=458848&amp;in_page_id=1770&amp;ct=5" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=458848&amp;in_page_id=1770&amp;ct=5’);">the Mail</a></strong> translates the same data as evidence that the house price boom is over.</p>
 <p>The Telegraph chooses the middle ground reporting that prices in London are on the up, whilst the rest of the country is experiencing a dip. Good news, reports the Times, if you live in London, as this price hike is <a href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article1862600.ece" style="font-weight: bold" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article1862600.ece’);">pushing drug dealers out into the suburbs</a>.</p>
 <p><strong>Matthew Parris</strong> leaps to the defence of Ruth Kelly, praising her stalwart <strong><a href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/matthew_parris/article1862784.ece" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/matthew_parris/article1862784.ece’);">defence of HIPS</a></strong> in the face of universal criticism.</p>
 <p>Figures from the <a href="http://www.registry-trust.org.uk/Default.aspx?grm2catid=5&amp;tabid=62" style="font-weight: bold" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.registry-trust.org.uk/Default.aspx?grm2catid=5&amp;tabid=62’);">Registry Trust</a> show that the number of people who had a county court judgment served on them for non payment of debts approached a 10-year high in the first three months of this year.</p>
																</div>
					</div>
							<div class="blog_comments"><p><a class="add_comment" href="../../roofblog/2007/05/lunchtime_news_may_31#comments">Add comment</a> <strong>(0 comments)</strong></p></div>
							<div class="blog_tags">
								<p><strong>Tags: </strong><a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/news" title="news">news</a></p>
							</div>
						</div>
  					<div class="blog_item clearfix">
							<h2><a href="../../roofblog/2007/05/lunchtime_news_may_29">Lunchtime news May 29</a></h2>
								<div class="clearfix">
								<div class="post_details">
									<p class="blog_date">29/05/2023</p>
									<p class="blog_author"><strong>Posted by:</strong><br/>Julian Birch</p>
								</div>
								<div class="summary">
								<p><strong>House prices</strong> in England and Wales rose 9.1% in the year to April &ndash; the fastest rate for two years &ndash; according to <a href="http://www.landregistry.gov.uk/houseprices/" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.landregistry.gov.uk/houseprices/’);" target="_blank"><strong>Land Registry</strong></a> figures released this morning. The rate in April 2006 was just 4.1%. London and Brighton led the way with rises of 15.6%.</p>
 <p>Gross mortgage lending rose 12% in the year to April, according to the <a href="http://www.bba.org.uk/bba/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=145&amp;a=9555" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.bba.org.uk/bba/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=145&amp;a=9555’);" target="_blank"><strong>British Bankers Association</strong></a> yesterday.</p>
 <p>The net result? Massive mortgages are turning <strong>first-time buyers</strong> into the equivalent of bonded labourers, according to the <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=458487&amp;in_page_id=1770" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=458487&amp;in_page_id=1770’);"><strong>Mail</strong></a>, reporting new research from the universities of <a href="http://www.abdn.ac.uk/mediareleases/release.php?id=945" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.abdn.ac.uk/mediareleases/release.php?id=945’);" target="_blank"><strong>Aberdeen</strong></a> and Loughborough. They say the housing crisis is leading to a return to the gross inequality seen at the end of the 19th century.</p>
 <p>Landlords are starting to bail out of the <strong>buy-to-let</strong> market because of rising interest rates, according to the <a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/49830462-0e4a-11dc-8219-000b5df10621.html" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.ft.com/cms/s/49830462-0e4a-11dc-8219-000b5df10621.html’);" target="_blank"><strong>Financial Times</strong></a>, reporting the latest <a href="http://www.rics.org/Property/Residentialproperty/Residentialpropertymarket/Lms_300507.htm" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.rics.org/Property/Residentialproperty/Residentialpropertymarket/Lms_300507.htm’);" target="_blank"><strong>RICS</strong></a> lettings survey. But the <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2007/05/30/cnlets30.xml" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2007/05/30/cnlets30.xml’);"><strong>Telegraph</strong></a> highlights the fact that rents are soaring as a result.</p>
 <p>The <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2007/05/30/do3002.xml" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2007/05/30/do3002.xml’);" target="_blank"><strong>Telegraph</strong></a> continues its campaign against <strong>flats</strong> in an article accusing planners of stacking them on every brownfield site they can find.</p>
 <p>The <a href="http://www.gnn.gov.uk/environment/fullDetail.asp?ReleaseID=287892&amp;NewsAreaID=2&amp;NavigatedFromDepartment=False" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.gnn.gov.uk/environment/fullDetail.asp?ReleaseID=287892&amp;NewsAreaID=2&amp;NavigatedFromDepartment=False’);" target="_blank"><strong>Department of Health</strong></a> has announced a &pound;67m refurbishment fund for <strong>care homes</strong>.</p>
 <p>And finally&hellip;as Harrogate draws near, stay calm: a cautionary tale from the <a href="http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=840112007" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=840112007’);" target="_blank"><strong>Scotsman</strong></a> about what can happen at housing conferences.</p>
																</div>
					</div>
							<div class="blog_comments"><p><a class="add_comment" href="../../roofblog/2007/05/lunchtime_news_may_29#comments">Add comment</a> <strong>(0 comments)</strong></p></div>
							<div class="blog_tags">
								<p><strong>Tags: </strong><a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/housing-market" title="housing market">housing market</a>, <a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/house-prices" title="house prices">house prices</a>, <a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/politics" title="politics">politics</a>, <a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/anti-social-behaviour" title="anti-social behaviour">anti-social behaviour</a>, <a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/buy-to-let" title="buy to let">buy to let</a>, <a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/migration" title="migration">migration</a>, <a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/community-relations" title="community relations">community relations</a></p>
							</div>
						</div>
  					<div class="blog_item clearfix">
							<h2><a href="../../roofblog/2007/05/lunchtime_news_may_25">Lunchtime news May 25</a></h2>
								<div class="clearfix">
								<div class="post_details">
									<p class="blog_date">25/05/2023</p>
									<p class="blog_author"><strong>Posted by:</strong><br/>Julian Birch</p>
								</div>
								<div class="summary">
								<p>On Question Time [go <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/check/player/nol/newsid_6690000/newsid_6690000?redirect=6690081.stm&amp;news=1&amp;bbwm=1&amp;nbram=1&amp;nbwm=1&amp;bbram=1" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/check/player/nol/newsid_6690000/newsid_6690000?redirect=6690081.stm&amp;news=1&amp;bbwm=1&amp;nbram=1&amp;nbwm=1&amp;bbram=1’);" target="_blank"><strong>here</strong></a> to watch and <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6690007.stm" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6690007.stm’);"><strong>here</strong></a> for the story] last night, Labour deputy leadership candidate <strong>Alan Johnson</strong> accused <strong>Margaret Hodge</strong> of &lsquo;using the language of the BNP&rsquo; when she argued for a a <strong>Brits-first housing policy</strong>. A poll for BBC&rsquo;s Daily Politics says 69% of the public think she&rsquo;s right but <a href="http://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/article/?id=1449061" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/article/?id=1449061’);" target="_blank"><strong>Inside Housing</strong></a> reports a hostile reception from the housing profession.</p>
 <p>Housing associations are under pressure on <strong>development funding</strong> after almos and private companies bid for a larger share, reports <a href="http://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/article/?id=1449059" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/article/?id=1449059’);" target="_blank"><strong>Inside Housing</strong></a>.</p>
 <p>The <a href="http://www.audit-commission.gov.uk/reports/NATIONAL-REPORT.asp?CategoryID=&amp;ProdID=E2973BD9-A2EA-4C63-B758-86D531A4292D&amp;fromREPORTSANDDATA=NATIONAL-REPORT" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.audit-commission.gov.uk/reports/NATIONAL-REPORT.asp?CategoryID=&amp;ProdID=E2973BD9-A2EA-4C63-B758-86D531A4292D&amp;fromREPORTSANDDATA=NATIONAL-REPORT’);" target="_blank"><strong>Audit Commission</strong></a> has launched consultation on the pilot programme for its short-notice inspections of <strong>housing associations</strong>.</p>
 <p>The <strong>Housing Corporation</strong> has announced the winners of its 2007 <a href="http://www.housingcorp.gov.uk/server/show/ConWebDoc.11130/changeNav/431" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.housingcorp.gov.uk/server/show/ConWebDoc.11130/changeNav/431’);" target="_blank"><strong>Gold Awards</strong></a>.</p>
 <p>UK <strong>house prices</strong> are 65% over-valued according to the international economics agency OECD, reports the <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=457505&amp;in_page_id=1770" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=457505&amp;in_page_id=1770’);" target="_blank"><strong>Mail</strong></a>. The estimate is based on a comparison between average prices and average rental returns, which is 65% above the average since 1970.</p>
 <p><strong>Illegal immigration</strong> cost the taxpayer &pound;1bn last year, including &pound;700m in housing costs, reports the <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=457505&amp;in_page_id=1770" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=457505&amp;in_page_id=1770’);"><strong>Mail</strong></a>.</p>
 <p><strong>Camden</strong> to is to sell empty properties to the highest bidder and sell estates to housing associations as a way out of the problems caused by tenant rejection of transfer and almo, according to the <a href="http://www.thecnj.co.uk/camden/052407/news052407_13.html" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.thecnj.co.uk/camden/052407/news052407_13.html’);" target="_blank"><strong>Camden New Journal</strong></a>.</p>
																</div>
					</div>
							<div class="blog_comments"><p><a class="add_comment" href="../../roofblog/2007/05/lunchtime_news_may_25#comments">Add comment</a> <strong>(0 comments)</strong></p></div>
							<div class="blog_tags">
