[syrgian]

Wouldn't all the houses in the village lose way more than £400 in value?

Last I was comparing houses in a neighborhood, the houses near a powerline were consistently worth 15k-30k less (3-6% less).

[amiga386]

Yes, but you have to factor in that you can't eat houses.

Being given money immediately for your living costs might be more attractive to you, than trying to retain value in an asset you'll only realise in 20 years time when you sell it, or perhaps not at all if you die first.