Agenda item

Motion 1

Support for initiative to buy private rented houses in the Borough

 

Moved by Councillor Liam Smith and seconded by Councillor Fairbrass:

 

“That this Council supports initiatives being made by the Labour Group to seek funding from government to allow Barking and Dagenham Council to buy back private rented houses in the Borough.

 

This new scheme would produce many benefits for the local community and for the neighbourhoods with high levels of poorly managed rented housing. In particular it will:

 

·  Help meet the local family housing needs for affordable rented homes from the Council, and especially help to get families into settled housing

 

·  Raise housing and environmental standards and allow the Council to manage the properties and the appearance of front gardens.

 

·  Tackle landlordism which will stop families from being moved around London and within the Borough where there are high rates of buy to let housing.  This would help in building a settled Borough with strong local communities.

 

·  Ensure children are able to attend the same school throughout their primary and secondary education if they wish to. 

 

·  Allow neighbourhoods to grow again with better social cohesion and where people will know their neighbours rather then a changing face every six months.

 

·  Stop other Councils from placing their homeless families in other London boroughs.”

 

Councillor Smith said the Labour Group wants to buy back all housing, not just Council houses but all private houses in the rented sector.  With regard to the funding, he is not asking for costs to be met through the Housing Revenue Account, he is asking for the money that Council tenants pay in tax of £17m per year, which will come back directly into housing services and be split between conversions and buying back properties.  Everyone will benefit from this and it will also generate extra income.

 

Councillor Barnbrook asked if Councillor Smith was aware that it would take an amendment to or an Act of Parliament to do this.  He also said that unscrupulous people will inflate prices to sell houses back to the Council.

 

The following amendment was then moved by Councillor Barnbrook and seconded by Councillor Bailey:

 

“That this Council will make annual contributions from revenue to purchase ex-council property as it becomes available on the market and as the Director of Finance advises are reasonable market terms.

 

This new scheme would produce many benefits for the local community and for the neighbourhoods with high levels of poorly managed rented housing. In particular it will:

 

·  Help meet the local family housing needs for affordable rented homes from the Council, and especially help to get families into settled housing

 

·  Raise housing and environmental standards and allow the Council to manage the properties and the appearance of front gardens.

 

·  Tackle the question of poor property management by landlords by enforcing the relevant sections of the Housing Act, local Bye-laws as appropriate, and by making an appropriate impact on market forces.  This would help in building a settled Borough with strong local communities.

 

·  Ensure children are able to attend the same school throughout their primary and secondary education if they wish to. 

 

·  The Council will give priority for allocation of property acquired (under the terms set out in the first paragraph) to existing Council tenants and those on the waiting list, giving merit to the length of time they have been Council tenants without unjustified arrears or have been on the waiting list and their proof of an ancestral origin in, or connection with the borough.  This will allow neighbourhoods to grow again with better social cohesion and where people will know their neighbours rather then a changing face every six months.

 

·  Stop other Councils from placing their homeless families in other London boroughs.”

 

Councillor Smith said his motion was about buying back all housing that has fallen into rack and ruin and no change of legislation is required.  He also said that Councillor Barnbrook had not mentioned tackling landlordism at all and Councillor Phil Waker joined him in inviting the BNP to join Labour in tackling landlordism.

 

Councillor Bailey commented that the Labour Government has had three terms in office and has created landlordism.  The Labour Government champions Housing Associations and Housing Trusts.

 

Councillor Barnbrook said it had been 30 years since this Borough had built a Council house.  The BNP are elected, start to talk about Council housing and Labour gets on the bandwagon.

 

Councillor Smith responded that his views on housing had never changed.  This Council is the only Local Authority in London who resisted stock transfers.  The BNP did not vote against this in Epping.

 

The amendment was put to the vote and by a majority vote was not agreed.

 

The original motion moved by Councillor Liam Smith was put to the vote and by a majority vote was agreed.

 

Motion2

Protection of savings and property of residents who need residential or full time care

 

Moved by Councillor Barnbrook and seconded by Councillor Bailey:

 

“That this Council should follow the example of other authorities across England and Wales in protecting the savings and property of its residents who find they need residential or full time care.

 

Residents who have contributed to tax and national insurance should not be expected to use their savings or assets for care and health services that they have already invested in through the state system.

 

Funding for residential care and home care should be from the local authorities’ revenue and reserves and from central government funding of local government and the health service.”

 

When introducing this motion Councillor Barnbrook referred to the example of a man of 86, living in the Borough, who has been diagnosed with serious mental and physical disabilities.  It has been suggested that he goes into care and he was told that he must first use his savings up and then sell his property.

 

The following amendment was then moved by Councillor Little and seconded by Councillor Agrawal:

 

“This Assembly notes that decisions about the amount an individual should pay towards his or her care is determined nationally through regulations made under the National Assistance Act 1948.  There is no local discretion to waive fees.

 

The Assembly welcomes the steps taken by this Labour government to raise the income of all pensioner households, particularly those on the lowest incomes through the Minimum Income Guarantee, increases to the State Pension, winter fuel payments and benefits in kind such as TV licences.

 

The Assembly welcomes the wide range of services available in Barking and Dagenham to enable as many people as possible who need care to receive it in their own homes.”

 

Councillor Little said people wish to remain in their homes as long as possible and that is the direction the Council is moving in.  The emphasis is on supporting people in their homes and Barking and Dagenham has become a 3 star Borough for this work.  If the Government changed the legislation it will create a situation whereby the affluent will be subsidised by the working people of this Borough and he urged Members to support his amendment.

 

Councillor Bailey responded saying the fact is that under this Labour Government Old Age Pensioners are finding it increasingly hard to meet their bills.  They need support from this Government and they should not be means tested.  They have worked all their lives and they are asset stripped.

 

Councillor Barnbrook added that the old gentleman referred to had no choice but to go into social care.  He does not have the opportunity to have the care system come to his house.  The motion should go forward in its entirety.

 

Councillor White concluded by saying it is a very sad case but he thought it was one of the most hypocritical motions put before Members.  In the alternative budget the opposition party was talking about cuts in services to the order of £200m.  The BNP were just cynically seeking headlines and exploiting vulnerable people.

 

Following the debate the amendment was put to the vote and by a majority vote was agreed.

 

Motion 3

Removal of the ‘bidding system’ for Council housing

 

Moved by Councillor Robert Bailey and seconded by Councillor Barnbrook:

 

“The present ‘bidding system’ for Council housing has proved to be a disaster for local people and their families.  On this basis I am tabling the motion that the Council should from this day forward do away with the bidding system and revert back to the old points based system with the added provision that only local people who can prove that their family has lived in the borough more than 30 years be considered for Council housing.”

 

Councillor Liam Smith commented that with the bidding system people had a choice as to where they could go whereas on the previous system young families were excluded.  Going back to the previous system would also lead to a high number of voids, whereas now people can continually change their bids.  The bidding system is being rolled out right across the country.

 

Councillor Little said that there was criticism with the previous system that the Council was holding places back, with this system people can see what they are bidding for.

 

Councillor Barnbrook responded that from the research they had done, everyone they spoke to wanted to have the points system back because they deemed it to be fairer.

 

Following the debate the motion was put to the vote and by a majority was not agreed.