Sale of MoD sites

[cromwell]

It has been announced that the Ministry of Defence is to sell off a boat load of military sites, covering thousands of acres. The land freed up, it is said, will provided for the building of 50,000 homes.
In this part of the world the sites include Strensall barracks near York. Imphal barracks in York. Claro and Deverell barracks in Ripon, Dishforth barracks (and aerodrome?) in North Yorkshire, and others.

Some of these places are in what is called ""the golden triangle" - the well-to-do area between Leeds, York and Harrogate. The land will be worth millions upon millions. Strensall barracks have firing ranges which are huge, besides the barracks themselves.

I hope there is no funny business to come, such as the land being sold off below market price to companies which politicians have an interest in!

[Workingman]

A report earlier this year said that many of the first 35 plots to be sold for 'homes' were sold at rock-bottom prices and that many did not have planning permission. An independent valuer claimed that had they been sold with planning permission they could have gone for three to four times the money received. Given that they were primarily for houses the lack of planning permission amounts to criminal oversight in my mend.

Cromwell, the sites you mention are firmly in the well-to-do commuter belts so do not expect too many starter homes within the 55,000 of those proposed.

[Suff]

The Government would be better off putting the sale in the hands of an agency who get 50% of the profit they make over the base price.

The Government has no idea how to make money. After all the only money they make is by "taking" it from people by force. How would they have the slightest clue about actually making a profit on the fruits of the money they already "liberated"????

Believing anything else is a flight of fancy...

[Workingman]

The Government would be better off putting the sale in the hands of an agency who get 50% of the profit they make over the base price.

So would the taxpayer.

A TV reporter took the valuer to a site sold for ~£8m. He said that with planning it would have gone for between £24 - £28m.

Had the site been put in the hands of a management agency, with the MOD as planning applicants, it would have been hard for any planners to refuse. The agents could have then sold it as plots for x houses to many developers rather than as one site for one developer. Job done, money in the bank.

The agents would have made a fortune even at 15% never mind 50%.

[TheOstrich]

Another side to it .... Norton Barracks (40 Commando) a few miles outside Taunton is one of those slated to close. It will have a devastating effect on Norton Fitzwarren as a village community; 100 civilian jobs lost, the primary school is 25%+ army children, posh new housing will just make it another commuter-belt of Taunton ...

[victor]

I hope there is no funny business to come, such as the land being sold off below market price to companies which politicians have an interest in!

What a suspicious mind you have.