Affordable Housing Debate

Rossendale Liberal Democrats believe that affordable housing should be a priority. Our young people have to leave the Valley to get further education and how can we ever coax them back to the Valley if setting up home is such a hurdle due to lack of affordable rented or private property.

We are now suffering from the lack of foresight by the Conservatives in the 80s whose right to buy policy was fine during the boom days but now the country is in recession we are now paying the price - council house waiting lists are very high and because of the recession people have little or no chance to buy. The present Labour Government has done nothing to alter the right to buy policy. Numbers on the waiting list for a home have nearly doubled under Labour, hardly surprising when more than half a million social homes have been sold off and not replaced. Labour failed the very people they promised to protect.

As reported in the Free Press the Council's own independent experts say 327 new affordable homes need to be built each year in Rossendale, but an average of only seven have been delivered in the last year and despite current schemes it really is a case of too little too late. Bob Sheffield Liberal Democrat campaigner said "I was delighted that Greenvale Homes the registered social landlords who look after the Council's housing stock have a five year programme. Unfortunately their programme does not specify what is planned. I hope that there will be a high level of partnership working so that affordable housing can be high on everyone's agenda".

Empty properties are not only a wasted resource but a blight on the local community, attracting crime and antisocial behaviour. Liberal Democrats will ensure that people who own these homes will get a grant or a cheap loan to renovate them so they can be used: grants if the home is for social housing, loans for private use. This is cheaper than building new homes, is greener and helps to regenerate streets where empty homes stand derelict.

Everyone knows that there is a lull in construction of houses by private developers but it is essential that any future development the Council should insist that an affordable housing element should be included in any new build. The Council should also continue to work closely with private landlords to promote Council policy.