Heathrow protesters

koshkha wrote:

WormThatTurned wrote:

The trouble is Britain's population is growing rapidly and housing (especially in the south east) is at a premium, 6 million to be built over the next few years. As a result, infrastructure is under a huge strain.

What do we do ?

Close the doors ? put a limit on births ? Stop developing and face a housing/ travel crisis ?

Looks like the figures are 3 million homes and 13 years to build them - not quite so bad as you suggested but still pretty serious.

http://www.execdigital.co.uk/NewsArticle.aspx?articleid=992

I suspect - and if I had the time I'd go and look for the figures - that the biggest factor in the need for new homes is NOT immigration but is the increase in the number of single-occupancy homes. Divorce and separation and later marriage mean we now have around 1/3 of all properties with only one person living in them and the figures are still rising.

18 polish labourers sharing a 2-up 2-down aren't really making that big an impact just yet.

I think this is right the immigration aspect of this is not major concern at the moment also with immigrants we have to realise that many will not be staying in the UK longterm. I think the large influx at the moment might be short lived. As soon as the eastern European economies feel the benefits of the EU membership I suspect there will be less people from those countries coming over and quite a few returning to take advantage of business opportunities in their own country of origin.

As far as housing goes one of the biggest problems is location of jobs. Government has taken the lead in some ways by moving departments away from London and the south east but big business is the real problem they seem to be the most London centric. There are no easy solution but expanding a major airport in the south just doesn't make sense in the whole scheme of things.

And I don't think calling the protesters 'soap dodgers' is helpful either...although I suspect some of the people involved are part of the 'rent-a -mob' protesters that will simply protest against anything as a matter of principle without believing or understanding the cause.

Have you seen them on the TV. Some of them look like urchins that used to frequent the industrial backstreets of Victorian England. Soap dodgers seems rather appropriate to my eyes. Get a hosepipe on em !!

I see a breakaway group has already become militant. Biggin Hill and Farnborough airfields were closed cos a load of them chained themselves to the main gates.

drewboy wrote:

There is FAR too much empahasis on the damn south east of England in the UK.

Stop this London centric view, invest in other parts of the UK (ie expand airports where they can EASLILY be exanded) and business will follow.

Very simple.

Well, it's either that or genocide.

Another lot superglued themselves to some revolving doors at a government building today. Theyre not really doing their cause any good. Bound to be more trouble this weekend.

I don't think they're doing any good at all. In fact, I think they are misguided.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6952542.stm

In this story, they say that they are not targeting holidaymakers because they have no quarrel with them. Do they not understand supply and demand? The holidaymakers create the demand that the new terminal would help supply.

They are targeting freight because of the number of shipments of goods being flown in. Supply and demand. Those goods wouldn't be shipped in if it wasn't for people buying them.

In trying to garner public support by saying things like this, they're letting down their cause, if you ask me. If they are opposed to a new terminal, then EVERYONE is their target because EVERYONE will use it.

I hate to break it to them, but holidaymakers contribute to climate change too!