Agenda item

To consider the following motion:

• Social housing in mixed communities.

MOTION 1 – SOCIAL HOUSING IN MIXED COMMUNITIES

(see page 15 of the main agenda)

Councillor Anood Al-Samerai, seconded by Councillor Michael Bukola, moved the motion.

Councillor Peter John, seconded by Councillor Claire Hickson, moved Amendment D.

Following debate (Councillors Paul Noblet, Nick Dolezal, Gavin Edwards, Neil Coyle, Adele Morris, Ian Wingfield and Lewis Robinson), at 10.11 pm the bell was rung and the Mayor announced that the guillotine had fallen.  The Mayor announced that the motion and amendment would be voted on separately.

Amendment D was put to the vote and declared to be carried.

The substantive motion was put to the vote and declared to be carried.

RESOLVED:

1.  That council notes that not only is the current administration investing £326 million to ensure every council home in Southwark is warm, dry and safe by 2016, it is also building 1000 new council homes in Southwark over the next eight years - more than have been built in all of London in the last 10 years. It regrets that the previous administration failed to build enough council housing, had an unworkable and unfunded decent homes programme which left many Southwark residents without decent homes and by the end of their time in office left Southwark with 7,800 fewer council homes.

2.  That council notes the publication of the ‘Ending Expensive Tenancies’ report by Policy Exchange in August 2012, which called on councils to sell off higher valued social homes and replace them with others in cheaper areas.

3.  That council also notes the reaction of the leader to the report on his blog: “the blanket policy proposed by the paper of selling-off all council properties above a certain value is flawed and would undoubtedly lead to the removal of genuinely affordable social housing from certain areas.”

4.  That councilrecognises that there is a need for affordable housing in all parts of the borough, and that many key workers and other residents in lower pay brackets live in social homes in those parts of the borough where land values are highest. That is why this council opposes the government’s housing benefit cap, opposes the introduction of affordable rent at 80% of market rent, opposes the ending of secure tenancies, opposes the slashing of the social housing budget by £3.9 billion and is building 1000 new council homes in Southwark over the next 8 years.

5.  That council is concerned that the government’s housing benefit cap will further social segregation in the borough and agrees with the comments of Simon Hughes MP when he told the BBC in January “As it currently stands, the benefits cap will break up families…there are bottom lines in politics and that one is making sure that those with least finances and the most mouths to feed, and the most needy are protected.”  However it regrets that only five months later Simon Hughes ignored his own warning and voted to cap housing benefit for families in Southwark.

6.  That council welcomes Southwark Council’s plans to build more council homes, which has been made possible by the council’s decision to accept "in lieu" payments from developers rather than requiring them to deliver on-site "affordable housing" where that "affordable housing" is anything but affordable. It is perplexed that the Liberal Democrats claim to support Labour’s plan to deliver 1000 new council homes but do not support the proposed means of delivering them and would encourage Southwark Liberal Democrats to explain how they would pay for new council homes.

7.  That council notes and regrets that Simon Hughes MP recently voted to allow developers to deliver 0% affordable housing on new developments. Council therefore calls on cabinet to write to the government and call on them to drop the proposal in the Growth and Infrastructure Bill that lets developers wriggle out of their affordable housing requirements.

Note: This motion will be referred as a recommendation to the cabinet for consideration.