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Let’s demonstrate against the property speculators
• HOW can any council, faced with a waiting list of thousands, possibly justify selling off flats in a prime location?
As your Editorial (June 18) publicised, a block of three flats on the Aspern Grove estate in Belsize park, is to be auctioned off on July 6.
Previous sales of some dilapidated street houses were said to be because refurbishment costs would be unaffordable. However, the Aspern Grove estate, built by the council 20 years ago, is of excellent standard, and much needed by families languishing on the the waiting lists. Homes are based on property, and children grow quickly, and need decent homes.
The councillor responsible for housing should have resigned rather than assent to this sale.
Collectively each councillor in the majority group is equally guilty of failing to preserve the municipal housing stock. Priority must be given to repairing damaged property even if this means the Decent Homes target of 2010 will not be met. The sales policy should cease forthwith.
In ruder times past John Vane was beheaded in 1649 as the plaque near the Royal School testifies.
That fate would be extreme for any councillor. However any who can, could join a mass demonstration outside the auction house (where is it?) and maybe deter the property speculators who profit by the misery of others.
When will the sold-off properties be replaced?
There may never again be such as Aspern Grove again.
Margaret Thatcher’s policy of selling off council stock to tenants was popular with some.
Its consequences are measured today in a desperate shortage of family accommodation.
SKIP MURPHY
Prince of Wales Road, NW1
We must build modern homes
• FOR every council home sold by Camden Council an extra family or person languishes on the homeless list paid for by all taxpayers instead of the ring-fenced Housing Revenue Account.
This council and the government needs to recognise that we cannot afford to continue with housing policies which lead to false perceptions of stigmatising council housing as ghettos full of single-parent benefit scroungers.
We need to be innovative and use all the funding which was made so freely available to profiteering private housing developers, and instead start a massive programme of building and maintaining a new generation of modern council homes which will help kick-start the economy providing a lifeline to scores of people adversely affected by this world recession.
At the same time, as council home stocks increase, this will attract the nurse, plumber, electrician, bricklayer and doctor back to council housing, leading to genuinely viable and sustainable and “naturally”’ mixed communities.
If people feel abandoned by their council, it makes it easier for them to abandon the will to contribute to their society.
I call on Camden Council to abandon the sell-off madness which tenants in Camden have branded as immoral.
MERIC APAK
Chair, Camden Federation of Tenants and Residents Associations
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