Yes but - cant the cancel 'force' owners to make their property look decent if it is left to become an eyesore? Obviously this isnt a case of a landlord not undertaking repairs - but couldnt the principle still be applied?

I think the reality of the situation is that if the Council refuses BH permission to build 1 bedroom flats the development will stall for at least a year. We will have an eyesore. The pub nearby will not have new customers and may close.
If BH build 1 bedroom flats and the survey that says we do not need 1 bedroom flats is correct, they will not be able to sell them. So who loses? Answer BH. that will teach them not to review planning permission. An expensive lesson.

True but then again Berkeley do not have planning permission to build a skeleton building either.

If they had ran out of money or had hit an unexpected problem, like a plague pit, then fine, but that is not the case.

Lewisham would surely be in their right to ask the framework to be removed.

I still am convinced that this site would be perfect for the Forest Hill Leisure Centre.

Are BH claiming that they do not have the funds to finish the project? (I have probably got the wrong end of the stick)

If so it is interesting that, according to the Times in June, "Berkeley Group, the housebuilder that specialises in urban regeneration, is proposing to take a ?363 million gamble on the housing market by buying land with funds that had been earmarked for shareholders."

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/bu...227871.ece

ping,

I think BH are claiming that there is insufficient demand for the 2 bedroom flats to justify building them. They say that only 1 bedroom flats will sell. Since they are advertising the flats for sale on their website, I think they must know what the demand is. Apparently this differs from some other survey, which indicates that 2 bedroom flats are required.
Presumably, this could be resolved by Lewisham Council buying the 2 bedroom flats (or guaranteeing to do so) if no-one else wants them.
Then BH can get on with the building.

If the 2 bed flats are overpriced and first time buyers now need a 20% deposit something has to give that makes the 2 bed flats difficult to sell?

At Meridian South at Hither Green, a much larger project, the developers once having started revised and revised their plans. I think all 3 bedroom flats were dropped and most of the 2 bedroom became 1 bedroom, increasing the total number of units.

That was at a time when people were queing overnight to purchase units.

I can't see the developer wanting to take a hit on the entire site, so maybe the council should change the S106 to include building a new swimming pool, that should see if BH mean buisiness?

Does anyone know hom much they paid for the land.
I believe owned by Finches. Guess they sold at a great time for them.
I would think a realistic price would be
1 bedroom GBP 175k
2 bedroom GBP 235k

Unless they paid a fortune for the land they should be able to reduce

According to BBC News, those figures might be a bit low there Brian. Lewisham has somehow shown a 2.2% growth in housing prices in the last quarter, contrary to neighbouring boroughs.

Lewisham
Average Cost: ?256,626
Detached: ?609,100
Semi-detached: ?381,367
Terraced: ?294,731
Flat: ?201,643

Change in last quarter: 2.2%

Change in last year: 5.1%

Sales: 702

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/in...tml/az.stm

Thanks , I am very surprised at these figures. Agents keep telling me nothing moving.
Your figure for a flat inbetween mine as you presumably cover 1 and BH's infamous 2 bedroom flats.
Problem with flats normally all first time buyers who now have to finf deposit of about 20%. This is in my opinion what always should have been the case. 100% and more mortgages were quite stupid

I was suprised about those averages and quarterly growth too!

Yes I wonder if the volume of properties is well down. Something wrong with these figures

You can see the price properties actually sold for here:

http://www.houseprices.co.uk/e.php?q=se23

I suspect that all this talk about prices is a bit of a red herring. BH will advertise the flats at high prices to make the development seem 'prestigious', but my guess is they would accept offers way below the asking price.
My other guess is that they want more 1-beds so they can offload them onto buy to let or buy to leave property developers.

I think it is terrible that the building work will be mothballed - but get used to it everyone, it is happening right across the country.

Thanks Sherwood but surelu unless exactly the same properties changes hands in 07 and 08 it is not a good guide. All properties are different.

I'd bet these are asking prices, not the sold price. Sold for ?399,950 rather than a round figure - I doubt it.

Also, a quick Google search on one of the addresses listed- Julian Taylor Path - shows the same house variously listed at ?290,00, ?279,995, and the current asking price of ?249,995. I think that trend tells you the real story in the current market. (Its a 3 bed terrace.)

I asked various local estate agents what people wanted.

They all said the same thing:

2 bed, outside space if possible, below the 250,000 stamp duty threshold and that 1 bed flats are not selling. Storage space is key.

They also said that no developer EVER asks them what people want.

They are the sold prices. Our house appears on that link at the price we offered and paid on completion.

They are the actual selling price. I have checked whenever possible. The figures are obtained from the Land Registry.

Strange that up to now Scotchbrocks ( the official agent of FHC ) only had about 1/3 rd of window space given over to it.
After halt in work they now have 100% of window space.
One may ask why.?