Pickles Bulldozes 'Big Society'

Any tattered vestige of hope that David Cameron's promise to build a "big society" was something more than a tissue of spin can be fed to the shredder following the decision by Eric Pickles to approve Tory borough Hammersmith and Fulham's desire to sell off land containing 760 homes to property developer Capital and Counties (Capco) for demolition. The vast majority of the community living in those homes do not wish them destroyed. Their elected representatives want to take ownership of the two estates that the homes form and run them through a community-led housing association under powers that, more than two years ago, Pickles's department said it would provide but has so far failed to.  Cameron now looks more like the premier for belittling society and Pickles the minister for bulldozing communities.  Read more on the Guardian website.

How the Conservatives Ruined Social Housing

To all those shocked by revelations that quotas are being used to limit certain types of tenants from accessing new social housing in London’s Kings Cross Central development, I’ve got some bad news for you – this is what the future of social housing looks like in the Big Society.  Since coming to power in May 2010, the Coalition has gone to war on social housing and social tenants, especially in England and Wales, where the Localism Act 2011 mainly applies. Localism was sold to us by the Minister for Decentralisation, Greg Clark, as a new contract between people and the state to enable “a huge shift in power - from central Whitehall, to local public servants, and from bureaucrats to communities and individuals”   Sounds great, but as the Kings Cross scandal reveals, Localism in practice means something more sinister – the freedom for councils to abandon their social duty to house those in greatest need on the diktats of private developers who, like the Chief Whip, don’t want too many ‘plebs’ mixing with the new urban gentry.  Read more of this opinion piece on the Independent website.

The End of Localism?

It is two years since a new prime minister was welcomed by the community secretary, Eric Pickles, to his department. As Pickles chanted: "What do we want?", a crowd of civil servants obligingly chorused: "Localism, localism, localism." That was then. Now, Pickles has effectively signalled the end of an ill-defined localist concept that promised much. Attempting to put a gloss on a volte-face that sees Whitehall gain immense powers over house-building and commercial development, Pickles could only joke about his new-found "muscular localism".  Tied to proposals for the centralisation of local NHS assets in a new, standalone company – the antithesis of localism – the powers represent, in reality, muscular centralism. For "big society", read big government bent on privatising an NHS estate inherited often from local councils and charities.  On the planning front, Pickles has now ruled that councils can be ignored when applications for large developments are tabled. They will be determined by a fast-track process at the already overworked Planning Inspectorate. The last government established an Infrastructure Planning Commission to do just that. Pickles scrapped it.  With the economy tanking, ministers are directing their fire at a planning system they claim is restricting development. Not so, retorts Sir Merrick Cockell, Conservative chairman of the Local Government Association. He insists a record backlog of 400,000 homes that have received planning permission nails the lie that councils are to blame for the shortage of new properties.  Read more on the Guardian website.

More Than 2,000 Charities and Community Groups Face Cuts

More than 2,000 charities and community groups are facing budget cuts as local authorities reduce their funding – or in some cases completely withdraw it – according to research by False Economy. The research, based on hundreds of Freedom of Information responses from local councils across England, shows that one year on from the launch of the Big Society, many charities and voluntary groups face deep funding cuts. The False Economy research shows that charities face net funding reductions of more than £110 million this year, though the final figure is likely to be far higher given that some large authorities have not yet finalised where the cuts will hit. All charities or voluntary groups receiving a funding cut of at least five per cent are listed in the research, although most of the cuts are far deeper – and many groups have had their funding cancelled completely. Read more on the False Economy website.

Event - Localism and the Big Society

16 August 2011 Leeds – booking code 15155
24 August 2011 London – booking code 15156

•Learn about the philosophical and political roots of the Big Society and the localism agenda and what it means for the housing sector
•Learn how your organisation can manage change and achieve better efficiency
•Equip your organisation with the information on how to respond to the changes ahead on services and financial planning
•Listen to leading housing professionals and practitioners
•Listen to good practice within the sector
•An excellent opportunity to network with fellow housing professionals and be involved in interactive discussions
To book a place at either of these events, go to the CIH website by clicking on the logo below.

