At full Council on Tuesday a Conservative Portfolio Holder said, in the course of recommending a Cabinet decision on housing, that he sees nothing wrong with landowners in rural districts building a few houses for their immediate family. Wooly thinking that caused surprised looks amongst the members of the Planning Committee, who didn't know about this apparent change of policy! To be fair to the Tories, it was one of their more experienced members who got up and reminded the Portfolio Holder of the 1991 Chanel 4 documentary 'Concrete and Cream Teas', which gave Planners in Cornwall a good slapping for an unwritten policy of allowing locals to build what they wanted, but coming down hard on incomers.
Shame that the same experienced Member later got up and described the Fireman's Union as 'evil' and when invited to withdraw the remark, accepted that it might be a bit strong, but refused to withdraw it. Have the Conservatives changed in the last 30 years? Not as far as I can see.
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The liberal view is surely to ask what business is it of the state to say what you do with your property? The answer being none.
Of course that applies to all, local or incomer.
If you harm another or their property then it is incumbent upon them to seek compensation through the legal system (with help from the state for the poor perhaps).
The only exception being those things which affect many people a small amount - such as CO2 emissions. In which case you tax the emissions at cost.
As for the Fire Brigade's Union - they have deliberately put people's lives in danger through strikes in the past. If you're going to have a monopoly on such a service (as I presume the Union wishes) then it is incumbent upon them to provide that service.
Evil is too strong, but they do not act as providers of a service, but as rent seekers.
Sounds like a recipe for chaos as large landowners build what they like where they like, whilst the rest of us struggle to get recompense in a long winded struggle through the legal system. I'm guessing you're not a natural LibDem!
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