								<p><strong>Tags: </strong><a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/development" title="development">development</a>, <a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/house-prices" title="house prices">house prices</a>, <a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/housing-association" title="housing association">housing association</a>, <a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/politics" title="politics">politics</a>, <a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/decent-homes" title="decent homes">decent homes</a>, <a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/migration" title="migration">migration</a>, <a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/community-relations" title="community relations">community relations</a>, <a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/stock-transfer" title="stock transfer">stock transfer</a></p>
							</div>
						</div>
  					<div class="blog_item clearfix">
							<h2><a href="../../roofblog/2007/05/lunchtime_news_may_24">Lunchtime news May 24</a></h2>
								<div class="clearfix">
								<div class="post_details">
									<p class="blog_date">24/05/2023</p>
									<p class="blog_author"><strong>Posted by:</strong><br/>Julian Birch</p>
								</div>
								<div class="summary">
								<p>Should <strong>affordable housing</strong> be Gordon Brown&rsquo;s first <strong>priority</strong>? Yes, say four of the six Labour deputy leader candidates in the <a href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/topstories/tm_method=full%26objectid=19181506%26siteid=89520-name_page.html" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/topstories/tm_method=full%26objectid=19181506%26siteid=89520-name_page.html’);" target="_blank"><strong>Mirror</strong></a>. Yes, along with other things, say the other two.</p>
<p>The politics of housing is complicated but the solution is simple &ndash; build more homes &ndash; says <a href="http://comment.independent.co.uk/columnists_m_z/steve_richards/article2578456.ece" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://comment.independent.co.uk/columnists_m_z/steve_richards/article2578456.ece’);"><strong>Steve Richards</strong></a> in the <strong>Independent</strong>.</p>
<p>Housing organisations are keeping up the lobbying pressure. London needs a 50% increase in funding for affordable homes, says <a href="http://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/doc.asp?doc=20094&amp;cat=935" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/doc.asp?doc=20094&amp;cat=935’);"><strong>London Councils</strong></a>. More funding is needed for shared ownership as it moves from being a niche product to the norm, says the <a href="http://www.politics.co.uk/press-releases/xopinion-formers/n/nhf-shared-ownership-only-way-onto-property-ladder-4100.htm" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.politics.co.uk/press-releases/xopinion-formers/n/nhf-shared-ownership-only-way-onto-property-ladder-$474100.htm’);"><strong>National Housing Federation</strong></a>. And the next four years are &lsquo;make or break&rsquo; in Scotland, says <a href="http://scotland.shelter.org.uk/home/home-815.cfm/pressreleaselisting/1/pressrelease/350/" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://scotland.shelter.org.uk/home/home-815.cfm/pressreleaselisting/1/pressrelease/350/’);" target="_blank"><strong>Shelter Scotland</strong></a>, after new figures showing a 10% rise in the number of people on waiting and transfer lists.</p>
<p>Communities secretary <strong>Ruth Kelly</strong> will be <strong>sacked</strong> over the HIPs fiasco when Gordon Brown becomes prime minister, says <a href="http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2007230849,00.html" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2007230849,00.html’);"><strong>The Sun</strong></a>, but moved to another department, according to <a href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article1832306.ece" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article1832306.ece’);"><strong>The Times.</strong></a></p>
<p>Estate agents say homeowners will evade plans to keep HIPs for four-bed homes by marketing them as three bedrooms with a study, reports the <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/05/24/nhips24.xml" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/05/24/nhips24.xml’);"><strong>Telegraph</strong></a>.</p>
<p>The papers make better reading for <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=457222&amp;in_page_id=1766&amp;ito=1490" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=457222&amp;in_page_id=1766&amp;ito=1490’);" target="_blank"><strong>Harry Hallowes</strong></a>: The Irish tramp has been awarded squatters&rsquo; rights to land worth millions in Highgate, north London, after living in a shack for 20 years.</p>
<p>But members of a village bowls team are trying the same thing to stop new homes being built on their bowling green in Norfolk, reports <a href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article1832179.ece" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article1832179.ece’);"><strong>The Times</strong></a>.</p>
<p>Speculation is mounting about a <strong>housing market crash in Ireland</strong>, reports <a href="http://www.thebusinessonline.com/Document.aspx?id=B4C73876-B4DA-4558-B97A-50456AA5B8A4" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.thebusinessonline.com/Document.aspx?id=B4C73876-B4DA-4558-B97A-50456AA5B8A4’);"><strong>The Business</strong></a>, with new figures showing that 40% of homes built in the last four years are empty.</p>
																</div>
					</div>
							<div class="blog_comments"><p><a class="add_comment" href="../../roofblog/2007/05/lunchtime_news_may_24#comments">Add comment</a> <strong>(0 comments)</strong></p></div>
							<div class="blog_tags">
								<p><strong>Tags: </strong><a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/affordability" title="affordability">affordability</a>, <a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/social-housing" title="social housing">social housing</a>, <a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/housing-market" title="housing market">housing market</a>, <a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/politics" title="politics">politics</a>, <a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/scotland" title="scotland">scotland</a>, <a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/estate-agent" title="estate agent">estate agent</a></p>
							</div>
						</div>
  					<div class="blog_item clearfix">
							<h2><a href="../../roofblog/2007/05/lunchtime_news_may_23">Lunchtime news May 23</a></h2>
								<div class="clearfix">
								<div class="post_details">
									<p class="blog_date">23/05/2023</p>
									<p class="blog_author"><strong>Posted by:</strong><br/>Julian Birch</p>
								</div>
								<div class="summary">
								<p>The rate of housebuilding in the <strong>Thames Gateway</strong> needs to double if the government is to meet its target of 160,000 homes by 2016, according to a critical report by the <a href="http://www.nao.org.uk/pn/06-07/0607526.htm" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.nao.org.uk/pn/06-07/0607526.htm’);"><strong>National Audit Office</strong></a>. The NAO says building rates are rising more slowly than in the rest of the South East and that ministers have not yet produced a coherent, full-costed plan.</p>
 <p><strong>Home information packs</strong> could be doomed, says <a href="http://property.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/property/article1826846.ece" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://property.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/property/article1826846.ece’);"><strong>The Times</strong></a>, with Ruth Kelly&rsquo;s <a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/29fbf0bc-085b-11dc-b11e-000b5df10621.html" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.ft.com/cms/s/29fbf0bc-085b-11dc-b11e-000b5df10621.html’);"><strong>climbdown</strong></a> yesterday leading to them being quietly dropped. The <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=456920&amp;in_page_id=1770&amp;ct=5" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=456920&amp;in_page_id=1770&amp;ct=5’);"><strong>Mail</strong></a> calls it a &lsquo;humiliation&rsquo; while the <a href="http://business.guardian.co.uk/story/0,,2085948,00.html" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://business.guardian.co.uk/story/0,,2085948,00.html’);"><strong>Guardian</strong></a> says the communities secretary is under attack from both estate agents and environmentalists. Go <a href="http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1510801" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1510801’);"><strong>here</strong></a> for Kelly&rsquo;s statement and <a href="http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1002882&amp;PressNoticeID=2427" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1002882&amp;PressNoticeID=2427’);"><strong>here</strong></a> for the press release.</p>
 <p>Homeless young people won&rsquo;t benefit from government plans to offer <strong>free tuition</strong> up to A level because of housing benefit regulations, says the <a href="http://www.foyer.net/mpn/story.php?sid=1389" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.foyer.net/mpn/story.php?sid=1389’);"><strong>Foyer Federation.</strong></a></p>
 <p>New research from the <a href="http://www.cml.org.uk/cml/filegrab/032007Affordability.pdf?ref=5390" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.cml.org.uk/cml/filegrab/032007Affordability.pdf?ref=5390’);"><strong>Council of Mortgage Lenders</strong></a> [downloads PDF] says 38% of <strong>first-time buyers</strong> under 30 got help with their deposit from their parents and others.</p>
 <p>Most of today&rsquo;s papers cover new statistics showing a <a href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article1826737.ece" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article1826737.ece’);"><strong>million migrants</strong></a> have gained British citizenship since 1997.</p>
 <p><strong>Margaret Hodge</strong> continues to generate the column inches. The <a href="http://comment.independent.co.uk/leading_articles/article2573274.ece" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://comment.independent.co.uk/leading_articles/article2573274.ece’);" target="_blank"><strong>Independent</strong></a> accusing her of playing into the hands of the BNP and its columnist Deborah Orr calls her &lsquo;simple-minded&rsquo; while also exploring the issue of need.</p>
 <p>The minister has also achieved the rare feat of turning a housing issue into a hot topic on the <a href="http://www.google.co.uk/blogsearch?hl=en&amp;ie=UTF-8&amp;q=%22Margaret+Hodge%22+housing&amp;btnG=Search+Blogs" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.google.co.uk/blogsearch?hl=en&amp;ie=UTF-8&amp;q=%22Margaret+Hodge%22+housing&amp;btnG=Search+Blogs’);" target="_blank"><strong>blogosphere</strong></a> &ndash; more than 2,000 blog entries so far and counting. Go <a href="http://smalltownscribble.blogspot.com/2007/05/message-to-margaret-hodge-mp.html" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://smalltownscribble.blogspot.com/2007/05/message-to-margaret-hodge-mp.html’);"><strong>here</strong></a> and <a href="http://conservativehome.blogs.com/torydiary/2007/05/labour_minister.htmlng&amp;btnG=Search+Blogs" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://conservativehome.blogs.com/torydiary/2007/05/labour_minister.htmlng&amp;btnG=Search+Blogs’);" target="_blank"><strong>here</strong></a> for opposing views.</p>
