Shelter provides verdict on housing performance
How ironic that on the same day that a letter from Harrogate Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing appeared in the local press castigating Phil Willis MP for his criticism of the Conservative’s record on affordable housing in this borough, the homeless charity Shelter produced figures showing that HBC ranks 16th out of 21 councils in the region for its housing performance and 222nd out of 323 in the country. They delivered only 12% of the affordable housing requirement for the year 2008/09.
This is Shelter’s summary of the Council’s performance:
Independent experts say your area needs to build 830 homes per year. Your council planned for 122 new affordable homes to be provided in your area last year.
This was less than the number of new affordable homes needed.
Despite this, only 100 new affordable homes were delivered on average in each of the last three years, even less than the number planned and less than was needed.
These are not figures that the Conservative administration in Harrogate want people to see. Only a couple of weeks ago the Deputy Leader of the Council arrogantly – and clearly erroneously – claimed “we are the best performing housing authority in the country”!
The fact is that whilst our Council’s housing service has performed well in some areas, there is scant political will from the current Tory administration to provide desperately needed homes for those on low and modest incomes. The Shelter information shows that whilst the average income locally is £22,262, the income needed to buy an average home in the area is £57,065.
About a year ago I challenged our Council to apply for government funding that was on offer to build new Council homes. I was disappointed to receive a patronising and negative response from the Cabinet Member.
The thousands of families on the Council’s waiting list look set to remain in inadequate, unaffordable and overcrowded homes, because a complacent Council administration has made a political decision not to prioritize the provision of affordable homes. And thousands more are unable to live in the area they call home because property prices are simply out of their reach here.
I am interested in reading your comments regarding affordable housing in Harrogate. I must agree strongly that there is severe shortage of affordable homes in Harrogate and I am really glad to hear that you are taking this issue forward, but where could be build some more? Is there funding to do this? If you were to become my MP would you be willing to lobby for more Council Housing in the Harrogate district. I would be really interested the hear your views on this very important matter. Regards Louise
Louise Tate
March 25, 2010
Thank you for your comment Louise. As I said in the blog, it’s about political will really. Sites can be found if affordable homes are made a priority. As an example, Harrogate Town football club would love to move to a new site where they could have better facilities. By identifying a site for them, their current ground would become available for some other kind of development – possibly housing.
There is a large egg packing business at the top of Kingsley Road. Lorries have to use a residential road for access. This is not good for either the business or the residents. If the site were to be allocated for housing by Council planners, it could be sold to realise enough money to fund a move by the company to a site with better access. Both the company and the residents in the area have told me that they would prefer housing on the site – but the planners have refused it.
The development of affordable housing is complicated but it can be done and there is money available for it.
clairekelley
March 29, 2010
As a Conservative supporter and former Councillor, I feel ashamed. I’m a long term supporter and donate to Shelter. There are homeless people sleeping rough in Harrogate. After 13 years of Labour, this level of housing problem is an outrage. And the Tories turn a blind eye!
Robert
March 26, 2010
There are 2 forms of housing that Harrogate desparately needs: social housing, and affordable private housing. These are not the same, the latter being for people who want to get on the property ladder and the former who just want taxpayer-subsidised accomodation. The southern part of Harrogate e.g. Pannal, Leeds Road, Rossett needs affordable housing for the young people round here whose work pays them modest wages.
Affordability also includes “running costs”, so that the homes need to have a minimum surface area to volume ratio to ensure low heating bills, (bearing in mind they’ll still be in use in 2050, at which time most engineers and economists believe energy will be 3 X what it is now in todays money equivalent).
(Not to mention the massive rise in electricity cost as we move to expensive methods of generarion such as photovoltaic roof panels in the cloudy and sun-starved country that is the UK)
Terrace houses with basements and narrow frontage/ roof are the key, but architects don’t seem to be delivering energy-efficient designs such as these.
How will you, if elected, champion and influence the provision of affordable homes in Harrogate, and how will you and the other Lib Dems champion the case for really energy-efficient housing.
It could otherwise be a cold and dark future for us in our old age and a mighty expensive future for our kids.
David
April 7, 2010