West End Letters: Councillor Guthrie Mckie | Westminster Housing Commision | affordable homes | rehousing

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West End Extra - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Published: 27 November 2009

Housing, a once-in-a-generation chance

•I was disappointed to read Guthrie McKie’s letter (Fanaticism on housing, November 20).Councillor Mckie’s arguments are flawed from the outset because of his misinterpretation of the 2006 report by the Westminster Housing Commission.
The commission clearly emphasised that there was a need for a range of people to be able to make their permanent homes within Westminster in order to improve social cohesion and achieve mixed communities.
It also recommended we investigate opportunities to increase the density of homes, provided this did not impact on the quality of life of our residents.
Both of these points are clearly recognised in the strategy which therefore presents an opportunity to build more affordable homes to benefit existing residents and to create mixed communities by providing opportunities for local workers to live in the city. We want our plans to benefit local people so that not only their physical environment improves, but their life prospects are also enhanced.
Second, contrary to Cllr McKie’s claims, at no point does the strategy suggest that living in social housing is a negative choice.
In fact, what the strategy seeks to achieve is a higher standard of social housing for our residents with better designed and more sustainable properties of all sizes, which will allow our residents to benefit from reduced fuel bills and repair costs in the longer term.
Our plans will also play a major role in tackling unemployment and delivering more desperately-needed family sized homes, to help the council meets its target of rehousing 1,000 overcrowded families over the next five years.
I am confident our plans reflect best practice from around the globe. Key to our approach is that residents affected will be consulted on every aspect of the proposals. This strategy presents a real once-in-a-generation opportunity to improve social housing in Westminster.
Cllr Philippa Roe
Cabinet Member for Housing

Send your letters to: The Letters Editor, West End Extra, 40 Camden Road, London, NW1 9DR or email to letters@westendextra.co.uk. The deadline for letters is midday Wednesday. 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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