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Coalition’s estates plan is ludicrous
• I HAVE deliberately not written to local press since May 2006 but felt compelled to write after learning of the Lib Dem/ Tory plan to privatise council housing.
It is wrong for the Lib Dem/Tory council to start to selling off our housing estates (U-turn as Town Hall plans to sell estates, May 3).
It is political incompetence of the highest level. What politician in their right mind goes into a negotiation for extra cash, having publicly declared that they don’t need it? They have given away the negotiation position for the sake of a bit of political point scoring. What makes it more amazing is that they have done it at time where there is a new prime minister in the offing and there is everything to play for. Instead, they have sold council tenants down the river. To quote a Tory politician, “it is a bit like sending in your batsman to the crease only to discover that the captain has already removed the bales.”
One can only conclude that the Lib Dems and Tories at the Town Hall are not really interested in a solution that involves the government. They want to sell to developers as many council houses as they can.
Camden has a long and proud history of council housing and we should not sit back and allow it to be buried after one year of the Lib Dems and Tories.
I can hear the Lib Dem/Tory battle cry that this is because of the governments refusal to give more money for decent homes – absolute tosh! What is the point of electing politicians unless they take some responsibility for their plans and views.
The Lib Dems and Tories need to come clean about which estates are going to be demolished and more importantly what is going to replace them. There should not be the loss of one council house because of “regeneration”. If the council wants to rebuild – rebuild with council housing.
This is not two-stage privatisation but one stage and through the back door. No promise of a tenant ballot. No promise of proper consultation.
During a tenant meeting in Gospel Oak, I did promise though that if anyone tried to privatise council homes, I would be marching on the streets with them – the offer from me and the Holborn and St Pancras Labour Party remains open.
RAJ CHADA
Chair of Holborn and St Pancras Labour Party
• I READ with interest your story last week that Camden Council has tabled the possible demolition of the social housing estates it owns and manages (U-turn as Town Hall plans to sell estates, May 3) as a response to the shortfall in funding from central government.
I find this astonishing at a time when government, both locally and centrally, is trying to take action against global warming a priority for us all.
Marcus Binney of Save Britain’s Heritage has noted that existing buildings contain an extraordinary amount of embodied energy, for example, a traditional Victorian house may contain about 15,000 litres of petrol, enough to send a car half way to the Moon. Demolishing estates, disposing of the waste in landfill, then building new structures would entail an inordinate increase in CO2 emissions at a time when we are supposed to be cutting these.
Neither is demolition the cheaper option: a new build is thought to be around 33 per cent more expensive than refurbishing existing properties to the latest Part L Building Regulations energy efficiency standards.
In short, it’s simply absurd to say that a new build could be a preferred option, either economically or environmentally.
Catherine Illingworth, Camden’s housing strategist, speaks of “a small amount of pain for a bigger gain”. Think again, Catherine.
S CASEY
Portpool Lane, EC1
• THE Lib Dem Council’s plan to sell off hundreds of council homes in the borough is ludicrous.
Camden needs more, not less, council housing. This plan will break up long established communities and remove families from their homes.
It does not make sense to push forward a plan to raise money in this way when the council has a meeting arranged with housing minister Yvette Cooper next week to discuss ways that central government can help Camden out of its repairs crisis. It makes still less sense at a time when the country is about to have a new prime minister who may have a radically different approach to council housing.
The only explanation that seems plausible for this incompetent plan is that it is an ideologically driven attack on the borough’s council tenants.
Thomas Gardiner
Redington Gardens, NW3
• THE council showed its true blue spots on Tuesday last week when it told us that it plans to sell off empty properties initially to housing associations and to private property companies followed by the sale of many of our council properties to bring about funding for “estate regeneration”. In other words, the dream of the pioneeers of local government to establish council housing (and it started in the 1920s government of Ramsey MacDonald) will go down the drain so that this council can gain funding for so-called regeneration.
Instead, I asked on Tuesday, and it was ignored as usual, why we don’t cease the use of private building contractors for estates refurbishments and re-establish the Direct Labour Force we used to have years ago to undertake refurbishments at a cheaper cost.
In some cases in my ward the works of the private contractors has not been of the highest standard and under the Direct Labour Force it would be much improved and less expensive.
This would help not only tenants but Section 20 leaseholders who have to fork our very large sums for estate refurbishments.
My view, and that of the Camden Labour Group, is that we should also not embark on stock transfer
To sell off housing stock to private landlords means that Tenant and Resident Associations, and ward councillors, would have no way of seeking repairs or refurbishments or representing the estate – the private landlord would simply ignore them. I also want to see security of tenure for all tenants.
Already this council has sold off the freehold to 50 leaseholders of their properties – thus we have lost the land and property for ever, and not just during the period of the lease – so much for housing for the people.
I hope you will all support the campaign to seek national government funding for investing in more refurbishments. To do so, support Defend Council Housing and campaign to maintain all council housing under the control of the council itself and not private landlords.
Cllr ROGER ROBINSON(LAB)
St Pancras and Somers Town Ward and Opposition lead on Housing.
• IT is shameful that just a year after the Lib Dems and Tories took over the council they are proposing to sell off over £200 million worth of council housing in Camden to private developers.
How many tenants on the estates of Gospel Oak are going to lose their homes as a result of this, or be forced out of London for good? How many families will continue to live in overcrowded conditions with no hope of any change as the number of council homes shrinks?
Lib Dem housing chief Chris Naylor says this is all the government’s fault - he is only trying to raise the money so that the rest of the stock can reach the decent homes standard.
Why then announce this days before he meets Yvette Cooper, the housing minister and just as Tony Blair steps down? He is throwing away his negotiating hand, when everything is up for grabs again.
Mr Naylor is obviously not really interested in negotiation. His agenda is different. The Lib Dems are showing their true colours – they are just like the Tories they are in coalition with and believe that all council housingshould be privatised.
Rest assured, Gospel Oak Labour branch will stand up for council tenants against this blatant attempt to privatise their homes.
SALLY GIMSON
Chairwoman
Gospel Oak Labour Branch
Oak Village, NW5 |
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