According to i-paper journalist Victoria Spratt, the Stockport Mayoral Development Corporation's regeneration scheme “is understood to be a model Burnham’s team are referring to in terms of how devolved planning and development might look.by combining public and private funding to build around 8,000 homes.” When Greater Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham said: "Stockport has been a … Continue reading Stockport Mayoral Development Corporation: a model for the rest of the country?
Cancelling council housing debt
Shelter is calling on the government to cancel the Housing Revenue Account debt1. It asked Savills to do a report on the options for reducing debt. Martin Wicks gives an assessment of the report. Shelter is asking people here to email their councillors, calling on them to sign an Open Letter to the Chancellor calling … Continue reading Cancelling council housing debt
Estate regeneration and social housing provision – the real record
With thanks to Paul Watt, we reproduce here his submission to the All Party Parliamentary Group on Council and Social Housing inquiry on the barriers to building and acquiring social rent council housing. Paul is Emeritus Professor in Urban Studies at Birkbeck, University of London, and Visiting Professor in the Department of Sociology, London School … Continue reading Estate regeneration and social housing provision – the real record
Labour Must Learn to Love Democracy Again
Chris Hinchliff, MP writes In its dying days, the Starmer government is forcing through legislation that would demolish what remains of our democratic planning system. With thanks to Tribune An old quote still drifts around the legacy of Labour’s post-war Government: that it aimed to ‘tie so many knots’ in Britain’s architecture of power and … Continue reading Labour Must Learn to Love Democracy Again
Dear Angela
A letter to Angela Rayner highlighting the changes needed to the government's housing policy if the housing crisis is to be resolved. Dear Angela Congratulations on your appointment as Secretary of State for Housing, Communities & Local Government. In a recent video you circulated, you said that the Prime Minister has given you three priorities, … Continue reading Dear Angela
Public funding is the means to build/acquire social rent council homes
Andy Burnham's speech in the Manchester People's History Museum, in which he said that a government led by him would carry out “the biggest council house building programme since the post-war period”, has raised hopes that if he becomes Prime Minister there would be a change of direction in the government's housing policy, with council … Continue reading Public funding is the means to build/acquire social rent council homes
Less than a quarter of housing association new builds are social rent
Inside Housing's annual survey of the 50 biggest housing association builders gives a clear picture of organisations progressively abandoning their 'social purpose'. In the absence of social housing grant from central government we were told that cross-subsidy was necessary to fund social rented housing. But as the concentration1 and commercialisation of the sector procedes apace, … Continue reading Less than a quarter of housing association new builds are social rent
Submission to the All Party Parliamentary Group for Council and Social Housing inquiry on the barriers to building and acquiring social rent council homes
The All Party Parliamentary Group on Council and Social Housing has launched an inquiry into obstacle to building and acquiring social rent council housing. This is our submission. The deadline has been extended to July 24th. Submissions should be sent to appgcash@shelter.org.uk . Summary Council housing is not a priority for the government. There is … Continue reading Submission to the All Party Parliamentary Group for Council and Social Housing inquiry on the barriers to building and acquiring social rent council homes
“Unsustainable (council housing) debt” – cut it or cancel it?
Shelter is calling for the government to “remove the historic debt local authorities owe to the government” for council housing. They say that £29 billion in “historic housing debt”1 is based on an outdated financial settlement from 2012; that it “sucks away money that could be invested in building new social homes”. Shelter calls for … Continue reading “Unsustainable (council housing) debt” – cut it or cancel it?
PCS union housing policy
This is an extract from a Public and Commercial Services Union pamphlet, “Social Security – there is an alternative”.Also of interest, the PCS is undertaking a suvey of its membership in relation to their housing situation and how the crisis impacts on them. Since 1997 the price of an average home in England has doubled … Continue reading PCS union housing policy
Labour Campaign for Council Housing 