So, that is Ken Clark as MoJ and Lord Chancellor, Eric Pickles at DCLG and now, apparently, Grant Shapps as Housing minister. Here is what Mr Shapps was putting forward a year ago as shadow housing minister, much of which made it into the manifesto. But, in terms of the actual shortage of social housing, or indeed reform of general tenancy law, all is a bit unclear, save for that manifesto commitment to leave security of social housing tenure alone. There is a promise to ‘build on the right to buy’, though. The irony that the implementation of the right to buy was what stopped local authorities building will be left as implicit…
* A Simpsons reference, honest.
Kent Brockman when Homer goes into space. Come on, give us something trickier than that.
Chief
a) it wasn’t a competition; and
b) you’re scaring me ;-)
excellent policy – not sure whether i prefer the waffle or the blather but it’s always good to see they have put nothing of substance apart from a 10% equity stake in their homes for those who behave.
given the 2 major issues in shared ownership are:
1) payment of service charges (paid 100% by the lessees whatever their share of the equity) and
2) do you get any security of tenure from owning part of the equity? (no)
that 10% looks a white elephant to me.
keep trying, chaps.
The Coalitions policy proposals can now be found at http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/media/409088/pfg_coalition.pdf
For those interested in Gypsy and Traveller issues the relevant bit is:
•
We will rapidly abolish Regional Spatial Strategies and return decision-making powers on housing and planning to local councils, including giving councils new powers to stop ‘garden grabbing’.
•
In the longer term, we will radically reform the planning system to give neighbourhoods far more ability to determine the shape of the places in which their inhabitants live, based on the principles set out in the Conservative Party publication Open Source Planning.
No not the bit about ‘garden grabbibng’, the bit about RSSs and the publication wherein is contained all the Tory commitments on intentional trespass, retrospective planning permission etc (including the abolition of the HRA but presumably Clegg won’t let them go that far)
No word about security of tenure on council sites as yet (i.e. the implementation of Housing and Regenration Act 2008 s318).
Lord Avebury (Lib Dem peer and great champion of Gypsies and Travellers) is seeking a meeting with Mr Shapps.
Watch this space