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Camden New Journal - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Published: 26 April 2007

Here they go again, underhandedly trying to privatise our housing

• CAMDEN Council wants to raise the white flag of surrender over the long running campaign to win extra government money to improve Camden’s homes and estates.
They hope Camden tenants and residents association reps will endorse this on Tuesday.
The council has called a Joint District Management Committee meeting (for all TA reps) on Tuesday May 1 at the Town Hall. The report, crudely changed at the last minute to try and spin their proposals better, proposes that the council should submit a draft stock options proposal to government in the next few weeks.
There won’t be time for tenants and residents associations to discuss the proposal but luckily the council has managed to organise some ‘workshops’ – individuals are always easier to manipulate. These are exactly the same undemocratic tactics they used to try and get stock transfer through in 1997/8 and the Almo in 2002/3.
Camden tenants have now twice decisively rejected the government’s privatisation agenda.
As part of a growing national campaign we’re determined to win the ‘Fourth Option’ of direct investment to get the improvements we need without privatisation.
All the political parties in the last council elections promised to support this campaign and pledged not to privatise our homes. But councillors and senior officers seem embarrassed about standing up to the government (doesn’t look good on their CVs) and have been desperately biding their time to get a privatisation strategy back up and running.
The report asks tenants reps to discuss privatisation alternatives at Tuesday’s meeting in case “campaigning for extra government money were unsuccessful”.
It’s obvious that this would indicate that Camden has given up any serious hope of winning extra investment and that this lets the government completely off the hook and effectively neutralises our campaigning.
Ministers need some help (no doubt someone in Camden will get recognition for ‘services rendered’ to government at this crucial time).
Nothing is ever guaranteed but Inside Housing magazine speculated earlier this month that the new Prime Minister will be under real pressure to agree the ‘Fourth Option’ and a deal is being discussed. Now is not the time to be giving up.
Come to the Camden Defend Council Housing meeting at 7pm on Monday April 30 (Peckwater Estate TRA Hall, Islip Street, NW5) to organise our response; join the lobby at Camden Town Hall at 6pm on Tuesday May 1st and attend the Joint DMC meeting at 7pm; and distribute campaign material on your estate or street.
ALAN WALTER
Chair. Camden Defend Council Housing and chair Peckwater Estate TRA

• JONATHAN Simpson needs to consider why it is that Camden’s housing repairs team was slow in responding to repairs issues in his ward and why Councillor Naylor’s email system is clogged up with requests for help (Letters, April 19).
For 35 years Labour were in charge of council housing, and despite two scrutiny reports into the repairs system under the previous administration the legacy left by them was still poor, and it is going to take some time for us to get to a system which is as responsive as Cllr Simpson demands.
I don’t remember any previous Executive Member for Housing setting up and publicising an email system for tenants and residents to use with their concerns.
The fact that Cllr Naylor’s system has been overwhelmed with messages demonstrates how big a problem was left behind by Labour.
Not only do we have a repairs system that is not yet good enough, but we also have the problem of a Labour government which has refused to allocate the funding required to tackle the deep-seated repairs issues in our housing stock.
Cllr JOHN BRYANT (Lib Dem)
Belsize Road, NW6

• CAMDEN Town speaks residents association was formed in 1995 by residents concerned with the adverse effect from outside investments on local people.
Our ‘aims and objectives’ are to support residents throughout the town while the many issues that could damage the quality of our lives.
We need to work in unity to strengthen our community, support is vital.
Members/residents are invited to our AGM on Wednesday May 2 at St Martin’s Community Centre, Carol Street, NW1, between 7 and 8pm.
JOSE KELLY
Camden Town Speaks, NW1

Send your letters to: The Letters Editor, Camden New Journal, 40 Camden Road, London, NW1 9DR or email to letters@camdennewjournal.co.uk. The deadline for letters is midday Tuesday. The editor regrets that anonymous letters cannot be published, although names and addresses can be withheld. Please include a full name, postal address and telephone number. Letters may be edited for reasons of space.

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