Those documents on Tory housing policy

Far from being “secret plans” all the policy ideas and the council’s planning vision (Local Development Framework) are on the internet or in the public domain.

The Localis publications are here:

http://www.localis.org.uk/images/Localis%20Policy%20Platform_Social%20Housing%20in%20Urban%20Areas.pdf

and here:

http://www.localis.org.uk/images/Localis%20Principles%20for%20Social%20Housing%20Reform%20WEB.pdf

The Councils Core Strategy Options document is here:

http://www.lbhf.gov.uk/Directory/Environment_and_Planning/Planning/Local_plan/117861_Local_Development_Framework_Regulation_25_June_2009.asp

This really is Andy Slaughter trying to make something out of nothing.

Is he complaining about Hackney council granting planning consent to evil tory developer Berkeley Homes to demolish 2,600 homes on the Woodberry Down estate? Or, about LB Southwark knocking down 6,500 homes?

No, he isn’t because he knows, just like he knows in Hammersmith, that redevelopment is essential to increase the number of homes, affordable and market, and he knows that 30+ years of neglect by Labour when they ran the Council are being reversed by a Council that actually cares for its most vulnerable residents and doesn’t want to keep them banged up in their falling apart homes, simply as vote fodder for a Labour party whose ideas are about as derelict as the homes they would like to keep.

John,

Most illuminating and grateful for the links too; they do portray the more compelling 'other side' of the argument missing from Slaughter's extracts.

I remember Andy Slaughter when he tried to stand against John Randall in Uxbridge; he was rubbish. Just after the landslide 1997 election; the citizens of Uxbridge were so impressed with him that Labour's share of the vote fell.

After 12 years in power what progress has the Labour Gov't made in tackling the housing crisis? - In my opinion things have not got better under Labour. The Gov't/Labour party/Gordon Brown choose to ignore house price inflation as it provided fuel for the boom. This has left many people unable to afford a decent home especially young people. At some point you have to be judged on your record and not what the other parties might do. Many of my colleagues in our local CLP just can't understand why the Gov't haven't made housing a priority and why local authorities haven't be allowed to directly build rental houses without all this nonsense of Arms Length management Organisations(ALMOs) and such like. And what about investing rental receipts locally in new builds. I would like to see greater support for tenants so that other forms of tenure then mortgage paying becomes more acceptable.

Thank you Andrew.

These 'extracts' are a good start. Please feel free to disclose the rest.

Sorry but without all the context (you have only provided the quotes that suit your side of the argument from what I can see) all I can see is some clear language in terms of what these neighbourhoods are.

I mean, just look at them. Being kind, they are the kind of mass housing projects to alleviate the slums and bombed out parts of the East End. West London is scarred with these monstrosities and almost without exception built by Labour utopianistic social engineers that brought us such delights as grey concrete brutalism. They might have alleviated overcrowding and terrible conditions but they brought their own unique problems.

They suffer higher levels of crime, lower levels of social mobility and poorer expectations of social aspiration. I cannot believe every resident of these blocks are happy to accept their lot.

The big difference I can see here is that this group of people actually want to do something about it rather than yourself. What have you done for these West Londoners since being elected?

Resigned over the Third Runway. Oooh... how brave.

Cynically, I suspect this has more to do with you losing your voters from your constituency than actually wanting to improve the living conditions of these people.

"Cynically, I suspect this has more to do with you losing your voters from your constituency than actually wanting to improve the living conditions of these people."

Wrong way round. The Council want to eject these people from the borough because they don't reliably vote Conservative every 4 years.

'---social engineers that brought us such delights as grey concrete brutalism.'

they were called architects and they all won prizes !

Indeed.

Robin Hood Gardens was one such 'award winner' so much so that 75% of residents when asked wanted it pulled down.

Nothing wrong with blocks of flats - I loved my flat in the Barbican . A while back now - the tube station was shut on Sundays(!).

It ain't the buildings, its the people.