																</div>
					</div>
							<div class="blog_comments"><p><a class="add_comment" href="../../roofblog/2007/05/lunchtime_news_may_23#comments">Add comment</a> <strong>(0 comments)</strong></p></div>
							<div class="blog_tags">
								<p><strong>Tags: </strong><a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/affordability" title="affordability">affordability</a>, <a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/homelessness" title="homelessness">homelessness</a>, <a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/housing-market" title="housing market">housing market</a>, <a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/development" title="development">development</a>, <a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/migration" title="migration">migration</a>, <a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/community-relations" title="community relations">community relations</a>, <a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/estate-agent" title="estate agent">estate agent</a></p>
							</div>
						</div>
  					<div class="blog_item clearfix">
							<h2><a href="../../roofblog/2007/05/lunchtime_news_may_22">Lunchtime news May 22</a></h2>
								<div class="clearfix">
								<div class="post_details">
									<p class="blog_date">22/05/2023</p>
									<p class="blog_author"><strong>Posted by:</strong><br/>Julian Birch</p>
								</div>
								<div class="summary">
								<p>Yesterday&rsquo;s <a href="http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1510503" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1510503’);"><strong>planning white paper</strong></a> rejected changes in policy on the green belt &ndash; one of the key concerns raised by <a href="http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/independent_reviews/barker_review_land_use_planning/barkerreview_land_use_planning_index.cfm" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/independent_reviews/barker_review_land_use_planning/barkerreview_land_use_planning_index.cfm’);"><strong>Kate Barker</strong></a> in her independent review of land use planning just six months ago. Barker <a href="http://www.shelter-hosting.org.uk/roofblog/?p=108#more-108" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.shelter-hosting.org.uk/roofblog/?p=108#more-108’);"><strong>argued</strong></a> that the green belt now accounts for 13% of land in England and that policy had to be reviewed, with particular encouragement for proposals that include measures to enhance the surrounding area, such as open-access woodland. However, the white paper commits the govenment to existing policy on the green belt and no fundamental change to planning policy.</p>
 <p>The <a href="http://www.cofe.anglican.org/news/pr4607.html" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.cofe.anglican.org/news/pr4607.html’);"><strong>Church of England</strong></a> has thrown its weight behind the <a href="http://www.stillhuman.org.uk/" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.stillhuman.org.uk/’);"><strong>Still Human Still Here</strong></a> campaign to highlight the plight of refused asylum seekers.</p>
 <p><strong>Polly Toynbee</strong> lays into the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats in her <a href="http://environment.guardian.co.uk/climatechange/story/0,,2085294,00.html" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://environment.guardian.co.uk/climatechange/story/0,,2085294,00.html’);"><strong>Guardian</strong></a> column for playing politics with climate change by opposing <strong>home information packs</strong> in the Lords.</p>
 <p><strong>Margaret Hodge</strong>&rsquo;s call for British people to get priority for council housing continues to generate controversy and coverage. <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/immigration/story/0,,2085204,00.html" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.guardian.co.uk/immigration/story/0,,2085204,00.html’);" target="_blank"><strong>Guardian</strong></a> reporters gauge reaction in Barking while a <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/story/0,,2085065,00.html" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/story/0,,2085065,00.html’);"><strong>leader</strong></a> says she is misguided. But Patrick O&rsquo;Flynn in the <a href="http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/7693" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/7693’);"><strong>Express</strong></a> says &lsquo;at last, someone gets it&rsquo;.</p>
 <p>Labour deputy leadership candidate <strong>Jon Cruddas</strong> tells the <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/guardianpolitics/story/0,,2085071,00.html" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.guardian.co.uk/guardianpolitics/story/0,,2085071,00.html’);"><strong>Guardian</strong></a> why housing is at the heart of his campaign. &lsquo;When we started talking about housing a year ago, no one was talking about it &ndash; now everyone is,&rsquo; he says.</p>
 <p>The DCLG says it will consider reforming or scrapping a range of <strong>performance indicators</strong> on housing and homelessness. The detail of its <a href="http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1510690" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1510690’);"><strong>response</strong></a> to the Lifting the Burdens Task Force Report on housing and planning, says it will consider a proposal to drop the &lsquo;meaningless&rsquo; indicator on the number of rough sleepers.</p>
																</div>
					</div>
							<div class="blog_comments"><p><a class="add_comment" href="../../roofblog/2007/05/lunchtime_news_may_22#comments">Add comment</a> <strong>(0 comments)</strong></p></div>
							<div class="blog_tags">
								<p><strong>Tags: </strong><a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/environment" title="environment">environment</a>, <a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/planning" title="planning">planning</a>, <a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/asylum-seekers" title="asylum seekers">asylum seekers</a>, <a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/politics" title="politics">politics</a>, <a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/community-relations" title="community relations">community relations</a></p>
							</div>
						</div>
  					<div class="blog_item clearfix">
							<h2><a href="../../roofblog/2007/05/lunchtime_news_may_21">Lunchtime news May 21</a></h2>
								<div class="clearfix">
								<div class="post_details">
									<p class="blog_date">21/05/2023</p>
									<p class="blog_author"><strong>Posted by:</strong><br/>Julian Birch</p>
								</div>
								<div class="summary">
								<p>Government housing policy is still failing on sustainability, according to a major report from the <a href="http://www.sd-commission.org.uk/pages/200507.html" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.sd-commission.org.uk/pages/200507.html’);" target="_blank">Sustainable Development Commission</a> this morning. The report says it has made progress with its pledge on zero carbon homes but criticises development in areas of water stress, demolition of homes in the North and Midlands and divisions between private and affordable homes. &lsquo;Few communities built so far are living up to the promise of being environmentally sensitive, well-connected, thriving and inclusive,&rsquo; it says.</p>
 <p>The <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6675137.stm" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6675137.stm’);">planning white paper</a> due to be published later today looks set to recommend scrapping planning inquiries for major projects and scrapping planning permission for minor household alterations. But the advance coverage is much less certain what it will say about the green belt.</p>
 <p>Mortgage lending in April was up 18% on last year, according to <a href="http://www.cml.org.uk/cml/media/press/1164" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.cml.org.uk/cml/media/press/1164’);" target="_blank">CML</a> figures this morning, but it said lending was now &lsquo;stabilising&rsquo; following the major growth seen in 2006. The <a href="http://www.bba.org.uk/bba/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=145&amp;a=9501" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.bba.org.uk/bba/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=145&amp;a=9501’);">British Bankers Association</a> said mortgage lending was up by &pound;5bn but that the market was slowing down because of high house prices and rising interest rates.</p>
 <p>Industry minister and Barking MP <strong>Margaret Hodge</strong> called for people born in Britain to get priority for housing in an <a href="http://observer.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,2083763,00.html" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://observer.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,2083763,00.html’);" target="_blank"><strong>Observer</strong></a> article on Sunday that gets extensive <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6676471.stm" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6676471.stm’);" target="_blank">coverage</a> and <a href="http://politics.guardian.co.uk/homeaffairs/story/0,,2084327,00.html?gusrc=rss&amp;feed=networkfront" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://politics.guardian.co.uk/homeaffairs/story/0,,2084327,00.html?gusrc=rss&amp;feed=networkfront’);" target="_blank">criticism</a> this morning.</p>
 <p>Nicola Sturgeon will have cabinet-level responsibility for housing in the new <a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2007/05/17111128" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2007/05/17111128’);" target="_blank">SNP minority administration in Scotland</a>. She was named cabinet secretary for health and well-being, a portfolio that includes housing and regneration, on Thursday.</p>
 <p>House prices in Scotland fell 2.2% in the first quarter of the year, according to <a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2007/05/18101856" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2007/05/18101856’);" target="_blank">Registers of Scotland</a>, but prices were still up 12.3% over the last year.</p>
 <p>Tenants in <strong>Lambeth</strong> will get a vote on the council&rsquo;s plan for an <strong>almo</strong>, according to the <a href="http://icsouthlondon.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0200southlondonheadlines/tm_headline=ballot-to-decide-future-of-controversial-almo&amp;method=full&amp;objectid=19120607&amp;siteid=50100-name_page.html" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://icsouthlondon.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0200southlondonheadlines/tm_headline=ballot-to-decide-future-of-controversial-almo&amp;method=full&amp;objectid=19120607&amp;siteid=50100-name_page.html’);" target="_blank"><strong>South London Press.</strong></a> The council had previously said it would carry out a &lsquo;test of opinion&rsquo; rather than a ballot.</p>
