Harlow housing boss quizzed on council house building
News / Fri 30th Oct 2020 at 06:07pm
HARLOW Conservatives have quizzed the portfolio holder for housing on council house building.
Cllr Simon Carter asked the question at Thursday night’s meeting.
Cllr Carter asked:
“How many council houses has the council built in the previous municipal year, how many does it expect to build in the current year, and how many will it build in the next year?
Portfolio holder for Housing, cllr Mark Wilkinson replied
“In the municipal year 19/20, two Council homes were developed and delivered by Harlow Council. In addition 130 affordable homes were delivered in partnership with others on the BCA estates and on the site of the former Rugby club.
In the municipal year 20/21, 15 new Council homes will be delivered by the Council and, in partnership, 70 affordable homes. In addition 45 homes will be purchased directly by the Council to be renovated to Council House standard and let as Council Homes. Also 5 more houses will be purchased and renovated by Harlow’s housing and regeneration company, restored to Council house standards, 2 to be let at Council house rents, 2 to be let at affordable rents and 1 at full market rent.
During 21/22 the Council expects to build 16 new council homes.
During 22/23 onwards the Council currently has plans to develop 66 new council homes at Lister House (Perry Road), The Hill and Stackfield.
In total this will result in 348 affordable homes being delivered, of which 146 will be Council homes over this four year period.
The Council will pursue other opportunities to deliver new social rent and affordable homes, either with partners or other suitable developers. In addition, the Council hopes to continue purchasing houses on the open market itself and through HTS (Housing and Regeneration) Ltd.
The full item can be seen from the 15th minute of the film.
tenpin
2020-10-31 09:39:14
In view of the disastrous Tory housing policies over the last 40 years it is a bit rich of a conservative councillor to ask about council house building. The only reason for this and other questions now being put by conservative councillors is because since the beginning of 2020 The Harlow Alliance Party have been asking searching questions of the Labour Councillors. One of our questions related to the loss of the councils stock, which revealed that since 2012 the council have either sold through Right To Buy or other disposals, some 644 homes. Cllr Carter is right to ask why the council have not built more homes, when plots such as at Elm Hatch have been empty for about 3 years and plans to redevelop some of the towns other shopping hatches have not been progressed. Buying houses on the open market is not the best use of the council's £12 million it proposes to spend on such acquisitions. The Labour councillors continue to peddle the idea that affordable housing means council housing when in fact in most cases it does not, just 99 out of 348 will be, far short of the 644 lost since 2012.
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