[looseyesterday]

I think you're right but supply alone isn't enough. Density is another issue. We need to learn to build up. Commutes are getting crazy and sprawl is intense. Most people who I know to own their own property end up so far from london they barely ever go in, only ever coming in for work because they have to. They let their connection wither and lead less interesting lives.

[jajko]

That's a bit condescending on your part to judge other's lives, just because world doesn't revolve around your values doesn't mean others are wrong and their life is shit.

I for example hate places like London with moderate passion, living there I consider very low quality life and certainly prefer touch with real nature, no crowds, little to no air/noise pollution, and society being more... social, to certain point of course.

40 minute commute 2x a week is fine with me, most Londoners have way more (not from there nor GB, what I write applies to all big cities to some extent). For raising kids there is no discussion, cities mostly suck despite all benefits and many kids from there show it very clearly.

[dukeyukey]

I think you're underestimating how much of London is quite pleasant green suburbs. It's not a very dense city, especially when you get out of Zone 1 and a few adjacent places like Tower Hamlets. I grew up in a rural farming town, and there's no way I'd move back.

[abenga]

There 's not enough earth for everyone to live the way that you want to.

[denotational]

High-rise new-builds are tainted until we have leasehold reform; £8k p/a service charges and several hundred pounds ground rent, with failure to pay leading to the confiscation of your £1MM apartment by the freeholder, is insane, and is literal rent-seeking by the developers on properties that are ostensibly owned by their occupiers.

They don’t want to build more, because they would also have to lower their service charges significantly or see them fail to sell once they’ve saturated the section of the market that can afford them.

[ta1243]

I used to own a flat back in 2008 (completed literally the day after northern rock went bust). I owned 1 of 42 shares in the management company responsible for the management of the block. Sure we had to spend money maintaining the gardens, internal areas, lift, door system, etc.

Each year we had an AGM where we elected directors (I was one for a few years) and make the appropriate decisions.

Ground rent (especially those expoential ones) is a problem, but all leaseholders have a right to manage their flats even if it's not set up that way.

The far bigger problem is the fleecehold houses, where there is no right to manage, or even see the invoice -- https://inews.co.uk/news/housing/new-build-homeowners-nda-so...

[ta1243]

Westminster is not known for its desnity, especially given Hyde, Regents, Green, and St James Park

However if the entire of Greater London suddenly became as dense as wesminster you could house another 9 million people.

[happymellon]

Transportation is massive for this situation, and the gutting of HS2 was entirely to prevent people being able to commute to London from further afield and wrecking the housing in London.

If we were able to get a better network of transport it would unlock a lot more of the country where there is land, and there is already empty housing.