 <p>The <a href="http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1510684" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1510684’);" target="_blank"><strong>DCLG</strong></a> has published a guide to <strong>student accommodation</strong> aimed at landlords and students.</p>
																</div>
					</div>
							<div class="blog_comments"><p><a class="add_comment" href="../../roofblog/2007/05/lunchtime_news_may_21#comments">Add comment</a> <strong>(0 comments)</strong></p></div>
							<div class="blog_tags">
								<p><strong>Tags: </strong><a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/mortgage" title="mortgage">mortgage</a>, <a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/environment" title="environment">environment</a>, <a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/planning" title="planning">planning</a>, <a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/almos" title="almos">almos</a>, <a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/house-prices" title="house prices">house prices</a>, <a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/scotland" title="scotland">scotland</a>, <a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/private-renting" title="private renting">private renting</a></p>
							</div>
						</div>
  					<div class="blog_item clearfix">
							<h2><a href="../../roofblog/2007/05/lunchtime_news_may_18">Lunchtime news May 18</a></h2>
								<div class="clearfix">
								<div class="post_details">
									<p class="blog_date">18/05/2023</p>
									<p class="blog_author"><strong>Posted by:</strong><br/>Julian Birch</p>
								</div>
								<div class="summary">
								<p>Almost a million children are trapped in <strong>overcrowded housing</strong>, according to a new campaign launched by <a href="http://england.shelter.org.uk/home/home-8130.cfm" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://england.shelter.org.uk/home/home-8130.cfm’);" target="_blank"><strong>Shelter</strong></a> today. The total has risen 50,000 to 955,000 in the last three years. The campaign includes a new <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=111d887gyak" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=111d887gyak’);" target="_blank"><strong>video</strong></a> and a call to email communities secretary Ruth Kelly to update the current overcrowding standard.</p>
 <p><strong>Sarah Webb</strong> will be the new chief executive of the <a href="http://www.cih.org/news/view.php?id=728" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.cih.org/news/view.php?id=728’);" target="_blank"><strong>CIH</strong></a>. Previously deputy chief executive of the CIH and head of the ODPM&rsquo;s community housing task force, she will take over from David Butler. She was quickly into action yesterday in support of <a href="http://www.cih.org/news/view.php?id=730" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.cih.org/news/view.php?id=730’);" target="_blank"><strong>home information packs </strong></a>- because they benefit first-time buyers.</p>
 <p><strong>Gordon Brown</strong> and his ally <strong>Yvette Cooper</strong> are planning to make support for house building a significant dividing line between Labour and the Conservatives, reports <a href="http://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/article/?id=1449027" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/article/?id=1449027’);" target="_blank"><strong>Inside Housing</strong></a>.</p>
 <p>A vote in the <strong>European Parliament</strong> could clear the way for releasing billions of pounds worth of structural funds for housing, reports <a href="http://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/article/?id=1449017" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/article/?id=1449017’);" target="_blank"><strong>Inside Housing</strong></a>.</p>
 <p>The minimum wage and tax credits have failed to cut the <strong>income inequality</strong> Labour inherited from the Conservatives, according to new statistics reported in the <a href="http://society.guardian.co.uk/socialexclusion/story/0,,2082827,00.html?gusrc=rss&amp;feed=9" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://society.guardian.co.uk/socialexclusion/story/0,,2082827,00.html?gusrc=rss&amp;feed=9’);" target="_blank"><strong>Guardian</strong></a>.</p>
 <p>The Financial Services Authority has issued a warning about the buy to let market, with borrowers losing money and lenders not knowing the true quality of their loan books, reports the <a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/a391e2d4-04db-11dc-80ed-000b5df10621.html" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.ft.com/cms/s/a391e2d4-04db-11dc-80ed-000b5df10621.html’);" target="_blank"><strong>Financial Times</strong></a>.</p>
 <p><strong>Housing starts</strong> in England fell 6% in 2006/07 to 173,400 after rising for the previous five years, according to the <a href="http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1002882&amp;PressNoticeID=2422" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1002882&amp;PressNoticeID=2422’);" target="_blank"><strong>DCLG</strong></a>. Completions rose 3%.</p>
 <p><strong>Inner city regneration</strong> won&rsquo;t be enough to solve the housing crisis, says NHF chief executive David Orr in a <a href="http://society.guardian.co.uk/communities/comment/0,,2082490,00.html" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://society.guardian.co.uk/communities/comment/0,,2082490,00.html’);" target="_blank"><strong>Guardian</strong></a> response to <a href="http://society.guardian.co.uk/communities/story/0,,2080518,00.html" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://society.guardian.co.uk/communities/story/0,,2080518,00.html’);" target="_blank"><strong>Simon Jenkins</strong></a> earlier this week.</p>
																</div>
					</div>
							<div class="blog_comments"><p><a class="add_comment" href="../../roofblog/2007/05/lunchtime_news_may_18#comments">Add comment</a> <strong>(0 comments)</strong></p></div>
							<div class="blog_tags">
								<p><strong>Tags: </strong><a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/development" title="development">development</a>, <a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/design" title="design">design</a>, <a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/politics" title="politics">politics</a></p>
							</div>
						</div>
  					<div class="blog_item clearfix">
							<h2><a href="../../roofblog/2007/05/late_lunchtime_news_17_may">Late-lunchtime news 17 May</a></h2>
								<div class="clearfix">
								<div class="post_details">
									<p class="blog_date">17/05/2023</p>
									<p class="blog_author"><strong>Posted by:</strong><br/>Bill Rashl</p>
								</div>
								<div class="summary">
								<p>England is one of the worst countries in the developed world in which to be a child, according to <strong>Sir Albert Aynsley-Green</strong>, <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/05/17/nkids17.xml" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/05/17/nkids17.xml’);">the Children&rsquo;s Commissioner</a>.</p>
 <p>There are rumblings that the <a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/ac146ce2-0413-11dc-a931-000b5df10621.html" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.ft.com/cms/s/ac146ce2-0413-11dc-a931-000b5df10621.html’);">Bank of England is primed to raise interest rates again</a> to 5.75 per cent &ndash; as soon as next month. The bank admits that consumers have become <strong>more sensitive to changes in interest rates</strong> because of the <a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/ac146ce2-0413-11dc-a931-000b5df10621.html" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.ft.com/cms/s/ac146ce2-0413-11dc-a931-000b5df10621.html’);">high levels of personal debt</a>.</p>
 <p>Almost <a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/5a2dfc36-0413-11dc-a931-000b5df10621.html" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.ft.com/cms/s/5a2dfc36-0413-11dc-a931-000b5df10621.html’);">2,000 people have registered an interest in buying one of Britain&rsquo;s first BoKloks</a>, <strong>flat pack housing</strong> pioneered by Ikea, before work begins in Gateshead.</p>
 <p>The government&rsquo;s fabled <strong>60,000 homes</strong> will actually be <strong>sold for about &pound;200,000</strong> at a development in Milton Keynes.</p>
 <p><strong>Nationwide&rsquo;s chief executive</strong> defends the building society&rsquo;s reputation for responsible lending on the <strong>Today Programme</strong> following a report that lending was up 78 per cent this year from the previous year.</p>
 <p>New police powers to <strong>&rsquo;shut and seal&rsquo; premises</strong> &ndash; including flats &ndash; that generate anti-social behaviour have been attacked by Shelter for failing to tackle the root of the problem.</p>
 <p>Speaking at the CBI Gordon Brown has confirmed that the <a href="http://www.shelter-hosting.org.uk/roofblog/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/planning.pdf" title="planning">planning white paper</a> will be unveiled on Monday 21 May.</p>
																</div>
					</div>
							<div class="blog_comments"><p><a class="add_comment" href="../../roofblog/2007/05/late_lunchtime_news_17_may#comments">Add comment</a> <strong>(0 comments)</strong></p></div>
							<div class="blog_tags">
								<p><strong>Tags: </strong><a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/news" title="news">news</a></p>
							</div>
						</div>
  					<div class="blog_item clearfix">
							<h2><a href="../../roofblog/2007/05/lunchtime_news_15_may">Lunchtime news 15 May</a></h2>
								<div class="clearfix">
								<div class="post_details">
									<p class="blog_date">15/05/2023</p>
									<p class="blog_author"><strong>Posted by:</strong><br/>Bill Rashl</p>
								</div>
								<div class="summary">
								<p><a href="http://www.shelter-hosting.org.uk/roofblog/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/yvette-cooper-speech.pdf" title="Yvette Cooper’s speech at the Fabian Society">Yvette Cooper&rsquo;s speech at the Fabian Society</a> named <strong>climate change</strong> and <strong>political opposition to new building</strong> as the government&rsquo;s two main housing challenges.</p>
 <p><strong>Shelter Cymru&rsquo;s</strong> 2007 Annual Conference, &lsquo;People and Homes&rsquo; will take place between June 28th and 29th</p>
 <p>The <strong>Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors</strong> (RICS) is seeking a judicial review in <a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/c9cc0048-034a-11dc-a023-000b5df10621.html" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.ft.com/cms/s/c9cc0048-034a-11dc-a023-000b5df10621.html’);">a last-ditch legal attempt</a> to block the introduction of home information packs.</p>
 <p>For anyone still unsure what all the fuss is about, the Independent has produced a <a href="http://money.independent.co.uk/property/homes/article2548720.ece" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://money.independent.co.uk/property/homes/article2548720.ece’);">bluffers guide</a> to HIPs.</p>
 <p><strong>Gordon Brown</strong> comes in for stick from Simon Jenkins, who writes in <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/Columnists/Column/0,,2080517,00.html" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.guardian.co.uk/Columnists/Column/0,,2080517,00.html’);">the Guardian</a> that the push for new homes is more about pleasing developers than the people who need the homes.</p>
