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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2012/nov/28/st-ives-parking-spaces-auction
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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| St Ives car parking spaces auctioned for £160,000 | St Ives car parking spaces auctioned for £160,000 |
| (12 days later) | |
| Three car-parking spaces in the Cornish resort of St Ives have been sold at auction for a total of more than £160,000. | Three car-parking spaces in the Cornish resort of St Ives have been sold at auction for a total of more than £160,000. |
| Two other spaces attracted bids of £50,000 each but still failed to meet the reserve prices and they are expected to be sold privately in the next few days. | Two other spaces attracted bids of £50,000 each but still failed to meet the reserve prices and they are expected to be sold privately in the next few days. |
| Estate agent Bradleys was delighted with the sale but it has attracted criticism as an example of a property market skewed by outsiders. Councillors and residents point out that with the average annual Cornish salary at under £25,000, many locals couldn't afford one of the parking spaces, let alone a house in St Ives. | Estate agent Bradleys was delighted with the sale but it has attracted criticism as an example of a property market skewed by outsiders. Councillors and residents point out that with the average annual Cornish salary at under £25,000, many locals couldn't afford one of the parking spaces, let alone a house in St Ives. |
| There have also been complaints that the sale could push up the cost of parking in St Ives, where motorists already pay Cornwall council more than £500 a year for a reserved spot. | There have also been complaints that the sale could push up the cost of parking in St Ives, where motorists already pay Cornwall council more than £500 a year for a reserved spot. |
| Councillor Bert Biscoe said the sale was a symbol of a huge problem in the south-west and pointed out that when the town flooded a few years ago, firemen were unable to locate keyholders because so many were second-home owners. He said: "Parking spaces at £50,000 is just another symptom of a folly driven by commerce and institutional boardrooms while communities, families and one of Britain's most distinguished and attractive cultures teeters on the edge of extinction." | Councillor Bert Biscoe said the sale was a symbol of a huge problem in the south-west and pointed out that when the town flooded a few years ago, firemen were unable to locate keyholders because so many were second-home owners. He said: "Parking spaces at £50,000 is just another symptom of a folly driven by commerce and institutional boardrooms while communities, families and one of Britain's most distinguished and attractive cultures teeters on the edge of extinction." |
| The parking spaces on Barnoon Terrace near the Tate St Ives gallery were being sold by a local person who is using the money to refurbish a large house. | The parking spaces on Barnoon Terrace near the Tate St Ives gallery were being sold by a local person who is using the money to refurbish a large house. |
| Chris Baxter, director of Bradleys, said: "We are talking about an area where property is happily fetching £500,000 to £700,000 – if not more. If you haven't got a car-parking space, £50,000 is a small price to pay for that extra amenity." | Chris Baxter, director of Bradleys, said: "We are talking about an area where property is happily fetching £500,000 to £700,000 – if not more. If you haven't got a car-parking space, £50,000 is a small price to pay for that extra amenity." |
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