Turning offices into homes could just be creating ‘the new slums’

INTERESTING to see that John Lewis is going into the housing business, with plans to provide 10,000 homes.

Some of these, it appears, will be in stores which have closed and which will be converted. Some of them could be in converted warehouses.

This sounds great, but there is one key question: will these converted properties have enough light? Will they be rabbit hutches rented out at sky high levels, which lack proper human facilities?

There is a fear that converting offices and stores into homes could just be creating “the new slums”. We ALL need a decent place to live, and we need enough light. It’s a basic human need.

So we ought to be careful and wary about these conversions. We certainly need more housing for a growing population and new households which are forming. New, modern methods of construction could offer ways of reducing build costs, which is happening with the Ikea Boklok development in south Bristol.

Modular units can be built “offsite” in factories to reduce costs and then transported and put up. We could see big changes come through in the ways we build new homes.

Modular homes were built after WW2 to create new housing. New materials and techniques have been developed and we could be on the cusp of change. New homes of course should be to green and eco standards to reduce harmful pollution and keep down costs for people living in them.

In some cases, it may be better to replace the existing store or warehouse with a new property for rent or sale.

Whatever methods are used, we must ensure that basic housing standards are met and not ignored in the dash for profit.

P Evans Bristol