 <p>Residents of the <strong>Ocean estate</strong> in Stepney, where only about 40% of men are in paid employment, are being given first refusal of all non-medical jobs at Tower Hamlets primary care trust as part of <a href="http://society.guardian.co.uk/offdiary/story/0,,2079989,00.html" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://society.guardian.co.uk/offdiary/story/0,,2079989,00.html’);">a new scheme to boost employment in the area</a>.</p>
 <p>How can we ensure that future social housing is of top quality? The <strong>Housing Corporation</strong> publishes <a href="http://www.housingcorp.gov.uk/server/show/ConWebDoc.11044/changeNav/431" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.housingcorp.gov.uk/server/show/ConWebDoc.11044/changeNav/431’);">the report of an independent commission</a> outlining how this might be achieved.</p>
 <p>It now costs an average of &pound;16,000 to move home according to a <a href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/money/city/tm_headline=huge-cost-of-moving--%26method=full%26objectid=19111485%26siteid=89520-name_page.html" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/money/city/tm_headline=huge-cost-of-moving--%26method=full%26objectid=19111485%26siteid=89520-name_page.html’);">survey conducted by the Abbey</a>. Last year Britons spent &pound;28billion on moving.</p>
 <p>A <a href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/money/city/tm_headline=lenders-quietly-squeeze-you-for-an-extra-%2Dpound%2D660m--%26method=full%26objectid=19111481%26siteid=89520-name_page.html" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/money/city/tm_headline=lenders-quietly-squeeze-you-for-an-extra-%2Dpound%2D660m--%26method=full%26objectid=19111481%26siteid=89520-name_page.html’);">Mirror investigation</a> has revealed how the top 10 mortgage lenders have taken advantage of interest rate changes in the past six years to boost their annual profits by &pound;660million.</p>
																</div>
					</div>
							<div class="blog_comments"><p><a class="add_comment" href="../../roofblog/2007/05/lunchtime_news_15_may#comments">Add comment</a> <strong>(0 comments)</strong></p></div>
							<div class="blog_tags">
								<p><strong>Tags: </strong><a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/news" title="news">news</a></p>
							</div>
						</div>
  					<div class="blog_item clearfix">
							<h2><a href="../../roofblog/2007/05/lunchtime_news_14_may">Lunchtime news 14 May</a></h2>
								<div class="clearfix">
								<div class="post_details">
									<p class="blog_date">14/05/2023</p>
									<p class="blog_author"><strong>Posted by:</strong><br/>Bill Rashl</p>
								</div>
								<div class="summary">
								<p>Speaking on the<strong>Today programme,</strong> Gordon Brown announced a <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/today/listenagain/ram/today2_20070514.ram" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/today/listenagain/ram/today2_20070514.ram ‘);">pledge to bring one million children out of bad housing</a> by 2016. The <strong>Sun </strong>labels Brown &lsquo;Bob the builder&rsquo; reporting that<strong> </strong><a href="http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2007220122,00.html" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2007220122,00.html’);">two million children </a><a href="http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2007220122,00.html" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2007220122,00.html’);">will be helped into better housing</a><a href="http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2007220122,00.html" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2007220122,00.html’);"> by a new building programme</a>.</p>
 <p><strong>The BBC</strong> has obtained <strong>a letter to the Treasury</strong> from local authority leaders which claims <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6652671.stm" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6652671.stm’);">the number of migrants entering the Uk has been seriously underestimated</a>.</p>
 <p>The <a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/666425ca-0189-11dc-8b8c-000b5df10621,dwp_uuid=34c8a8a6-2f7b-11da-8b51-00000e2511c8.html" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.ft.com/cms/s/666425ca-0189-11dc-8b8c-000b5df10621,dwp_uuid=34c8a8a6-2f7b-11da-8b51-00000e2511c8.html’);">Financial Times</a>, <strong>Guardian</strong> and <strong>Independent</strong> all report that Gordon Brown has underlined his <a href="http://environment.guardian.co.uk/ethicalliving/story/0,,2078921,00.html" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://environment.guardian.co.uk/ethicalliving/story/0,,2078921,00.html’);">determination to win over middle England</a> with a pledge to create a <strong>&rsquo;home-owning democracy.&rsquo;</strong></p>
 <p>Meanwhile <a href="http://politics.guardian.co.uk/labourleadership/story/0,,2079074,00.html" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://politics.guardian.co.uk/labourleadership/story/0,,2079074,00.html’);">Brown&rsquo;s leadership rivals received more robust treatment</a> from the Chancellor during a debate over housing.</p>
 <p>&rsquo;If our <strong>planning system</strong> is so slow and dreadful why has the UK economy outperformed almost all its competitors since the mid-1990s&rsquo; asks Brian Ross in a <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/letters/story/0,,2078721,00.html" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.guardian.co.uk/letters/story/0,,2078721,00.html’);">letter to the Guardian</a>?</p>
																</div>
					</div>
							<div class="blog_comments"><p><a class="add_comment" href="../../roofblog/2007/05/lunchtime_news_14_may#comments">Add comment</a> <strong>(0 comments)</strong></p></div>
							<div class="blog_tags">
								<p><strong>Tags: </strong><a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/affordability" title="affordability">affordability</a>, <a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/planning" title="planning">planning</a>, <a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/asylum-seekers" title="asylum seekers">asylum seekers</a>, <a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/politics" title="politics">politics</a>, <a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/migration" title="migration">migration</a></p>
							</div>
						</div>
  					<div class="blog_item clearfix">
							<h2><a href="../../roofblog/2007/05/weekend_news_round_up_13_may">Weekend news round-up 13 May</a></h2>
								<div class="clearfix">
								<div class="post_details">
									<p class="blog_date">14/05/2023</p>
									<p class="blog_author"><strong>Posted by:</strong><br/>Bill Rashl</p>
								</div>
								<div class="summary">
								<p>Gordon Brown&rsquo;s first <a href="http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/6900" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/6900’);">10,000 home town</a> will be built on the <strong>abandoned Oakington Barracks</strong> in Cambridgeshire reports the Express. The town will be one of <a href="http://observer.guardian.co.uk/politics/story/0,,2078595,00.html" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://observer.guardian.co.uk/politics/story/0,,2078595,00.html’);">five new eco-towns</a> which will provide 100,000 new homes, reports <strong>the Observer.</strong></p>
 <p>Only 27 per cent of people surveyed by the website Propertyfinder.com know what a <strong>home information pack</strong> is, three weeks before they become compulsory for properties being sold reports the <strong>Sunday Times</strong> in a <a href="http://property.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/property/buying_and_selling/article1771886.ece" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://property.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/property/buying_and_selling/article1771886.ece’);">stats filled report on the housing market</a>. The paper advises borrowers hit by the latest rate rise to <a href="http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/money/mortgages/article1781287.ece" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/money/mortgages/article1781287.ece’);">remortgage without delay.</a></p>
 <p>A draft order approving the Home Information Packs will be laid before the House of Lords on Thursday. The <strong>Sunday Telegraph</strong> reports that <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/05/13/nhips13.xml" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/05/13/nhips13.xml’);">politicians are being urged by opponents of HIPs to block the packs through the upper house</a>.</p>
 <p><strong>Slough</strong> is struggling to support over <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/immigration/story/0,,2078569,00.html" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.guardian.co.uk/immigration/story/0,,2078569,00.html’);">90 Roma children</a>, some as young as 10, who have arrived unaccompanied in the town from Eastern Europe.</p>
 <p>The Observer meets a <strong>Hackney homeowner</strong> who <a href="http://money.guardian.co.uk/houseprices/story/0,,2078280,00.html" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://money.guardian.co.uk/houseprices/story/0,,2078280,00.html’);">won his house in a GLC lottery in 1977</a> and is surprised to hear it&rsquo;s now worth nearer &pound;800,000.</p>
																</div>
					</div>
							<div class="blog_comments"><p><a class="add_comment" href="../../roofblog/2007/05/weekend_news_round_up_13_may#comments">Add comment</a> <strong>(0 comments)</strong></p></div>
							<div class="blog_tags">
								<p><strong>Tags: </strong><a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/news" title="news">news</a></p>
							</div>
						</div>
  					<div class="blog_item clearfix">
							<h2><a href="../../roofblog/2007/05/weekend_news_round_up_12_may">Weekend news round-up 12 May</a></h2>
								<div class="clearfix">
								<div class="post_details">
									<p class="blog_date">14/05/2023</p>
									<p class="blog_author"><strong>Posted by:</strong><br/>Bill Rashl</p>
								</div>
								<div class="summary">
								<p><strong>House prices</strong> have almost trebled during the Blair decade, according to the <a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/a503013a-0025-11dc-8c98-000b5df10621.html" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.ft.com/cms/s/a503013a-0025-11dc-8c98-000b5df10621.html’);">FT house price index.</a> The paper also predicts <a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/ea44ddee-0026-11dc-8c98-000b5df10621.html" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.ft.com/cms/s/ea44ddee-0026-11dc-8c98-000b5df10621.html’);">another interest rate rise</a> this year.</p>
 <p><strong>The Independent</strong> reports that more than <a href="http://money.independent.co.uk/property/mortgages/article2532111.ece" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://money.independent.co.uk/property/mortgages/article2532111.ece’);">one in seven people will now struggle to pay their mortgage</a> following last week&rsquo;s hike in interest rates.</p>
