Water compatible housing in Amsterdam - the way forward

Having just been to Amsterdam on a (self-financed and unsponsored) flying visit to see an exhibition of water-compatible homes I must say my heart sinks when I come back to see how this sort of thing is handled in the UK.

The exhibition wasn't just homes on water (stunning as they were) there was also an example of public art floating on water, a "hippy home" on water and even a floating library. It made me want to weep to see just how little use we are making of our biggest asset in Seaton.

Inside the exhibition hall were scale models of other developments that can take place in or near water (some of them about to be built, some of them still conceptual). Floating villages, floating churches, floating swimming pools, floating theatres, floating visitor interpretation centre (yes!) - you name it. Even one that looked not unlike the Seaton Eye concept!

We visited one of the floating houses with its designer. The whole house is heated from heat pumps from the surrounding water. It looks as good as any land-borne house and costs (with its mooring) about the same. The only difference - if there is a flood it just rises up with the floodwater (its electricity cables, etc are on coiled leads which can stretch) and then settles down again when the flood water recedes.

And, if you don't like your neighbours, you can up sticks (or rather up house) sell your current mooring to someone else and move on to some other neighbourhood rather like a snail with its house on its back!