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John Healey |
Labour minister hands
Lib Derms a conference
bouquet for unpopular sale of council homes
Town Hall leaders feel sell-off policy is vindicated by Government’s blunt refusal of cash for housing. Richard Osley reports from Bournemouth
HOUSING minister John Healey has delivered the news that tenants across Camden were dreading by telling the Town Hall to forget about any new investment in council homes from the Labour government.
And, in a letter to council leaders, he backed the Lib Dem and Conservative coalition’s attempts to plug the funding hole by raising revenue through the sale of council homes.
His comments filtered through the Lib Dem conference here in Bournemouth on Monday as party members from Camden – a massive contingent of more than 30 supporters – worked to push housing to the top of their agenda.
Yesterday (Wednesday), council leader Councillor Keith Moffitt spoke in the main conference hall as an emergency motion was passed urging the government to pay for upgrading the creaking council homes.
The motion also chided the government for removing funds from independent companies known as Arms-Length Management Organisations (Almos) set up in other areas to run council homes.
Ironically, it was Camden’s refusal to set up an Almo that led to funding from Whitehall being stopped as a sanction.
Rejuvenated in the Dorset sunshine, the Lib Dems came out fighting after months of stinging criticism about their attempts to cover a lack of government help by selling off hundreds of council homes at auction.
Mr Healey’s letter provided them with strong ammunition. Camden’s Lib Dems have been told they have acted immorally by selling off properties that could be used for families and couples desperately waiting for help on a 17,000 strong queue.
But the letter from Mr Healey, they feel, vindicates their position and there were attempts to resist a told-you-so attitude on the sea-front. Labour councillors back in London said the Lib Dems had made it easy for the government to say no.
Mr Healey said in his letter: “The government’s position has always been very clear and we cannot change it now.”
He went on to “wish you well in taking your plans forward” in relation to raising money through property sales and using the cash to refurbish homes that are retained.
“I very much hope that this will form the basis on which the council can move forward towards achieving the decent homes standard,” said Mr Healey.
Cllr Moffitt said on Monday: “Unfortunately, it does seem that the government is pretty clear that they are not going to give us any money for council homes, which has left us in this position. We have always said that we do not want to sell any council homes but the housing minister has even wished us luck with doing this as a way to raise money. He is clear that the government is not changing his mind and money will go to new home building rather than decent homes.”
Even though the government is aware that Camden needs at least £283million to bring its homes up to scratch, Mr Healey has responded to the issue in the same way as a string of short-lived housing ministers and stonewalled pleas for a change of heart.
Mr Healey is expected to be challenged on the issue by Labour delegates meeting for their party conference in Brighton next week, although rank and file members know that previous attempts to force a policy change at these events have been ignored.
Labour councillor Theo Blackwell said: “The window for decent homes money is running out but the council in Camden has not seized the initiative.
“The Lib Dems have refused to join with tenants and councillors and take a delegation to government to avoid having to sell off council properties.
“If it had lobbied harder then the agreement that John Healey is approving here could have been much better.
“Instead, the council put forward a weak proposal and this is what has been signed off.” |
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