 <p>According to <strong>The Times</strong>, the rise in rates will to <a href="http://property.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/property/article1780069.ece" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://property.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/property/article1780069.ece’);">accentuate the divide between house prices</a> outside the capital and those in the plusher parts of London.</p>
 <p>Has the <strong>buy-to-let market</strong> reached <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2007/05/12/pword12.xml" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2007/05/12/pword12.xml’);">saturation point,</a> asks the Telegraph?</p>
 <p><strong>Gordon Brown</strong> receives a vocal welcome in Brighton from the internet-based pressure group Priced Out. The <a href="http://money.guardian.co.uk/houseprices/story/0,,2077673,00.html" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://money.guardian.co.uk/houseprices/story/0,,2077673,00.html’);">campaigners plan to picket the chancellor</a> when he speaks at Brighton&rsquo;s Dome to highlight the problem of escalating house prices.</p>
 <p>&rsquo;What about the <a href="http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/6829" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/6829’);">immense tolerance shown by British families in overcrowded homes </a>who see new social housing given to asylum seekers?&rsquo; rails the Express in <strong>yet another comment on Blair&rsquo;s legacy</strong>.</p>
																</div>
					</div>
							<div class="blog_comments"><p><a class="add_comment" href="../../roofblog/2007/05/weekend_news_round_up_12_may#comments">Add comment</a> <strong>(0 comments)</strong></p></div>
							<div class="blog_tags">
								<p><strong>Tags: </strong><a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/mortgage" title="mortgage">mortgage</a>, <a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/affordability" title="affordability">affordability</a>, <a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/house-prices" title="house prices">house prices</a>, <a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/asylum-seekers" title="asylum seekers">asylum seekers</a>, <a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/buy-to-let" title="buy to let">buy to let</a>, <a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/migration" title="migration">migration</a></p>
							</div>
						</div>
  					<div class="blog_item clearfix">
							<h2><a href="../../roofblog/2007/05/lunchtime_news_may_11">Lunchtime news May 11</a></h2>
								<div class="clearfix">
								<div class="post_details">
									<p class="blog_date">11/05/2023</p>
									<p class="blog_author"><strong>Posted by:</strong><br/>Bill Rashl</p>
								</div>
								<div class="summary">
								<p>The <a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/4012b1c8-ff15-11db-aff2-000b5df10621.html" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.ft.com/cms/s/4012b1c8-ff15-11db-aff2-000b5df10621.html’);">Financial Times house price index</a> for April shows <strong>stable house price inflation</strong> across the country (see <a href="http://www.ft.com/housepricemap" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.ft.com/housepricemap’);">interactive map</a>).</p>
 <p>Legacy fever continues with the Times commenting that one of the intractable endowment&rsquo;s of the <strong>Blair decade</strong> has been &lsquo;<a href="http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/columnists/article1774685.ece" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/columnists/article1774685.ece’);">the distortion of any normal or sustainable relation between house prices and people&rsquo;s incomes</a>.&rsquo;</p>
 <p>In a <strong>Bricks and Mortar special on first time buyers</strong>, <a href="http://property.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/property/new_homes/article1771467.ece" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://property.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/property/new_homes/article1771467.ece’);">Michael Gove</a> calls for more homes to be built, there&rsquo;s a <a href="http://property.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/property/buying_and_selling/article1771495.ece" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://property.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/property/buying_and_selling/article1771495.ece’);">guide to the government&rsquo;s low cost home ownership schemes; </a>plus a selection of options for first time buyers.</p>
 <p>The supplement also reports on a new readiness to consider the situation of the <strong>3.1 million people over 30</strong> who &lsquo;<a href="http://property.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/property/buying_and_selling/article1771347.ece" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://property.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/property/buying_and_selling/article1771347.ece’);">expected to retire in their own homes but will actually live out their golden years in rented accommodation</a>&rsquo;</p>
 <p>The <a href="http://news.independent.co.uk/business/news/article2530827.ece" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://news.independent.co.uk/business/news/article2530827.ece’);">Independent</a>, the <a href="http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2007210800,00.html" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2007210800,00.html’);">Sun</a> and the <a href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/topstories/tm_headline=up%2D-up%2D-up%2D-up%26method=full%26objectid=19083834%26siteid=89520-name_page.html" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/topstories/tm_headline=up%2D-up%2D-up%2D-up%26method=full%26objectid=19083834%26siteid=89520-name_page.html’);">Mirror</a> all report that yesterday&rsquo;s rate rises represent another <strong>nail in the coffin of struggling homeowners</strong>.</p>
 <p><strong>Complaints against estate agents</strong> are running at an all time high reports The Express. The paper reveals that the ombudsman for estate agents received <a href="http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/6694" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/6694’);">8,000 enquiries from angry customers</a> in 2006.</p>
																</div>
					</div>
							<div class="blog_comments"><p><a class="add_comment" href="../../roofblog/2007/05/lunchtime_news_may_11#comments">Add comment</a> <strong>(0 comments)</strong></p></div>
							<div class="blog_tags">
								<p><strong>Tags: </strong><a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/news" title="news">news</a></p>
							</div>
						</div>
  					<div class="blog_item clearfix">
							<h2><a href="../../roofblog/2007/05/lunchtime_news_may_9">Lunchtime news May 9</a></h2>
								<div class="clearfix">
								<div class="post_details">
									<p class="blog_date">09/05/2023</p>
									<p class="blog_author"><strong>Posted by:</strong><br/>Emma Hawke</p>
								</div>
								<div class="summary">
								<p>Commenting in the Evening Standard, Shelter chief executive <strong>Adam Sampson </strong>warns that <a href="http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23395613-details/Homes%20costing%20%C3%82%C2%A3100,000%20’on%20the%20brink%20of%20extinction’/article.do" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23395613-details/Homes%20costing%20%C3%82%C2%A3100,000%20’on%20the%20brink%20of%20extinction’/article.do’);">homes in London costing less than &pound;100,000 could soon be a thing of the past</a>.<o></o></p>
 <p>An increasingly detached underclass are <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,2076079,00.html" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,2076079,00.html’);">the real victims of our dysfunctional housing market</a> argues the author <strong>Mark Braund</strong> in today&rsquo;s Guardian.<o></o></p>
 <p>Making affordable housing a central part of Gordon Brown&rsquo;s new agenda offers Labour a great opportunity to <strong>reconnect with the rural vote</strong> writes Dr Stuart Burgess, in the <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/letters/story/0,,2075981,00.html" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.guardian.co.uk/letters/story/0,,2075981,00.html’);">letters</a> section of the Guardian.<o></o></p>
 <p><a href="http://news.independent.co.uk/business/comment/article2527743.ece" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://news.independent.co.uk/business/comment/article2527743.ece’);">Why are parts of London the most expensive residential areas in the world</a>? Because some of the money swishing round Russia, the Middle East and East Asia has to find a home somewhere, says <strong>the Independent</strong>.<o></o></p>
 <p>Most papers cover the news that <strong>the Bank of England increased interest rates by 0.25 per cent to 5.5 per cent at noon today</strong>. <a href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/leading_article/article1769259.ece" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/leading_article/article1769259.ece’);">The Times</a> says the move may create more losers in the short term than winners &ndash; particularly homeowners with variable-rate mortgages.<o></o></p>
 <p>In a <a href="http://comment.independent.co.uk/leading_articles/article2527685.ece" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://comment.independent.co.uk/leading_articles/article2527685.ece’);">thundering leader article on rates</a>, <strong>the Independent</strong> says that &lsquo;housing is a huge problem in much of the country, not just for those trying to buy their first home, but for families needing more room and those whose circumstances change.&rsquo;<o></o></p>
 <p>Writing in the Standard <strong>Nick Cohen</strong> investigates how people are forced to spend a huge percentage of their money on housing costs.</p>
 <p> The <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=453728&amp;in_page_id=1770" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=453728&amp;in_page_id=1770’);">Daily Mail&rsquo;s campaign against Eastern European immigrants</a> continues with a report that the number of visitors from Eastern Europe has risen by a quarter since Romania and Bulgaria joined the EU. The paper at least admits that the figures released by the <strong>Office for National Statistics</strong> quantify visitors from around the world who said their stay in Britain would be temporary.</p>
																</div>
					</div>
							<div class="blog_comments"><p><a class="add_comment" href="../../roofblog/2007/05/lunchtime_news_may_9#comments">Add comment</a> <strong>(0 comments)</strong></p></div>
							<div class="blog_tags">
								<p><strong>Tags: </strong><a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/mortgage" title="mortgage">mortgage</a>, <a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/affordability" title="affordability">affordability</a>, <a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/social-housing" title="social housing">social housing</a>, <a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/housing-market" title="housing market">housing market</a>, <a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/planning" title="planning">planning</a>, <a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/almos" title="almos">almos</a>, <a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/house-prices" title="house prices">house prices</a>, <a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/politics" title="politics">politics</a>, <a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/news" title="news">news</a>, <a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/private-renting" title="private renting">private renting</a></p>
