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Homes plans under fire from Whitehall inspector
Town Hall’s 10-year blueprint criticised for lacking ‘a clear vision’
A GOVERNMENT inspector has criticised the Town Hall for failing to ensure enough new homes are built in Islington.
At a recent meeting between Islington Council chiefs and representatives from the Greater London Authority, inspector Shelagh Bussey criticised the Town Hall’s 10-year plan for the borough.
Islington, like other London boroughs, must produce a “core strategy” – a plan showing how the borough will develop over the next 10 years.
Ms Bussey criticised the borough’s plan because it clashes with London Mayor Ken Livingstone’s new homes target.
Under the Mayor’s London Plan, 1,160 homes should be built each year in Islington. Half of those in developments of 10 homes or more should be affordable.
But the council has a target of only 900 new homes each year. Critics say that, over 10 years, the council’s plans would mean 2,650 fewer affordable homes being built than the Mayor wants.
The Town Hall maintains it hits every key area in the London Plan except that covering housebuilding.
Ms Bussey criticised Islington’s plan because it “does not give a clear vision for the borough to 2017 and how it would get there”.
The inspector added that she “does not consider it to be coherent” and criticised it for having “fundamental flaws”.
The council has now withdrawn its core strategy and will consult independent experts on a way forward.
Councillor James Murray, Labour’s environment spokesman, said: “We desperately need to tackle the housing crisis in Islington. We have 13,000 families on the waiting list living in temporary or overcrowded flats.
“The Lib Dems try to say the number of new homes is not a big deal, but the simple reality is that Lib Dem plans mean less affordable housing.
“This is about who will stand up for the 13,000 families on the housing waiting list – and, yet again, the Lib Dems have shown they won’t.”
The inspector’s attack extended to the council’s failure to produce adequate plans for waste management.
Ms Bussey added that the council “does not appear to pay sufficient regard to other plans, policies and strategies relevant to the area, such as those concerning health and education issues”.
Councillor Lucy Watt, Lib Dem executive member for environment, said the inspector had not criticised the council’s affordable housing targets.
She added: “We want half of all new homes in the borough to be social housing – the same target as the London Mayor.”
She pointed out that 813 families had got new affordable homes in Islington last year – more than in Camden, Haringey and Westminster put together.
Cllr Watt said: “Islington is out in front when it comes to actually delivering affordable housing in practice.We are helping local families right now, not just talking about it.
“However, what we have been criticised for is not agreeing to the London Mayor’s general housing target of 1,160 homes per year, which includes private housing. We think that’s too many.
“Residents have told us they want to keep Islington special. We’ve listened to residents when they told us they don’t want the Mayor forcing through big developments in already-crowded neighbourhoods.” |
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