Camden New Journal - Letters: Talking about housing? Try listening for once!

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Camden New Journal - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Published: 27 September 2007

Talking about housing? Try listening for once!

• THE newest piece of tongue in cheek by this Lib-Dem/Tory controlled council is a “light hearted film” they have produced on how they are going to “consult the tenants and leaseholders in Camden on their so-called housing strategy and seek their opinions.” Cllr Chris Naylor tells us his “top priority is to ensure that every tenant gets a decent place to live, which will mean a huge investment in Camden’s homes...” He wants to hear from tenants about their priorities for improving homes in Camden”.
I am all in favour of mass consultation of tenants but the fact is that he has had every chance since he became executive member for housing to consult. He attends most District Management Committees (DMCs) where representatives from all tenant and residents associations come to air their views and give their opinions on the needs of council tenants and leaseholders; he has been on a tour of estates with ward councillors like me and the tenant representatives have told him of the needs of the estates in terms of refurbishments.
And the answer? Nothing to date on estates like College Place; lousy workmanship by contractors on many estates still passed to him for action and – nothing!
Cllr Naylor can attend every TRA meeting and every leaseholders’ meeting and hear the concerns of the residents and instead he has had a film made at great expense when the money could have been used for outstanding repairs on estates in my ward for which people have waited for ages. Will this mass consultation produce any solutions to help tenants in general?
I can tell him how he can improve homes – get rid of the contractors with their large profit margin inflating the cost to the council; improve the repairs system so that it deals with repairs in a short period of time, unlike now when it takes six to eight months; install the new heating system promised but never delivered to residents of Kiln Place by the Tory candidates in Gospel Oak ward in the last borough council elections. He can gain all he wants and needs to know to have a housing refurbishment programme by consultation with the TRAs and local District Housing Offices and DMCs and the ward councillors.
In addition to the above, this council is going to give every private landlord £5,000 to improve their properties: it doesn’t make sense! Put the total amount into housing refurbishments and not into the pockets of private landlords.
Come on, Chris, let’s have some action which means something. There are always seminars to attend – can you promise us that this time you will listen and actually do something positive, or do we have to wait for the next round of “consultation” next year or the year after?
Cllr Roger Robinson
Opposition Lead on Housing

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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