							</div>
						</div>
  					<div class="blog_item clearfix">
							<h2><a href="../../roofblog/2007/05/lunchtime_news_may_4">Lunchtime news May 4</a></h2>
								<div class="clearfix">
								<div class="post_details">
									<p class="blog_date">04/05/2023</p>
									<p class="blog_author"><strong>Posted by:</strong><br/>Bill Rashl</p>
								</div>
								<div class="summary">
								<p><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/today/listenagain/ram/today0_20070504.ram" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/today/listenagain/ram/today0_20070504.ram’);">The Today programme </a>on Radio 4 and <strong>Radio 5 Live </strong>both follow up <strong>ROOF&rsquo;s revelations </strong>that sub-prime lenders are behind a surge in repossession actions in the courts. The research at Kingston-upon-Thames county court found that <strong>repossession actions at the court nearly doubled</strong> between 2003 and 2006 . More than half of the people facing repossession had mortgage contracts with sub-prime lenders. For the full story, see <a href="http://www.shelter-hosting.org.uk/roofblog/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/raging-bull-lo.pdf" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.shelter-hosting.org.uk/roofblog/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/raging-bull-lo.pdf’);">Howard Springett&rsquo;s article in this issue of ROOF</a>.</p>
 <p>Writing in <a href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/columnists/routledge/tm_method=full%26objectid=19044485%26siteid=89520-name_page.html" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/columnists/routledge/tm_method=full%26objectid=19044485%26siteid=89520-name_page.html’);">the Mirror</a>, <strong>Paul Routledge</strong> calls on Gordon Brown to build more social housing when he finally his hands on the keys for number 10</p>
 <p><strong>The Times</strong> traces the <a href="http://property.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/property/investment/article1741849.ece" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://property.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/property/investment/article1741849.ece’);">Blair&rsquo;s housing history</a> from a scruffy terrace in Dalston, East London to a &pound;3.65 million mansion in Connaught Square. The paper also reports that, with three successive interest rate rises, <a href="http://property.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/property/article1741662.ece" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://property.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/property/article1741662.ece ‘);">house prices should now be on the slide</a></p>
 <p>Thermal images of homes have been taken by a light aircraft fitted with <strong>army spy technology</strong> to record the heat escaping from people&rsquo;s houses reports <a href="http://property.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/property/article1744293.ece" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://property.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/property/article1744293.ece ‘);">the Times</a></p>
 <p>The <strong>Lib Dems </strong>have uncovered statistics that reveal there have been nearly <a href="http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2007200623,00.html" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2007200623,00.html’);">200,000 complaints from service personnel</a> over the past year about the dire state of army accommodation</p>
 <p><strong>The Express</strong> predicts <a href="http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/6146" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/6146’);">&rsquo;housing misery&rsquo; for homeowners</a> if interest rates increase again, plus the usual daily rant about HIPs</p>
 <p><a href="http://www.insolvency.gov.uk/" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.insolvency.gov.uk/’);">Insolvency Service</a> reports there were <strong>30,075 individual insolvencies in England and Wales</strong> in the first quarter of 2007 on a seasonally adjusted basis. This was an increase of 23.9 per cent on the same period a year ago</p>
																</div>
					</div>
							<div class="blog_comments"><p><a class="add_comment" href="../../roofblog/2007/05/lunchtime_news_may_4#comments">Add comment</a> <strong>(0 comments)</strong></p></div>
							<div class="blog_tags">
								<p><strong>Tags: </strong><a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/news" title="news">news</a></p>
							</div>
						</div>
  					<div class="blog_item clearfix">
							<h2><a href="../../roofblog/2007/05/lunchtime_news_may_3">Lunchtime news May 3</a></h2>
								<div class="clearfix">
								<div class="post_details">
									<p class="blog_date">03/05/2023</p>
									<p class="blog_author"><strong>Posted by:</strong><br/>Bill Rashl</p>
								</div>
								<div class="summary">
								<p>The first 15 <a href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/science/article1738853.ece" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/science/article1738853.ece’);">Wimpey homes designed by star architect Richard Rogers</a> have been unveiled in Milton Keynes. The development includes two, three, four and five-bedroom homes in ten different designs. Prices range from &pound;199,500 to &pound;450,000. Built with sustainable materials and fitted with energy-saving gadgets, they are reported to be among <strong>the most eco-friendly mass-market properties</strong></p>
 <p>Figures from the <strong>Bank of England</strong> show <a href="http://news.independent.co.uk/business/news/article2504681.ece" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://news.independent.co.uk/business/news/article2504681.ece’);">mortgage approvals fell to 113,000 in March from 118,000 in February</a>, the lowest figure since April last year</p>
 <p>Following three interest rate rises since last August, <strong>Mervyn King</strong>, governor of the bank of England, tells the <a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/c78cbc26-f8ed-11db-a940-000b5df10621.html" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.ft.com/cms/s/c78cbc26-f8ed-11db-a940-000b5df10621.html’);">Financial Times</a> that the Bank will give financial markets a better idea of the circumstances likely to trigger interest rate changes. Speaking to the paper, King also <a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/bbaa1c90-f8ee-11db-a940-000b5df10621.html" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.ft.com/cms/s/bbaa1c90-f8ee-11db-a940-000b5df10621.html’);">defends the banks decade of independence</a></p>
 <p>The daily <strong>tirade against HIPs</strong> continues with a <a href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/camilla_cavendish/article1739041.ece" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/camilla_cavendish/article1739041.ece’);">long-winded attack</a> from a Times Columnist describing them as a &lsquo;disaster&rsquo;</p>
 <p>The <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=452285&amp;in_page_id=1770" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=452285&amp;in_page_id=1770’);">Nationwide&rsquo;s 25-year fixed rate mortgage will be scrapped</a> today, just five weeks after its launch reports the <strong>Daily Mail</strong></p>
 <p>The Daily Mail claims to have obtained <strong>secret government figures</strong>, which show that <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=452330&amp;in_page_id=1770" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=452330&amp;in_page_id=1770’);">immigrants from Eastern Europe have swollen the population of British towns by up to ten per cent</a></p>
<p>A <a href="http://www.mouseprice.com/" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.mouseprice.com/’);">mouseprice.com</a> survey has found that the most expensive house name is Courtney House, while England&rsquo;s most popular house name is The Cottage</p>
 <p>With voters going to the polls tomorrow, <strong>desperate Conservative councillors in the South East</strong> have been warning that <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=452172&amp;in_page_id=1770" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=452172&amp;in_page_id=1770’);">a vote for the the BNP could knock thousands of pounds off the value of their homes</a>.</p>
																</div>
					</div>
							<div class="blog_comments"><p><a class="add_comment" href="../../roofblog/2007/05/lunchtime_news_may_3#comments">Add comment</a> <strong>(0 comments)</strong></p></div>
							<div class="blog_tags">
								<p><strong>Tags: </strong><a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/affordability" title="affordability">affordability</a>, <a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/development" title="development">development</a>, <a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/environment" title="environment">environment</a>, <a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/house-prices" title="house prices">house prices</a>, <a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/asylum-seekers" title="asylum seekers">asylum seekers</a>, <a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/interest-rates" title="interest rates">interest rates</a>, <a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/migration" title="migration">migration</a></p>
							</div>
						</div>
  					<div class="blog_item clearfix">
							<h2><a href="../../roofblog/2007/05/lunchtime_news_may_2">Lunchtime news May 2</a></h2>
								<div class="clearfix">
								<div class="post_details">
									<p class="blog_date">02/05/2023</p>
									<p class="blog_author"><strong>Posted by:</strong><br/>Bill Rashl</p>
								</div>
								<div class="summary">
								<p>With <strong>Tony Blair&rsquo;s departure</strong> from number 10 imminent, the Mirror reports that <a href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/topstories/tm_method=full%26objectid=19030650%26siteid=89520-name_page.html" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/topstories/tm_method=full%26objectid=19030650%26siteid=89520-name_page.html’);">Gordon Brown will launch a new era of council house building</a> when he takes over as prime minister.</p>
 <p><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/guardianpolitics/story/0,,2070232,00.html" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.guardian.co.uk/guardianpolitics/story/0,,2070232,00.html’);">HIPS come in for flak</a> from a number of papers, including the Guardian, which all cover a critical <strong>House of Lords committee report</strong> claiming that the packs have been stripped of their original purpose and were opposed by the property industry.</p>
 <p><a href="http://society.guardian.co.uk/communities/story/0,,2069623,00.html" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://society.guardian.co.uk/communities/story/0,,2069623,00.html’);">Guardian Society profiles Shaun Bailey</a>, former youth worker and <strong>Conservatives&rsquo; prospective parliamentary candidate for Hammersmith</strong>. &lsquo;I&rsquo;d love to be able to tell you about an offshore account, a mistress in the Bahamas, a powerboat and dodgy dealings. But I&rsquo;m sorry, I haven&rsquo;t done any of that. I&rsquo;ve been living on an estate,&rsquo; he tells the paper.</p>
