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.