23/01/08
I’ve just had the opportunity to read the District Councils latest press release regarding our affordable housing policy, and how they are trying to clear any miss-understandings up and explain what it means……..Well I wish for the love of god they would explain it to me because I have not got a clue! Because on paper it comes across as the most complicated policy, but I’ll go along with what they are saying in this press release, so lets take the sale price of a three bedroom affordable house in “the district” and that little phrase is where the complication lies “the district” because the gross weekly (Average) income in Rothbury according to the 2001 census is £160 less to what that it is in Alnwick, and I’ve thrown another little word into there to complicate things even more ‘average’ which does not concentrate on the people who really need affordable homes the most i.e. single people who are just starting out on there own, people who are divorced or even some couples on low income. But any how I’m willing to go along with this and take the average weekly income according to the 2001 census of £460 in Rothbury and multiply that by 3.5 for a three bedroom house, the result is just over £80,000……what an absolute load of rubbish! If anyone can find me a 3 bedroom ‘affordable’ house in Rothbury for £80,000, actually no lets make it £90,000 give you room to manoeuvre I’ll give you £20 on the spot!
