Hemel Hempstead Labour Party

Housing Matters – News release

TORY HOUSING SELL-OFF IN TATTERS

CONTROVERSIAL plans to sell-off Dacorum Borough Council’s 10,500 council homes must be halted says the Housing Matters campaign and Labour group leader Councillor Keith White. 

Conservative-run Dacorum had planned to ballot tenants in March on the move and was urging a “yes” vote to rid itself of responsibility for the housing stock and transfer it to a new housing association style “Community Gateway.” 

However Housing Minister John Healy announced to Parliament last Wednesday that in February the government would be spelling out its alternative to selling off council homes  which, he said, should be made available “in clear terms” as part of the consultation with tenants on any sell-off. 

Mr Healey said: “tenants must have accurate and full information on the clear options available in order to be fully consulted and be in a position to make their views known.”

Effectively therefore, Dacorum Borough Council will have to go back to the drawing board as it will not have time to learn of and evaluate the government’s new proposals let alone consult with tenants on how there could be a better alternative than selling off the homes, given that the process has already taken many months.

In November, arrogant ruling Tories brushed aside concerns – now proved valid – voiced by Labour councillors and others that they were rushing headlong to privatise the homes, instead of waiting for the results of a government consultation into the way council housing is financed.

Campaigners have hailed the Minister’s announcement as “a victory for common sense”, and warned the Tories not to make the mistake of ignoring what must happen next.     

“The Conservatives now have to stop claiming the sell-off is the only viable option.  The whole transfer process must be halted until after February’s announcement, so that all the facts are known,” said Labour Councillor Keith White.  Failure to do so, he said, would see them going off “half-cocked again” and “make them look even bigger fools than they have made themselves already” and would be a “betrayal of every tenant’s best interests,” he said. 

Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Hemel Hempstead Ayfer Orhan commented; “I’ve had severe doubts about the way the Conservatives have handled this all along; their dogmatic ‘do it at all costs’ approach and their unbalanced literature, just because they want to build themselves plush new offices.  Thanks to the minister and the Housing Matters campaign, local people must now get the full facts the Conservatives were not prepared to let them have and that means spelling out the pros and cons of both options fairly and in detail.  It is important and simply cannot be rushed.  It will take time to do properly – nothing less is acceptable.”

 To return to Housing Matters Home page click here