The housing boom which has been evident in the UK for over a decade has been more pronounced in Cornwall, Wales and Northern Ireland, according to figures released by Halifax Bank.
Over the last 10 years house prices of the typical home have apparently risen on average between 100,000 and 145, 000 pounds sterling. These huge increases have made it virtually impossible for young people to buy homes in the communities in which they were brought up.
Newry, County Down has seen prices soar since the Good Friday Agreement in 1998 and in Newquay, Cornwall a restaurant that was opened recently by a celebrity chef has added at least 50,000 pounds to property prices according to one estate agent.
In Wales, property prices are also continuing to rise beyond the pockets of most first time buyers, undermining many rural communities.
The average price of a house in Northern Ireland is 167,391 and in Wales it is 150,687. By contrast, the average price of a home in Scotland is now 122,511 and is ranked 12th of 12 of the UK 'regions' surveyed by Halifax. In Cornwall one in three homes are bought as second homes by people from outside.
The Celtic League has campaigned against the rise in house prices for a number of years. In 2002 the Kernow and Cymru Branches of the League organised a joint meeting in Penzance with the Welsh housing and community pressure group, Cymuned, about the Housing crisis affecting the country.
The issue of affordable housing in the Celtic countries and also the cultural impact of house price inflation was the subject of intense discussion at both the 2005 and 2006 annual meetings of the Celtic League.
A list of house prices can be found by following the link (voir le site)
The Halifax press release can be found by following the link
(voir le site) (Report prepared by Rhisiart Tal-e-bot General Secretary)
(See also: Celtic News No.1990: HOUSING - CULTURAL AND SOCIAL PRESSURES HIGHLIGHTED Aug 12, 2006)
J B Moffatt Director of Information Celtic League
04/11/06
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