"Decent Neighbourhoods, Better Housing" and more people "on the property ladder"? (Hammersmith and Fulham Liberal Democrats)

Hammersmith and Fulham Liberal Democrats <info@hflibdems.org.uk>

"Decent Neighbourhoods, Better Housing" and more people "on the property ladder"?

June 30, 2009 11:11 PM

Tenants' fears about H&F Council's intentions for redevelopment of several key council housing estates have not been relieved by the publication of the Council's draft document on the Local Development Framework, Core Strategy Options, which is currently out for consultation.

The consultation makes clear that the Tory administration's plans for the next few years include massive changes to the housing policy, including the redevelopment of the Ashcroft Square Estate and Queen Caroline Estates, to "help people onto the property ladder".

The document spells out the Tory Council's ambition to increase the percentage of home-owners in the borough by 12% by 2014, but does not spell out the implications for the 43,000 households who are currently in rented housing.

Queen Caroline Estate, Hammersmith (Merlene's)

Queen Caroline Estate, which property developers have been discussing with the Council

It does however name several estates, including West Kensington/Gibbs Green, Ashcroft Square and Queen Caroline where (para 4.100) "opportunities for renewal need to be considered in conjunction with nearby or adjacent development sites" .

This will confirm the suspicion of residents that the estates targeted for redevelopment are chosen not on the basis of need or deprivation (para 4.4 identifies these: "Seven of the borough's SOAs are within the top 10% most deprived nationally. Five of these comprise major public sector housing estates: White City, Wormholt, Edward Woods, Clem Atlee and Charecroft",), but on the priorities of developers wanting to get their hands on publicly owned land.

Residents' fears that there will be no room for them in the new private developments - or in the property-owning Borough described in the consultation documents - were not assuaged by a meeting with the Leader of the Council, Cllr. Greenhalgh, in which he tried to avoid giving clear assurances that tenants would be protected in the short and medium term.

What is clear is that "improving council housing estates as opportunities to do so emerge" is nothing more than an open invitation to private developers to ask for anything they like.

The consultation ends on 17 July and residents are wanting to comment must do so by then.