In
January we heard the boasts of Peter Jackson informing the public that he and
his cohorts are planning a ‘New Generation’ of Council Housing for
Northumberland and he would be promoting his ‘new plan in March 2019.
The
Governments planning policy framework, classifies new ‘Council owned
housing and social housing’ under its descriptive banner of ‘Affordable
Homes’ as set out in legislation as follows : Affordable housing
Housing for sale or rent, for those whose needs are not met by the market (including housing that provides a subsidised route to home ownership and/or is for essential local workers); and which complies with one or more of the following definitions:
(a) Affordable housing for rent: meets
all of the following conditions: (a) the rent is set in accordance with the
Government’s rent policy for Social Rent or Affordable Rent, or is at least 20%
below local market rents (including service charges where applicable); (b) the
landlord is a registered provider, except where it is included as part of a
Build to Rent scheme (in which case the landlord need not be a registered
provider); and (c) it includes provisions to remain at an affordable price for
future eligible households, or for the subsidy to be recycled for alternative
affordable housing provision. For Build to Rent schemes affordable housing for
rent is expected to be the normal form of affordable housing provision (and, in
this context, is known as Affordable Private Rent).
As usual with Northumberland Conservatives they must have almost
forgotten their promise to deliver a plan. During March 2019 sometime in a
break in the lambing and ploughing activities they love so much they managed a
quick think and brought forward an embryonic statement to be released in May
2019 that they would develop 1000 Council Houses over the next three years.
Remembering that this comment piece is being written in June
2019 and the elections for a new, closer to the people Council takes place
during May 2021 when decision making changes and a new budget will be formed in
that year, their commitment, only has 35 months to run, no planning permissions
have yet been approved and they have shrunk the company Advance (formerly ARCH)
so much that help, like the cavalry isn’t rushing over the hill to save them,
the Council whoever is running it from needs to note in their manifesto’s that
from this date in time the Council needs to build 28 Council homes per month
to achieve its target. Even the UK’s big builders struggle with figures like
that, and the utility companies will be pulling their hair out if sites and
plans aren’t shovel ready before an announcement for such a big ambitious build
scheme is let out to the public, yet Northumberland Conservatives have let it
slip.
So the question Councillor Peter Jackson needs to answer is,
‘What is a new generation Council House’? and will they be ‘truly affordable’
for tenants?. Will they be attractive to live in? and will they be a good use
of public money?
Its
time that Cllr. Ms Georgina Hill brings her investigation into this promise to
the Councils Audit Committee, it sounds a bit criminal to us!
Notes
