And now for a housing-related post …
Anybody reading the Sunday Times will have seen Grant Schapps talking about an allocations Consultation Paper that CLG are preparing. Apparently, this will propose giving local authorities the power to set up their own allocations policies with their own priorities, allowing local people priority over those nasty foreigners (other than those nice EEA nationals to whom we owe Treaty obligations, although that was on the inside page of the Sunday Times). It was a joyous reminder of Royston Vasey speak – this is a local town for local people; “Welcome to Royston Vasey – You’ll never leave” (for lovers of the League of Gentlemen). Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m all for law reform on allocations but anybody who has read the Cullingworth Committee report from 1969 will know that localism may not be all that it is cracked up to be and, anyway, don’t we have other equalities obligations etc now. By way of preface to that CP, the National Housing Federation have issued their own discussion document (hat tip to AM for this link) which broadly proposes greater flexibility in the allocations process.
My problem with all this chat and very clever people seeking to rethink allocations is that I thought it was unnecessary as the 2009 Code of Guidance and impact statement (on which we have commented previously) made clear. We already have localism, mobility, flexibility, a form of the big society consultation about allocations, etc etc. I readily admit to being not that clever so can somebody tell me what’s going on – it really is perplexing.