At the General Committee meeting of Castle Point Labour Party dated 12th September 2007, it was agreed that
our delegate to the Annual Conference of the Labour Party, should support any motion that complies with the following:-
Conference welcomes the Housing Green Paper as an opportunity to debate housing strategies and solutions
but notes the concerns developing over the summer (in the weeks following the Green Paper) in response to reports that some
local authorities are pressing ahead with public private partnerships involving sale of valuable council land without any
informed public debate and consultation.
Conference believes that there are many ways to create 'sustainable communities'
but rejects proposals to reduce 'secure' council tenancies and introduce time limits and means testing which would further
stigmatise council housing and turn council estates into transit camps.
Enabling local authorities to improve existing
and build new first class council homes would increase the supply of council housing and allow councils to open up their allocation
policies once again. Offering ‘secure’ council tenancies to the wide range of people on council housing waiting
lists would return council estates to the mixed communities they were before shortage restricted access to only those in the
most desperate circumstances.
Government must provide detailed proposals with a clearly defined timetable which will enable
local authorities to improve all existing council homes and estates themselves and start a new council house building programme,
with sufficient revenue to maintain all council homes in future years.
A long term solution of investment in first class
council housing would make it an option of choice.
Conference reminds government of the clear 2005 manifesto commitment
"By 2010 we will ensure that all social tenants benefit from a decent, warm home with modern facilities" and calls on government
to give existing council tenants the right to choose to remain with their authority and get improvements to their homes and
estates.
Conference deplores the extended periods of “emergency repairs only” conditions which some tenants
suffer and calls on this government to alleviate this unfair situation.
"A Labour government cannot leave council tenants
who have rejected privatisation without improvements" (Composite 10, 2006 conference).
"Conference believes that decent,
affordable, secure and accountable council housing can make an important contribution to tackling growing housing need and
that there is strong support amongst council tenants, elected councillors, trade unions and MPs for direct investment to improve
existing council homes and estates as well as enabling local authorities to build new council homes".
Conference re-affirms
the decisions of the 2004, 2005 and 2006 party conferences "and our commitment to a 'level playing field'. This should include
ring-fencing all the income from tenants rents, capital receipts as well as equal treatment on debt write off and gap funding
available to councils who transfer their homes to give tenants real choice and provide a long term future for council housing.
"
"Conference again calls on government to provide the 'Fourth Option' of direct investment to council housing as a matter
of urgency."