Big Society 'Having Negative Effect on Homeless People'

Homeless people risk even greater social exclusion if the Government’s ‘Big Society’ idea doesn't show more muscle, the head of a leading homelessness charity has warned. Charles Fraser, Chief Executive of St Mungo's, voiced his concerns as the charity launched a new report 'Enough Room: Is society big enough for homeless people?' The report highlights that homeless people see volunteering as an important way in which they can move from feeling ‘shunned’, ‘excluded’ and ‘out in the cold’ to being active community members again. But survey findings from homeless people, sector leaders and the public reveal concerns that the picture could become yet bleaker, with homelessness rising and cuts starting to impact on the services people need. Read more on 24dash.

Shapps: Support for Tenants to Improve Their Neighbourhoods

Housing Minister Grant Shapps has launched plans to give tenants greater support to hold their landlords to account. The Minister argued that new locally-run tenant panels will put power back into the hands of residents, helping them to build the Big Society in their neighbourhoods. Mr Shapps announced plans for an £535,000 residential training programme, to give tenants the confidence and skills they need to sit on tenant panels so they can represent their neighbours and resolve local disputes such as making sure repairs are made efficiently, and that complaints against anti-social behaviour are dealt with quickly. Read more on the CLG website.

Tory Minister Declines to Oblige H and F Leader

The days when the leader of Hammersmith and Fulham was portrayed by Project Cameron as its great sage of localist innovation may be gone. Residents of the Gibbs Green and West Kensington estates have campaigned to confound Stephen Greenhalgh's plan to have their homes demolished as part of a huge redevelopment scheme. Residents intend to thwart Greenhalgh and his developer partners with powers which, although created by the previous government, are to be activated by the current one in keeping with its Big Society agenda. The powers - set out in Section 34a of the Housing Act (1985) - will require local authorities, even flagship Tory ones, to, as minister for decentralisation Greg Clark puts it:
Grant local authority tenants the right to explore a change of landlord and place a new duty on councils to co-operate with their tenants, where transfer is the favoured and viable option.
The "change of landlords" desired by the campaigners is from Hammersmith and Fulham to a housing association set up by themselves. Clark's words were contained in a letter to Greenhalgh dated March 14, 2011, responding to the latter's request that tenants desiring such a "change of landlord" should be subjected to a "wider benefits test" before their wish is granted. Greenhalgh believes the government should ensure that such objectives take priority over tenants' "right to transfer". Read more on The Guardian website.

DCLG Structural Reform Plan

This new action plan marks a radical shift of power from Whitehall to local councils and communities that will make the Big Society part of every day life. The plan sets out a new 18 month programme for the department that will deliver radical decentralising and transparency reforms that put citizens and councils in control of their communities. It is one of the first fundamental Structural Reform Plans for making departments accountable for the implementation of the reforms set out in the Coalition agreement. Download a copy of the Plan from the CLG website.

Social Housing and the Community Right to Build - QandA

At the heart of the Government’s Big Society agenda, the Community Right to Build aims to cut red tape in the planning process and give communities more power to deliver the type of development they want in their area. James Garland, Director of Green Issues, says the jury is still out. Q Will this help to deliver more social housing? A Well, the jury is still out on this one. The Conservatives pointed out in their manifesto the previous system of ‘top-down’ planning simply didn’t work in terms of addressing housing waiting lists and that it was their intention to deliver more rather than less development. Developers themselves have been, at best, luke-warm about the Localism Bill in general and also the Community Right to Build specifically. Critics point out that it will encourage piecemeal development in small villages and will do little to help tackle local authority waiting lists. They also point out that, although there is great need for this sort of development, many local communities, particularly in the south east, are unlikely to get together to promote schemes that feature a high proportion of social housing. Read more questions and answers on the 24dash website.

