22 October - Housing. Targets versus reality
Places Scrutiny naturally includes housing, a subject that the Chairman
forecast is going to be with us “for the next few years”.
Councillor June Slaughter
(Conservative, Sidcup) was concerned about the possibility of the new
Government trampling over the Green Belt. Even the “scruffier” parts of it form
an “important buffer between suburbia and beyond. The Green Belt Review is a
worry”. Planning decisions being taken away from Local Authorities is another
concern, “Developments should be local plan led.”
She very strongly supported Bexley’s response to the Review. The Cabinet Member
took the same view. Planning needs to stay local.
Councillor John Davey (Conservative, West Heath) said that his colleagues were
absolutely right and we want our residents to move into beautiful houses.
(Angela Rayner said that was not a requirement only three weeks after her election.)
He said that a lot of Bexley was Metropolitan Open Land. How will that be treated? Answer: We don’t know yet
but it may be in jeopardy.
Councillor Mabel Ogundayo (Labour, Thamesmead East) was much more optimistic
about building wherever possible. It might be better to build on the smaller
sites and it should be encouraged. The houses do not have to be poor quality and
Green Belt is not always beautiful. Much of Peabody owned Thamesmead is MOL and we should avoid being NIMBY.
Cabinet Member Cafer Munur said that Bexley had always been open for business so the
changes may not make a lot of difference. It is up to developers to make their approaches.
Councillor Cheryl Bacon did not share Mabel’s optimism for the “Government’s new
and wonderful planning policy framework”. It puts numbers before need and it has
inherent problems within it. We need to build more houses but we must consider
the demographic but the Policy is one of numbers and only pays lip service to
local requirements. “It is a set up for failure.”
Councillor Munur agreed that a formula for housing numbers is not the right way to be going.
The 29 year old Chairman said that within his lifetime average house prices had
gone from three times average salaries to twelve times. Building “Small and
Tall” does not get anywhere near meeting Bexley’s housing needs. Three times as
many one bed flats are being built compared to population demand with four
bedroom properties underprovided by a factor of four in order to meet targets.
He was told that one bed flats is where developers make their money while “68%
of demand is three bed plus”. The Council does its best to fulfil residents’ needs but the law works against us.
The Planning Officer said that some parts of the Government’s plans and assumptions relating to
the Green Belt were “hilarious”.
A comment from another senior officer was to the effect that the people who are
going to make the most money from housing were planning lawyers.