Stories from the future: Claire & George

Claire-&-George-web

It's 2030. Claire is a local banker from Bodmin, who specialises in finance for new-builds. She has been working with a variety of local construction firms and housing cooperatives to ensure that ‘affordable’ homes are actually affordable. Since the Land Value Tax was introduced, land speculation became less profitable, prices began to stablise, and large-scale developments reduced. Claire’s work is accountable to the local Community Planning Forum, a democratically elected body who determine the number and nature of new-builds, alongside local business rates and other local infrastructure needs.

George is a builder who started a small mutual construction business. The new Bodmin Bank also provides loans to local start-ups, with super-low repayment rates for businesses that can demonstrate positive social and environmental impact. Since George’s employees share a stake in the company profits and build energy-positive, affordable homes, his working partnership with Claire has meant that George can win business ahead of larger developers.

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