Shapps Writes Off £42 Million Housing Debt in Name of 'Big Society'

Housing minister Grant Shapps has given the green light for the iconic Byker Estate in Newcastle to be put into community control. Visiting the Grade II listed estate, Mr Shapps applauded the efforts of tenants who "never took no for an answer" and campaigned for control of their neighbourhood, describing them as "the embodiment of the Big Society", paying tribute to Newcastle City Council and the Homes and Communities Agency who supported their efforts.
And he welcomed efforts to ensure that, as residents work to secure Byker's future for generations to come, they benefit from the Government's Green Deal to make their homes greener and cheaper to run. Under the plans, a Community Trust will be established to manage this investment, creating training and employment opportunities for local people. Residents would play a key role in the trust, and would work alongside Your Homes Newcastle, which would provide support and management services. The Government will support this by writing off a local housing debt associated with the estate of up to £42m. Read more on 24dash.

Removing Secure Tenancies 'Undermines Big Society'

The government is undermining the big society through its policies including the removal of secure tenancies, according to journalist Rod Liddle, associate editor of the current affairs magazine the Spectator. He told the Chartered Institute of Housing’s south east conference in Brighton that the government’s policies are preventing the big society, which seeks to empower communities, from happening. He said the governments’ political reflexes are opposed to the concept. He said: ‘Every law this government enacts is designed to undermine the notion of a big society. ‘To have a big society where people have a stake in their community and take part in agreeable voluntary action, you need to have a sense of community in the first place.’ Read more on Inside Housing.

Council to Create UK’s Largest Social Housing Mutual

Rochdale Council is poised to create the country’s largest social housing mutual by converting its ALMO into a co-operative. The authority is waiting for housing minister Grant Shapps to approve the plans to transfer its 14,500 homes to the new organisation in April 2012. Gareth Swarbrick, chief executive of RBH, said transferring to a mutual rather than a traditional housing association would give Rochdale tenants greater control over the way their homes were run. This would reflect Rochdale’s history as the birthplace of the co-operative movement, he added. ‘The beauty of the mutual organisation is that it will bring a lot of tenants on board with their landlord. We have a very strong tradition of tenant involvement in the borough …and the co-operative movement started in Rochdale in the 1840s.’ The Cabinet Office is interested in using the transfer as an example of the government’s big society ideal in action, Mr Swarbrick added. Read more on Inside Housing.

Sheltered Housing Campaign Launched

A campaign has been launched to champion the role of sheltered housing as a valuable community resource whilst helping cut Government spending and meet the needs of the ‘Big Society’. The national consortium for sheltered and retirement housing, ERoSH, launched its campaign ‘Reaching out – sheltered housing, a community resource’ at the House of Commons. The six-month campaign, which started on February 15, will see ERoSH work with its 200 members across England, Wales and Northern Ireland to demonstrate how sheltered housing can be used as a community resource to benefit the wider community. The campaign also highlights how sheltered housing can help the Government meet its localism and ‘Big Society’ agendas through public sector organisations, individuals, charities, social enterprises, and private companies using sheltered housing resources in innovative ways to delivering public services. Read more on 24dash.

Shapps in £8m Pledge To Allow Tenants to Manage Own Homes

England's four million council housing tenants hold the key to improving their own neighbourhoods, said Housing Minister Grant Shapps. Mr Shapps argued that some of the best examples of people contributing to the Big Society can be found on England's council estates - looking out for their neighbours and making efforts to make their streets better places to live. Yet only two per cent of council properties are run and managed by the tenants themselves. So the minister has backed tenants looking to build the Big Society in their neighbourhoods with up to £8m government cash. This money will be used to set up Tenants Panels where the key decisions to improve the local area can be made - such as how quickly repairs should be made, measures to make their streets safer and children's play schemes. The panels can also be used to hold landlords to account. The Minister is also planning to reduce bureaucracy and red tape to make it easier for tenants across the country to use their Right to Manage their council-run properties, take responsibility for managing their home from their landlords and take control for themselves. Read more on the CLG website.

