UIK and housing problems

[CotoChris]

Been reading about the floods and there was a related article on UK housing problems and also the fact they are building on flood plains. What I don't understand about the housing problems in the UK is why they don't build more apartments. UK everyone would love in a semi detached house but isn't better to have flats rather than expensive limited housing ?

I could be wrong but my feeling is that UK's mentality of apartments are council flats. In Europe most people live in apartments (myself included). In my village they don't allow apartments taller than 3 stories so it doesn't spoilt the asthetics. As an example on my street the flats where I live hold 36 apartments, on the opposite side of the streets there are 6 houses covering the same space!

Admitedly living in an apartment and carrying the dive equipment is not most convenient

[MATTBIN]

One of the problems we have is population density, the infra structure probably wouldnt support blocks of flats. The roads, the water, the sewage struggle as it is. So the push is to move people away from the already over crowded areas, to make that attractive you have to build detached and sei-detached property which offer open space to families. If you crammed a large number of people into flats in the Uk the vandalism would escalate to un-managable levels in all probability.

Matt

[chrisch]

Another point is the UK's mickey mouse leashold laws. We own a flat in France and yes we own it. Buy a flat in inglind and you've only "borrowed" it. I would only buy a flat in the UK if there was absolutely nothing else I could do and then only if the lease was over 80 years.
Besides, flats are crap. Unless built to a very high standard you can hear the neighbours. If I want to hear other people I'd go back to being a student in shared accomodation. Flats? No thanks.

Chris