Tuesday 24 August 2010

"House prices soar as East London line opens up 'isolated' areas of the capital"

From yesterday's Evening Standard:

House prices along the newly opened East London line are soaring amid booming demand for homes in previously isolated parts of the capital...

The line opened in May after two years of construction. Directories and search group 192.com found that property values are higher around most East London line stations than they were two years ago.

The biggest rises came around the stations at New Cross and New Cross Gate in SE14 where the average price of a house is now more than 22 per cent higher than it was in 2008...


A question for those who oppose subsidies in principle (which I do, as a rule): are the improvements to the East London line not an implicit subsidy to people who happen to own land and buildings in the areas near the stations?

6 comments:

Trooper Thompson said...

What are you driving at? Red Ken floated the idea of a 'windfall tax' on people selling their houses in the vicinity of the East London Line on the basis that the values would increase due to its presence. People in that situation had no say in the decision to develop the line, and I would consider it robbery if such a policy was pursued.

Also, I don't consider it an unmitigated advantage if my sleepy corner of South East London is connected to the savage wastelands over the river.

Lola said...

What do we want?
LVT!
When do we want it?
Now!

Steven_L said...

So you'll be voting for Andy Burnham then Lola? Yikes!

Mark Wadsworth said...

TT, answer the question first.

L, yup.

S_L, at least AB made the tacit acknowledgement that we are beyond the top of the income tax Laffer Curve, and he said that SDLT and IHT could be phased out. Not bad going for a large state leftie.

Lola said...

Steven_L. Er, no. But, he, like Wince is sort of getting there. Of course Wince, like AB, just sees LVT as a way of raisng MORE tax. That's because they are both prats. They both probably realise that if LVT was to be applied properly, as a replacement for lots of other taxes, their whole political franchise would be toast. Not that it isn't now. It's just that they and many voters don't quite realise it yet. Mind you so is the franchise of the Tories.

Robin Smith said...

I'm anti-subsidy. Pro bounty.

Answer: Yes

But shoudlnt you be asking objectors the question?

We discussed AB last night with someone who "knows" him. Consensus was he's supporting LVT because he sees it as a way to get elected. Is he insane? (: