Wednesday 20 August 2008

"Bournemouth makes waves with surf plan"

Here's a fine example of a council using land values to fund infrastructure,* as mooted by Tim Leunig.

TL's idea was much derided by some of the Land Value Taxers: this is a step in the right direction, but seeing as the artificial surf reef, assuming it works, will benefit most existing land-owners in the vicinity, why not finance the reef with LVT on land that already has planning permission? And if the reef doesn't work, there's no uplift to land values ergo local landowners won't have to pay extra. Win-win. Unless you hate surfers, of course.

*"the outlay is being entirely covered by the sale of land nearby for flats".

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