Property Gold is a monthly column written by independent bespoke property consultant, Alex Goldstein. With over 17 years’ experience, Alex helps his clients to buy and sell residential property in some of the most desirable locations in Yorkshire and beyond. 

This month, Alex examines where the blame lies for the deluge of PLC new homes in the district.  

Walking around the open countryside surrounding Harrogate the other weekend, my heart sank when I came over the horizon and saw this butchered landscape, strewn with heavy duty excavators, mountains of rubble and the beginnings of yet more mass-scale new build homes, by another PLC developer.

What was once a small country lane, gently following the contours of the hillside, had now been annihilated forever to incorporate a widened straight carriageway with a monolithic roundabout. Like Japanese Knotweed, these large scale developments are working their way into our open spaces by any means possible, in the relentless pursuit of profit.

This got me thinking – is there really a need for any PLC developer to actually exist?

When one looks at the UK Government’s own data via the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG), the overwhelming evidence speaks for itself. In October 2019, there were 648,114 empty properties with nearly 226,000 of these being classed as long term empty (ie more than 6 months). So why is the media and Government claiming there is a ‘housing crisis’ when it is clear there is more than enough to go around? Could it really be that there is a high octane mix of money, politics and PLC developers going around at the highest levels of Government? Surely not…

Read More: 

• Property Gold: The hidden time options when selling your home
• Property Gold: why I’d never buy a PLC New Home

I have long said that the Government needs to stop incentivising developers to build on our green open spaces, when there is no evidence that we need these extra properties. They should be encouraging the rejuvenation of our much loved and dwindling high streets, when they need our help more than ever. What about all these empty commercial units – would we not be better converting these into vibrant new homes and instantly breathing life back into our towns?

So where does the finger of blame lie in this mess that we have got ourselves in to?

Many would say that Government housing policies over the last few decades have done little to get to grips with the market, whilst putting in appropriate incentives and indeed filters that are required to see us right. This hasn’t been helped by the revolving door of endless housing ministers using this role as a brief stepping-stone opportunity, with the vast majority of them having zero property experience.

You could even argue that Harrogate Borough Council, for example, left themselves (and the area) wide open to abuse by not having a formal Local Plan in place for around 5 years.

However there is a key angle which isn’t often mentioned and that is you, the individual hoodwinked buyers of these PLC homes. It all comes back to supply and demand. If there isn’t the demand, only then can we change the tide of our countryside being obliterated for good.

If you have any comments or questions for Alex, please feel free to contact him on alex@alexgoldstein.co.uk.

Take a look at the 30-acre site that could soon see the creation of the first community-owned woodland in the area.

The project would turn an area of green land, known as Long Lands Common into a public woodland with 40,000 trees.

£300,000 is required to buy the land- before the November deadline. A public appeal has been launched and people will be able to buy shares for a minimum of £50 from July through to November

The woodland plan is being led by Nidd Gorge Community Action (NGCA) and it follows its  3-year campaign against the ‘Harrogate Relief Road’ proposed by North Yorkshire County Council.

Chris Kitson who is the secretary of the Long Lands common group told the Stray Ferret:

Where better to have a new community woodland than on the very same greenbelt land, between Harrogate and Knaresborough, that was threatened by the Nidd Gorge road? 12,000 people said they didn’t want a road and now the same people are keen to buy shares. We hope to have this community woodland owned by as many people in Harrogate and Knaresborough as possible.

It would be our contribution to the northern forest project- a scheme which aims to plant 50 million trees across the North of England.

Chris went on to say that he thinks the support comes at a time where people are feeling like there are just too many new buildings:

I think there’s a lot of concern about the amount of development on greenbelt land, it’s just getting too much now. This gives the community the chance to take back real control, take power into their own hands and collectively own a piece of the greenbelt –  to plant with trees, preserve for ourselves and wildlife, and leave as a legacy for future generations, instead of a road.

The community woodland would border the Nidderdale Greenway, close to its starting point at The Avenue, Starbeck and the Bilton Triangle.

Gary Lawson Photography