I wonder if Andrew Adonis has been taking lessons of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Leese, Labour leader of Manchester City Council? Hundreds of council homes, most only built in the 1970, some only having been refurbished. To be replaced mostly by ‘homes-to-buy’, for the educated, young professionals. We now have over 5,000 empty dwellings, with over 2,600 being long-term empty (http://www.emptyhomes.com/ 2013). With a very large housing waiting list, in 2012, more than 16,000. What is it about our politicians and their supporters, both Labour and Conservative, that there is an urgent requirement for council homes at affordable rents?
Last week on Red Brick we discussed a series of essays edited by Lord Andrew Adonis for the Institute of Public Policy Research (IPPR) proposing the transformation through redevelopment of existing council estates into ‘City Villages’.
Duncan Bowie has written the following analysis and detailed critique of the report. Duncan writes in a personal capacity but is convenor of the Highbury Group on Housing Delivery – an independent group of specialists from public, private and independent sectors from housing, planning and related professions which prepares proposals for Government – as well as being a member of the EC of London Labour Housing Group. He has worked in London housing and planning for many years, including for Ken Livingstone when he was Mayor.
The wrong solution to London’s housing crisis
By Duncan Bowie
Andrew Adonis’s introductory chapter seeks to describe the housing crisis in London and propose that the shortage…
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