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.

Lab 2012: Time for a Fundamental Rethinking Of Housing Strategy

At the Labour conference, shadow chancellor Ed Balls called for 100,000 more affordable homes to be built.  An apparent constraint on building affordable homes is the dire state of the public finances. Yet in this current spending round the government will spend £100 billion in this area. The problem is that 95 per cent of it will go on Housing Benefit and just 5 per cent on building badly needed homes. Part of the answer is to allow local councils with strong balance sheets to borrow against their housing assets to finance new affordable house building.  But we also need to drive a shift from current to capital spending over the medium term – reversing the shift from housing capital to housing benefit. In a recently published report, “Together at home: A new strategy for housing”, the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) has suggested a way this could be done, by also embracing a radical localism.  The centre-piece would be a long term strategy to decentralise power and responsibility for housing expenditure to local areas – perhaps local government – with a remit for meeting local housing need, including by increasing housing supply. If Labour was to be really bold and radical on housing, this is an idea it should be taking up.  Download a copy of the report from the IPPR website.

New Planning Powers to Bring Jobs and Homes to Neighbourhoods

New planning powers giving communities the ability to shape the character of their neighbourhood have been published for consultation by Decentralisation Minister Greg Clark. Neighbourhood Planning will for the first time give communities a real voice in deciding the look and feel of development in their area. Local people will be able to have their say on the location of new homes, the design of buildings, the shops they want to see in the High Street, and the green spaces that should be protected. The new powers being introduced in the Localism Bill will also give local people the power to decide the types of development that can be granted automatic planning permission, through a Neighbourhood Development Order. The regulations make clear how a neighbourhood area will be defined, how to set up the forums that will propose plans, and will also outline the requirements for establishing a Neighbourhood Development Order. An easy to understand guide to Neighbourhood Planning is also being published today to make it easier for communities to use the new powers. Download a copy of the consultation and guidance from the CLG website.

Clark Admits UK Suffering 'Housing and Growth Crisis'

A Government minister has admitted Britain was suffering a "growth crisis" as he fended off accusations Conservatives cannot be trusted with Britain's countryside. Decentralisation minister Greg Clark claimed a revamp of planning laws was needed to spark economic growth and build more homes. He told MPs: "We have a crisis of housing and growth in this country that needs to be addressed by reforming the planning system in order to provide those things." Mr Clark was speaking at Commons questions as he defended the Government's proposals to make it easier for house builders to develop land "sustainably" - creating more homes and boosting economic recovery. Last month junior local government minister Bob Neill's claimed opposition to revamp formed "a left-wing smear campaign", led by the National Trust. Urging the Government to apologise for Mr Neill's remarks, Labour's Tristram Hunt, (Stone-on-Trent Central) said today: "Isn't this just further proof that you can't trust the Conservatives with the British countryside?" Read more on 24dash.

Areas Express Interest in Trialling Neighbourhood Plans

Almost 100 areas have expressed an interest in applying for grants to help them trial neighbourhood plans, government figures have revealed. In April, decentralisation minister Greg Clark announced that 17 local authority areas would become vanguards for neighbourhood planning initiatives, all of whom would automatically receive £20,000. Other communities would be invited to bid for a further 33 grants. Mr Clark announced plans for communities to produce development plans for their areas as part of the Localism Bill. The Bill is expected to receive royal assent later in the year. The 33 successful areas will test the government scheme ahead of the legislation that will see it rolled out across the country. Read more on Inside Housing.

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.

Neighbourhood Planning

Dozens more communities eager to test new rights that will give local people much greater ability to bring growth and shape development in their area, have been announced by Decentralisation Minister Greg Clark. 40 communities - a mix of cities, urban and rural areas - are to join 50 other communities already trialling neighbourhood planning. Neighbourhood planning is a key reform, contained in the Localism Bill, designed to create the conditions for communities to welcome growth by giving local people a real voice in deciding the look and feel of development in their area; from determining the locations of shops, offices and schools to setting standards of design for new housing. Local people will for the first time be able to decide the types of development given automatic planning permission through a Neighbourhood Development Order. If approved by a local referendum, a council will need to adopt a neighbourhood plan providing it is line with wider ambitions for growth in their area. Read more on the CLG 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.

Neighbourhood Planning Powers Given and Taken Away

Ministers pushing the nebulous concept of "localism" are claiming a small, yet significant step forward in their drive for community empowerment. Seventeen parishes, and small urban areas, have just been selected by the government to spearhead a new neighbourhood planning regime. According to the decentralisation minister, Greg Clark, these community "frontrunners" finally provide an opportunity for local people to "shape development in their areas rather than being dictated to" – by Whitehall, presumably. It is a template, we're assured, for something much bigger and bolder. The idea is that proposals for – say – new housing, small businesses and workshops will all be pulled together in a neighbourhood plan, funded with a modest £20,000 government grant. Once complete, the plan will have to be approved by parishioners and residents in a local referendum. It will then become an "order" and gain a little legitimacy. So far, so local. But this has been no easy process for Clark. Over the past few months his Department for Communities and Local Government – headed by an outwardly bullish Eric Pickles – has been under pressure from the Treasury to soften its localism rhetoric. With the Localism Bill running behind schedule, it's clear that a key element – delivering power to parishes and neighbourhoods – is colliding with proposals from the chancellor, George Osborne, to promote growth through bypassing the planning system. That means, for instance, driving through 21 low-tax enterprise zones, persuading developers to convert redundant offices and buildings into homes without the need for planning permission, and giving house-builders surplus government land. How does this gel with parish and neighbourhood planning? Bluntly, it doesn't. Read more on The Guardian website.

