We are
celebrating
winning
the arguments
A city tenants` group was celebrating victory this week…and in a
similar way a national victory was being
celebrated about much the same thing- winning the argument about housing.
The housing magazine Inside Housing used this dramatic picture from seven years ago to
the illustrate the national argument that has been won: social housing is on
the way back after being “abolished” in
2010.(Sir William Beveridge is on the left, with the former Chancellor, George Osborne.)
Martin Hilditch the Deputy Editor wrote:
“Back in
October 2010 this magazine pronounced the “end of social housing” when covering
the news that the government was intending to channel its future funding into a
new product – affordable rent.
It was a
defining moment for housing provision. In that year 35,180 social rented homes
were built – by 2015/16 this had collapsed to 6060.
As it
turns out, you can’t keep a good idea down – and given time, 2017 may be seen
as a similar defining moment in housing policy.
Theresa
May’s announcement at the Conservative Party Conference of a £2 bn fund– which
the Conservatives’ press release suggested could deliver “around 25,000 homes
for social rent” – means all the main parties in England are now committed to
upping the delivery of homes at social rents for the first time in more than a
decade.”
The tenant group`s argument was with Carlisle City
Council.
The city Tenants` and Residents ` Federation (which
publishes this blog) has spent much of the last 15 years criticising the way
the city`s 6.000 former social houses are being run by the Liverpool-based
Riverside Housing Association, a grossly inefficient, bossy, and dictatorial
property development organisation.
Whenever possible during those years, the Federation
has brought Riverside issues to the
attention of the city council. Sadly, the council failed to listen and was more
interested in attempting to cover up
Riverside`s failings.
This week the Federation agreed that the council had performed a U-turn
in its relations with Riverside and that much of what the Federation had been
campaigning for in the last 15 years had now been incorporated into
the
council`s proposals for Riverside.
The Federation has received the following reply from the city council`s Chief Executive Mr Jason Gooding, following a complaint to the council. The complaint was published on the previous post (September 28) on this blog.
Complaint: Update on Riverside`s Proposals to Vary the Stock
Transfer
Thank
you for raising your concerns about the ongoing scrutiny
of the Riverside Agreement, I have noted the background information
that you have provided and hope the responses to the specific points you
have raised alleviate your concerns.
1, The council`s questioning arrangement at panel meetings
now seems to have come to a halt and the Federation has no access to the panel and is out on a limb.
The Federation can access the panel by contacting the Health and
Wellbeing Chair. The Constitution clearly states in the Overview & Scrutiny Procedure Rules that:
‘An
overview and scrutiny committee may invite people other than those
people referred to in paragraph 13 above to address it, discuss issues
of local concern and/or answer questions. It may for example wish to
hear from residents, stakeholders and members and
officers in other parts of the public sector and shall invite such
people to attend.’
The Economic Growth Chair will be able to invite the Federation
to the Panel meeting to ask questions or discuss issues. The current chair is Councillor Paul Nedved (Paul.Nedved@carlisle.gov.uk).
This request can be facilitated by the Scrutiny Officer (Steven.O’Keeffe@carlisle.gov.uk).
2,
It appears that all issues raised by the Federation in
the longstanding and continuous Federation campaigning against
Riverside have not been given deserved inclusion in your council`s
“demands” of Riverside.
The
work completed so far on a new agreement
with Riverside was presented to the Economic Growth Panel on 7
September 2017. The purpose of the agenda item and report was to provide
Members of the Panel with details of Riverside’s response to the
priorities identified at the Community Overview and Scrutiny
Panel workshop on 2 March 2017, in respect of Riverside’s governance
arrangements.
The
Panel also reviewed the work programme and
agreed to scrutinise Riverside Housing Association on 1 March 2018,
this would be an opportunity for you to raise questions and concerns. If
you would like to do so please contact the Scrutiny Officer and this
will be facilitated.
3,
The Federation does not consider that the “scrutiny” workings
of the panel over the years have been in accordance with the workings
of the parliamentary select committees. These workings, as outlined
earlier in this letter, have in fact been in direct contradiction to the
parliamentary workings.
Riverside
Housing Association has been scrutinised
by an Overview & Scrutiny Panel on annual basis over recent years.
The Panel with the remit for housing has consistently operated within
the
Overview & Scrutiny Procedure Rules as set out in the
Constitution. The Overview & Scrutiny Panels are not a local version of the parliamentary select
committees and therefore do not need to follow these procedures.
If you have any further concerns about the scrutiny of Riverside
Housing Association please do not hesitate to contact the Scrutiny Officer".
Carlisle Tenants` and Residents`
Federation publishes this blog. Information about the Federation is available
on 01228 522277 or 01228 532803