 <p><strong>Bill Bryson</strong>, the bestselling American author, is to become the <a href="http://www.cpre.org.uk/news/view/382" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.cpre.org.uk/news/view/382’);">new president of the Campaign to Protect Rural England</a> (CPRE), replacing Sir Max Hastings.</p>
 <p>The chief executive of Sunderland Arc, <strong>Tom Macartney</strong>, tells the <a href="https://secure.firstconf.com/eventadvantage/think07/schedule.asp?FullProgram=yes">Think conference</a>, which ends today, that buy-to-let is jeopardising Britain&rsquo;s city centres.</p>
 <p><a href="http://www.landregistry.gov.uk/houseprices/" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.landregistry.gov.uk/houseprices/’);">Latest data on the housing market from the Land Registry</a> showed house prices rose by 1 per cent in March to stand 8.3 per cent higher than a year earlier, one of the highest annual rises in almost two years. The average price of a home in England and Wales is now &pound;178,423.</p>
 <p><strong>Debbie Crew&rsquo;s award winning campaign</strong> against abuses by private landlords continues to gather speed. More signatures are now being sought for an <a href="http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Retal-Eviction/" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Retal-Eviction/’);">electronic petition to the prime minister</a> to stop a Section 21 Notice being used by landlords to shirk their legal responsibilities.</p>
																</div>
					</div>
							<div class="blog_comments"><p><a class="add_comment" href="../../roofblog/2007/05/lunchtime_news_may_2#comments">Add comment</a> <strong>(0 comments)</strong></p></div>
							<div class="blog_tags">
								<p><strong>Tags: </strong><a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/affordability" title="affordability">affordability</a>, <a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/housing-market" title="housing market">housing market</a>, <a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/house-prices" title="house prices">house prices</a>, <a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/private-renting" title="private renting">private renting</a>, <a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/buy-to-let" title="buy to let">buy to let</a></p>
							</div>
						</div>
  					</div>
				</div>
<div id="blog_rh_col" class="item">
  			<div id="mpu_ad_area">
  			<a href="/" target="_blank"><img src="../../openx/www/images/hcsroofbanner.gif" width="300" height="250" alt="Housing Care and Support conference" title="Housing Care and Support conference" border="0"/></a><div id="beacon_42fb9c78a8" style="position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; visibility: hidden;"></div>
  			</div>
  			<div class="" id="blog_tags_column_nested">
  				<form id="mailinglist_form" method="post" action="/">
<div class="hiddenFields">
<input type="hidden" name="XID" value="9ca89979d0d3d297c3bb60d176b62b02"/>
<input type="hidden" name="ACT" value="3"/>
<input type="hidden" name="RET" value="http://www.roofmagazine.org.uk/roofblog/2007/05/"/>
<input type="hidden" name="list" value="blog_notification"/>
<input type="hidden" name="site_id" value="1"/>
</div>
<div id="mailinglistbox" class="clearfix">
<h3>Join the ROOF mailing list</h3>
<p>Receive notification via email of new posts on the ROOF Blog</p>
<p><input id="mailing_email" type="text" name="email" value="Your email"/></p>
<p><input id="mail_submit" type="submit" value="Submit"/></p>
</div>
</form>
  				<div id="tag_cloud">
	<h3>All tags</h3>
	<div id="cloud">
		<a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/2020" title="2020" style="font-size:10px;">2020,</a> 
		<a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/A-E" title="A&amp;E" style="font-size:10px;">A&E;,</a> 
		<a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/accessibility" title="accessibility" style="font-size:10px;">accessibility,</a> 
		<a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/accommodation" title="accommodation" style="font-size:10px;">accommodation,</a> 
		<a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/activism" title="activism" style="font-size:10px;">activism,</a> 
		<a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/admissions" title="admissions" style="font-size:10px;">admissions,</a> 
		<a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/adults" title="adults" style="font-size:10px;">adults,</a> 
		<a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/advertising" title="advertising" style="font-size:10px;">advertising,</a> 
		<a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/advice" title="advice" style="font-size:10px;">advice,</a> 
		<a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/advice-service" title="advice service" style="font-size:10px;">advice service,</a> 
		<a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/affluence" title="affluence" style="font-size:10px;">affluence,</a> 
		<a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/affordability" title="affordability" style="font-size:18px;">affordability,</a> 
		<a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/affordability" title="Affordability" style="font-size:12px;">Affordability,</a> 
		<a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/affordable" title="affordable" style="font-size:10px;">affordable,</a> 
		<a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/affordable-homes" title="affordable homes" style="font-size:16px;">affordable homes,</a> 
		<a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/affordable-housing" title="affordable housing" style="font-size:12px;">affordable housing,</a> 
		<a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/affordable-rent" title="affordable rent" style="font-size:10px;">affordable rent,</a> 
		<a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/ageing-population" title="ageing population" style="font-size:10px;">ageing population,</a> 
		<a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/agency" title="agency" style="font-size:10px;">agency,</a> 
		<a href="../../roofblog/tags/tag/agents" title="agents" style="font-size:10px;">agents,</a> 
	</div>
</div>
<div id="blog_archives">
	<h3>Blog archive</h3>
<h4>2010</h4>
	<ul id="months_2010">
		<li><a href="../../roofblog/2010/03">March 2010</a></li>
		<li><a href="../../roofblog/2010/02">February 2010</a></li>
		<li><a href="../../roofblog/2010/01">January 2010</a></li>
	</ul>
<h4>2009</h4>
	<ul id="months_2009">
		<li><a href="../../roofblog/2009/12">December 2009</a></li>
		<li><a href="../../roofblog/2009/11">November 2009</a></li>
		<li><a href="../../roofblog/2009/10">October 2009</a></li>
		<li><a href="../../roofblog/2009/09">September 2009</a></li>
		<li><a href="../../roofblog/2009/08">August 2009</a></li>
		<li><a href="../../roofblog/2009/07">July 2009</a></li>
		<li><a href="../../roofblog/2009/06">June 2009</a></li>
		<li><a href="../../roofblog/2009/05">May 2009</a></li>
		<li><a href="../../roofblog/2009/04">April 2009</a></li>
		<li><a href="../../roofblog/2009/03">March 2009</a></li>
		<li><a href="../../roofblog/2009/02">February 2009</a></li>
		<li><a href="../../roofblog/2009/01">January 2009</a></li>
	</ul>
<h4>2008</h4>
	<ul id="months_2008">
		<li><a href="../../roofblog/2008/12">December 2008</a></li>
		<li><a href="../../roofblog/2008/11">November 2008</a></li>
		<li><a href="../../roofblog/2008/10">October 2008</a></li>
		<li><a href="../../roofblog/2008/09">September 2008</a></li>
		<li><a href="../../roofblog/2008/08">August 2008</a></li>
		<li><a href="../../roofblog/2008/07">July 2008</a></li>
		<li><a href="../../roofblog/2008/06">June 2008</a></li>
		<li><a href="../../roofblog/2008/05">May 2008</a></li>
		<li><a href="../../roofblog/2008/04">April 2008</a></li>
		<li><a href="../../roofblog/2008/03">March 2008</a></li>
		<li><a href="../../roofblog/2008/02">February 2008</a></li>
		<li><a href="../../roofblog/2008/01">January 2008</a></li>
	</ul>
<h4>2007</h4>
	<ul id="months_2007">
		<li><a href="../../roofblog/2007/12">December 2007</a></li>
		<li><a href="../../roofblog/2007/11">November 2007</a></li>
		<li><a href="../../roofblog/2007/10">October 2007</a></li>
		<li><a href="../../roofblog/2007/09">September 2007</a></li>
		<li><a href="../../roofblog/2007/08">August 2007</a></li>
		<li><a href="../../roofblog/2007/07">July 2007</a></li>
		<li><a href="../../roofblog/2007/06">June 2007</a></li>
		<li><a href="../../roofblog/2007/05">May 2007</a></li>
		<li><a href="../../roofblog/2007/04">April 2007</a></li>
		<li><a href="../../roofblog/2007/03">March 2007</a></li>
		<li><a href="../../roofblog/2007/02">February 2007</a></li>
		<li><a href="../../roofblog/2007/01">January 2007</a></li>
	</ul>
<h4>2006</h4>
	<ul id="months_2006">
		<li><a href="../../roofblog/2006/12">December 2006</a></li>
		<li><a href="../../roofblog/2006/11">November 2006</a></li>
		<li><a href="../../roofblog/2006/10">October 2006</a></li>
		<li><a href="../../roofblog/2006/09">September 2006</a></li>
	</ul>
</div>
  			</div>
  			<div class="" id="advertising_column_blog">
  				<script type="text/javascript"><!--//<![CDATA[
   var m3_u = (location.protocol=='https:'?'https://roofmagazine.org.uk/openx/www/delivery/ajs.php':'/');
   var m3_r = Math.floor(Math.random()*99999999999);
   if (!document.MAX_used) document.MAX_used = ',';
   document.write ("<scr"+"ipt type='text/javascript' src='"+m3_u);
   document.write ("?zoneid=1");
   document.write ('&amp;cb=' + m3_r);
   if (document.MAX_used != ',') document.write ("&amp;exclude=" + document.MAX_used);
   document.write (document.charset ? '&amp;charset='+document.charset : (document.characterSet ? '&amp;charset='+document.characterSet : ''));
   document.write ("&amp;loc=" + escape(window.location));
   if (document.referrer) document.write ("&amp;referer=" + escape(document.referrer));
   if (document.context) document.write ("&context=" + escape(document.context));
   if (document.mmm_fo) document.write ("&amp;mmm_fo=1");
   document.write ("'><\/scr"+"ipt>");
//]]>--></script><noscript><a href="/" target="_blank"><img src="../../openx/www/delivery/avw_php-zoneid-1-cb-INSERT_RANDOM_NUMBER_HERE-n-aa9d368a.jpg" border="0" alt=""/></a></noscript>
  				<div id="google_160">
<script type="text/javascript"><!--
/* 160x600, created 2/3/09 */
//-->
</script>
</div>
  			</div>
</div>
  		</div>
			<div class="line">
				<div class="item" id="btt">
					<p><a href="#topofpage">Back to top of page</a></p>
				</div>
			</div>
			<div class="line">
				<div class="item" id="footer">
					<div id="footer_menu">
	<h3><a href="../../about">About this site</a></h3>
	<ul>
		<li><a href="http://england.shelter.org.uk/shop/subscriptions/roof_magazine">Subscriptions information</a></li>
		<li><a href="../../about/copyright">Disclaimer and copyright</a></li>
		<li><a href="../../about/privacy">Privacy policy</a></li>
	</ul>
</div>
<p id="roof_contact">&copy; 2005-09 ROOF Magazine | ROOF 88 Old Street, London EC1V 9HU</p>
<script type="text/javascript">
try {
} catch(err) {}</script>
				</div>
			</div>
		</div>		
	</body>
</html>