Recent briefings - Click on the Hyperlinks for More Information

*Localism Bill – localism and ALMOs - NFA Briefing on the Localism Bill
*A more risky world - HQN Briefing on risk assessment
*Localism and the Big Society agenda: the role for social landlords? HQN Briefing which aims to generate a wider debate about the opportunities this agenda brings for social landlords
*New Help for Anti-Social Behaviour Victims - Trials of a new approach for handling complaints of antisocial behaviour. Home_Office Press Release
*Your questions answered – governance (part 1) - This HQN briefing is published in response to questions about governance from HQN members.

Pickles Faces High Court Challenge Over Decision to Scrap Housebuilding Targets

The Communities Secretary has been accused of unlawfully scrapping regional housing targets in pursuit of the Government's "big society" initiative. Housing developers asked the High Court to block the move, arguing that Eric Pickles had abused his powers. Peter Village QC, appearing for Cala Homes (South) Ltd, told a judge Mr Pickles was seeking to revoke regional strategies through an executive decision. Mr Village argued primary legislation should have been introduced, giving Parliament the opportunity to debate an issue crucial to future planning in England. Mr Pickles' decision "struck at the heart of parliamentary democracy". Cala Homes was asking Mr Justice Sales, sitting in London, to intervene and quash the secretary of state's action. Read more on 24dash.

Calls for Empty Homes Duty to Be Made Statutory

Contributors to the Homes and Communities Agency’s empty homes online debate have called for empty homes to be made a statutory responsibility for local councils and for those brought back into use to be scored as ‘new units’.
There was a consensus that owners should be discouraged from leaving homes empty through taxation incentives and there should be a dedicated funding stream as part of the Big Society bank to enable people to renovate empty properties. Contributors believe the Government’s Big Society agenda will play an important role in increasing the provision of affordable housing and that improved partnership working between the public, private and civic sectors should be the linchpin to help build social capital. Funding featured heavily and many participants suggested that homes brought back into use should attract New Homes Bonus. Many agreed that although a number of local authorities have developed innovative and practical solutions to tackle empty homes, greater support should be given to sharing this knowledge, expertise and experience across the sector. Download a summary of the discussion from the HCA website by clicking on the logo below.

Being Ever Ready ... Your Springboard to Improvement 11 October 2010

An important expectation of regulators and the Government's Big Society and Localism agenda is landlord accountability for deeper scrutiny and challenge by your tenants. HouseMark is offering a one day workshop to help develop your organisation’s self awareness around performance. This will ensure that you are ready for either a short notice or full inspection and can show the necessary accountability. The workshop will provide:
*an understanding of the inspection regime
*an insight into how people, systems and procedures can be organised to achieve a state of readiness for inspection
*examples of how customer feedback and scrutiny is contributing to continuous service and performance improvement
*guidance on how to show an effective track record of actions leading to improvements
*ideas of how to ensure staff, systems and tenants are ready for inspection by being aware of performance and improvement plans
*advice and examples of how benchmarking information can be used to demonstrate self awareness and promote improvement
Find more details and a booking form on the HouseMark website by clicking on the logo below.

Home Office Crime & ASB Consultation

The Home Office has unveiled its plans for policing the Big Society in a new consultation document. The document "Policing in the 21st Century: Reconnecting police and the people" outlines how the government intends to cut bureaucracy and democratise policing in England and Wales. The role for social landlords in the new vision is for them to take part in discussions about local issues - as neighbourhood managers on the front line and members of CSPs (Crime and Safety Partnerships) at a strategic level. The consultation makes no mention of the direct role that social landlords and local authorities play in tackling ASB. Download the consultation documents from the Home Office website.