The Great £1 Property Giveaway

WHAT’S this? Has the property market collapsed overnight?

News is that if you have a solitary pound in your pocket you can bag yourself a swimming pool, or what about an old hospital or even a disused pub!

A new Government scheme means disused public buildings are to be sold to community groups for as little as £1 in an attempt to revive the nation’s ailing local facilities.

Ruth Kelly, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, and Celebrity Opus-Dei member, will launch the new initiative in Sheffield, where she will announce a £30million fund to support the project (before consoling fans of relegated Sheffield United with six hours of prayer and self-mortification).

The scheme, which chimes with PM-in-waiting Gordon Brown’s desire for more community involvement in local decision-making, follows a report published by Lewisham Council bigwig Barry Quirk, which argued that communities are strengthened when public assets are handed back to them.

Up to 1,500 community organisations are predicted to benefit from the scheme. But a spokesman for the Local Government Association remains unconvinced. Says he: “Serious questions must be asked as to whether a prime piece of real estate that is owned by taxpayers should be sold for as little as £1.”

And how buildings funded by the taxpayer was allowed to fester…

Anorak

Posted: 15th, May 2007 | In: Money Comment (1) | Follow the Comments on our RSS feed: RSS 2.0 | TrackBack | Permalink