Clark Announces Neighbourhood Planning Pilots

The first communities to test radical new rights to give local people much greater ability to shape development in their area have been announced by Decentralisation Minister Greg Clark. Seventeen communities - a mix of cities, urban and rural areas - will spearhead a trial of neighbourhood planning, a powerful new right being introduced in the Localism Bill. Neighbourhood planning is a key reform designed to create the conditions for communities to welcome growth by giving local people a real voice in deciding the look and feel of development in their area; from determining the locations of shops, offices and schools to setting standards of design for new housing. Local people will for the first time be able to decide the types of development given automatic planning permission through a Neighbourhood Development Order. If approved by a local referendum, a council will need to adopt a neighbourhood plan providing it is line with wider ambitions for growth in their area. Read more on 24dash.

Councils Reject HRA Conditions

Councils have demanded the government drops legislation which could see authorities take on additional debt as part of their housing finance settlement. The Local Government Association wants the Decentralisation and Localism Bill amended to prevent ministers increasing the amount of debt already allocated to councils through housing revenue account reform. From April 2012 councils will take on a share of the £21 billion HRA debt in exchange for greater freedom to manage rental incomes. The bill currently allows communities secretary Eric Pickles to reopen this settlement and demand more money in the future. An LGA spokesperson said: ‘The debt councils take on in return for self-financing should be a one-off amount. What is being proposed would be like buying a house on the condition the seller could demand more money at some point in the future.’ Read more on Inside Housing.

Lobby Groups to Monitor Ministers

A trio of lobby groups has launched a commission to monitor the coalition government’s housing policies. The National Housing Federation, Chartered Institute of Housing and homelessness charity Shelter have established Housing Futures, which will track progress on homelessness, house building and housing waiting lists over the next year. The federation and the CIH had originally proposed a commission to examine the future of the housing sector. But since ministers overhauled housing policy, the organisations have joined forces with Shelter to examine whether reforms contained in the Decentralisation and Localism Bill will have their intended effect. The group is now sketching out its remit. Read more on Inside Housing.

Clark Defends Localism Agenda

The decentralisation minister has denied giving more power to communities will mean councils are excluded from key decisions. Giving evidence to the communities and local government committee on the subject of localism, Greg Clark said councils will have a ‘leadership role’. ‘This is not excluding local councils,’ he said. ‘I see councils having more power and a greater control over their resources. Things like the new homes bonus are about getting more local control over finance.’ He also said it would be wrong to require all councils to produce a neighbourhood plan. These will set out where residents want new homes to be built, but not all councils will have to produce them and the government has not put a figure on how many are likely to be drawn up. Read more on Inside Housing.

CLG Publishes Guide to Localism Bill

Six essential actions to create a new decentralised Britain, returning power to the people, have been set out by Nick Clegg and Decentralisation Minister Greg Clark. The Coalition Government believes in a radical shift of power from the centre to citizens and communities, giving control and freedom back to people to manage their own lives as they see fit. The Localism Bill, which has just begun its passage through parliament, will provide the legislative foundation for putting power back into the hands of communities. But it will also require fundamental changes in the way government works at every level. To achieve and maintain the radical shift in power, the Government has published Decentralisation and the Localism Bill: an essential guide. Its sets out six actions central government will need to take to do things differently - in behaviour, expectation, and culture, which must go alongside the changes in law proposed in the Bill. They are to:
* Lift the burden of bureaucracy
* Empower communities to do things their way
* Increase local control of public
* Diversify the supply of public
* Open up government to public scrutiny
* Strengthen accountability to local people
Read more on the CLG website.

Six Steps to Return Power to the People

Six essential actions to create a new decentralised Britain where power once again belongs to the people, have been set out today by the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and Decentralisation Minister Greg Clark. The Coalition Government believes in a radical shift of power from the centre to citizens and communities, giving control and freedom back to people to manage their own lives as they see fit. The Localism Bill will provide the legislative foundation for putting power back into the hands of communities. But it will also require fundamental changes in the way government works at every level. To achieve and maintain the radical shift in power, the Government has published Decentralisation and the Localism Bill: an essential guide. Its sets out six actions central government will need to take to do things differently - in behaviour, expectation, and culture, which must go alongside the changes in law proposed in the Bill. Download a copy of the guide from the CLG website.