The elderly worked hard for the homes that others crave

HOUSING has turned into a battle of the generations that has exposed a shocking lack of compassion towards older people.

- Sam Lister

Labour has taken aim at socalled Nimbys the "Not in my backyard" residents and is ripping up planning rules to stop them objecting to new developments.

It has become fashionable to have a go at homeowners who are resistant to change.

Sneering at "boomers" who managed to buy a house when they were young for not wanting an ugly development at the end of their road is now an acceptable form of snobbery, a way of looking down on people who live outside the big cities.

Dismissive claims are made about how selfish curmudgeons are stopping desperate young people from getting on the housing ladder, just so they can protect their lovely view. There is no acknowledgement that communities are delicate ecosystems that are based on people, not just properties.

Consider the quiet street where residents share the same sensibilities, who have brought up their children and now live quietly in retirement, with everyone mowing their lawn, keeping their homes presentable and obeying the ever more complicated system of bins imposed on them by the council.

SUDDENLY, a house of multiple occupancy appears and there is nothing they can do to stop it.