Housing strategy launched

Most of our councillors were newly elected last May, and their new ideas have been combined with the expertise of our experienced members to produce exciting new policies.

Our conclusion is that tenants and leaseholders are currently getting a raw deal from Harlow Council. Over the next seven years, the council is planning to spend more than £25m of housing resources on non-housing projects.

This daylight robbery of tenants amounts to almost £2,500 per tenancy over the seven-year period, or more than £300 per tenancy per year.

Yet, the new Tory-Liberal Democrat council claims there is a funding gap of £10m to meet the Decent Homes Standard by 2010.

Some coalition councillors are using this mythical funding gap to suggest that tenants would be better off giving up their secure council tenancies and transferring to a private landlord or housing association.

At the heart of Labour's new strategy is a commitment to close this mythical funding gap with existing housing resources. This is based on a fair principle that housing revenues should be re-invested in housing.

Another area where tenants are getting a raw deal relates to the deteriorating quality of housing services.

Three-quarters of the housing department's own performance indicators have declined since the Tory-Liberal Democrat coalition took control of the council. This is unacceptable. We propose a more efficient service, a results-focussed culture, and a customer orientated service.

Our new strategy is about fairness to tenants about improving their homes, services and quality of life.

It rejects the pessimism of a Tory-Liberal Democrat coalition that uses its own inability to improve performance as a justification for selling off the stock and privatising the service.

We offer hope, fairness and practical solutions to the town's housing problems. This is what constructive opposition is all about.

KEVIN BROOKS, leader, Harlow Labour Group, Westbury Rise, Harlow.

January 29, 2003 09:00