Letter to Editor: Will the Tories really build hundreds of council homes?
Politics / Thu 7th Jul 2022 at 07:03am
Dear Sir
Re New council homes in Bushey Croft for Harlow residents near completion
IT appears that Cllr Swords is arguably incapable of being interviewed without resorting to making misleading statements.
His rhetorical flourish in his recent interview with Your Harlow “that the Labour Party were in control of the Council for the last 40 years” prior to the Conservatives taking control in 2020 is simply not true. I suggest he looks at the electoral history of the town. 1980 – 2002 (Labour), 2002–2008 (Lib Dem / Conservatives) 2008-2012 (Conservatives), 2012-2021 (Labour).
Secondly, his statement that the last Labour Administration didn’t build any Council houses is not true. Planning permission for Bushey Croft was granted in 2018 and building commenced in 2021 before the Conservatives came to power. Equally the Labour administration built Council houses in Foster Court, Riley Mews and Phesants Croft, completely refurbished Prentice Place and Clifton Hatch and also refurbished cottages to provide accommodation for rough sleepers.
Yes, we all know there is a urgent need for more council house building and to do this we require from the Government a coherent housing strategy. It is no accident that Council house building across the country is so low. In no small part it is due to a failure of Government policy – within which the Councils have to operate. So for example, in 2019 in England official figures demonstrated that only 37,825 new homes were built for letting at discounted rents though the national housing waiting list was over 1.1 million households.
In the meantime, given the content of Councillor Swords misleading rhetorical flourishes I can have little or no faith in his statement that “he will build 100’s of Council houses”. I suspect this will prove to be yet another deception.
Cllr Tony Edwards
Kim Oconnor
2022-07-07 09:09:25
Told ya months back his not building hundreds an hundreds. No surprises. He never answered this question, when asked.
David Forman
2022-07-07 09:11:25
Perhaps Tony Blair and Gordon's Brown's Labour governments record on council house building should be remembered. Sir Keir Starmer wants a return to New Labour policies. So, the lesson is move along, nothing to see here.
James Leppard
2022-07-07 09:25:27
Harlow Labour’s record on Council house building over a decade in power must be a record in abject failure. Let’s not forget that when faced with the prospect of losing Grant Funding, they rushed out, spending over £ 12 million to buy houses on the open market at about 4x the build cost! A fine record.
Theman
2022-07-07 10:03:42
I think our councillors should focus on the job in hand rather than political point scoring. All this Tory that and Labour this does nothing for anyone.
Daniel Long
2022-07-07 13:35:06
Even if they do, what proof do they have that they will be for the Harlow residents who have been on the Harlow housing waiting list for ten years plus and not for those from outside of Harlow such as London and elsewhere. Neither, the former Labour administration party of Harlow or this current conservative administration party of Harlow are here for the number one priority of this town and that is the residents of Harlow and that is why, twice now me and my wife have spoilt our ballet papers because we do not have trust or faith in any of them as well as the other parties who stood in this year's local election here in Harlow.
Johnny the wohnny
2022-07-08 06:00:16
I've always seen it as the rich do what they like...and the poor do what they can😀
Scotty
2022-07-08 06:37:04
They may build some housing most of them will be built will be for first time buyers and private rentals as a lot of MP’s are private landlords and that’s were the money in the long term investment market, a couple of actual “ HARLOW LUCKY RESIDENTS “ will be housed and photographed for a nice publicity opportunity or they could house the dregs of society they are importing from other COUNCIL BOROUGHS because they want shot of them oohhh let’s not forget the vastly improved influx of refugees pouring across the CHANNEL who jump the housing queue as well.😊😊
Nicholas Taylor
2022-07-09 23:20:08
The only way that the Tories can build hundreds of council homes is to look to the sites that were discounted by the Labour administration when completing the Local Plan process in December 2020. it is clear that any open space in the town is now under consideration, the process has already started because the field between Pear Tree Mead and Little Pynchons is now on the Tory list to be developed. Where next, land at Westfield, Stile Croft, Fir Park?
Kim Oconnor
2022-07-12 10:10:42
There policy is to build thousands an thousands of unaffordable housing estates, and squeeze in a few council houses on our green belt. This has allways be so from the beginning. Local residents last as allways, you only have to look around to see what they have done. 5OOO on waiting list, you can see where there priorities lie. Bring in thousands an thousands of people from out side, more traffic, more pollution. Greed and profit before local people is not right and is not just. Johnny you are spot on.
Nostradamus
2022-07-13 10:07:06
Unfortunately none of the major parties have unbiased views and the property market is both corrupted by Foreign speculators and distorted by uk property developers. Towns like like Harlow were designed to provide a good quality of housing and on sound best practice then on the environment. Infilling and overloading by overdevelopment around the perimeter turns well designed towns into slums and destoys the quality of life for people and wildlife. You can't put a quart into a pint pot. Trying to do this is a botched job. Towns reach an optimal designed size and from then on it's downhill. What's needed are ultra green new towns built like Harlow with large numbers of Council homes NOT available for tenants to purchase, with new green industries . Such new towns or villages don't have to be far away to accommodate our sons and daughters or any of those on the waiting list! However Hggt Gilston and Epping Council "tack ons" to Harlow definitely aren't the answer. New town, new job, new house, new baby! Afraid that Harlow is full.
Johnny the manic depressive
2022-07-19 11:36:35
Doesn't sound like the haven of joy Frederick Gibberd planned its all gone a bit shit
Johnny swear box
2022-07-20 13:31:29
Sorry for using the S word can you alter or delete the comment I don't condone the use of rude language I wasn't brought up to swear in fact I'm not even sure I've ever used bad language before So just to clarify no fucking swearing on this forum ☺️
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