Issue - meetings

Assembly received and noted this report introduced by Councillor Channer, Chair of the Living and Working Select Committee.

Councillor Channer thanked officers, Glen Oldfield – Scrutiny Officer, Darren Henaghan – Director for Housing and Environment, and Ken Jones – Divisional Director for Housing Strategy, for their hard work in formulating the report.

Councillor Channer provided Assembly with the background to the report and advised that Universal Credit would come into force in 2013, which would force many people out of London as they would be unable to afford to rent properties there. Research from the University of Cambridge had predicted that by 2016 this borough would be the only London Borough that would be affordable in terms of rented accommodation.

Councillor Channer gave a PowerPoint presentation in support of the report which included data on:

v  the number of private rented properties in the borough, which had doubled since 2006 – the fastest growing in London in the last five years

v  the average private sector monthly rent in the borough in comparison with that of Tower Hamlets and Newham

v  tenants' experiences

v  tenants' views as to whether or not they would stay in the Borough

v  examples of the poor condition of some properties

Councillor Channer thanked the stakeholders and consultees for their support and in particular Jon Cruddas MP. 

She referred Members to the recommendations in the report and in conclusion, condemned the Coalition Government's housing policy which she felt would create nothing more than social segregation.

The Cabinet Member for Housing, Councillor P Waker, commended the report and the PowerPoint presentation stating that it supported the Council's Housing Strategy.

In response to questions from Members, the Director for Housing and Environment advised that:

·  insulation was provided by WarmFront to private owners but it was means tested

·  a grant for insulation had been extended to private landlords

·  the Government had introduced "Green Deal" which was also means tested, with funding coming from the utility companies

·  Colne House had recently been refurbished

·  a report had been to Cabinet regarding insulation of more Council stock

·  in the private rented sector, landlords were not always able to access funding

·  the Private Sector Housing Team, which had been protected by Members in the last budget, comprised five officers

The Cabinet Member for Environment, Councillor McCarthy, concluded that this was an excellent report and felt that John Biggs, our GLA Member would support the recommendation for the creation of a national tenants' consumer rights body.

Assembly noted the report and supported the recommendations of the Living and Working Select Committee.