The Dame is apolitical, but when a Labour expert on housing(Dilmondenberg) sends her this shocking story she is aghast.
What on earth is any Council doing passing over assets-paid for by us-to micro property companies/spivs...sheer madness!
And this all happened under the rule of the sainted Milton- a friend and staunch supporter of the horrible and manipulative Dame Shirley Porter. IT WAS NEVER MEANT TO BE LIKE THIS!
And this all happened under the rule of the sainted Milton- a friend and staunch supporter of the horrible and manipulative Dame Shirley Porter. IT WAS NEVER MEANT TO BE LIKE THIS!
Over 3,500 former Westminster Council flats sold under the Right To Buy are now in the hands of small landlords, according to a report to the Council's Housing Scrutiny Committee on 17th July.
The report reveals that the Council has sold 9,135 (45%) of its 21,243 Council flats and that 3,603 (39%) are now sublet and "owned by small and multiple landlords". Some Council Estates now have fewer Council tenants than leaseholders. For example
- In Bayswater there are 427 Council tenants and 484 leaseholders
- On the Churchill Gardens Estate there are 872 Council tenants and 879 leaseholders
- On the Millbank Estate there are 261 Council tenants and 297 leaseholders
- In Marylebone there are 417 Council tenants and 463 leaseholders
- In Paddington Green there are 450 Council tenants and 453 leaseholders
- In St John's Wood there are 743 Council tenants and 849 leaseholders
Labour Councillors say that some former Council flats in Westminster owned by Buy-to-let landlords are now rented out at more than £500 a week, over four times the average rent of Council flats, and are out the price range of the vast majority of Westminster residents in housing need. Many of the Buy-to-let landlords are being subsidised by thousands of pounds of Government Housing Benefit payments which pay their tenants' rent.
Councillor Paul Dimoldenberg, Leader of the Labour Group, said;
"The Right-to-buy has transformed many Council estates in Westminster into Buy-to-let goldmines for private landlords. Rather than meeting housing need, some of Westminster's Council estates are now providing Buy-to-let landlords with increasing financial returns as rents continue to escalate, often with the help of a huge Government subsidy via Housing Benefit payments. Meanwhile Westminster residents in overcrowded conditions have to wait even longer to get rehoused."
"We need a massive building programme of new homes at social rents right across London and an end to the current sell-off of more Council property. Westminster's housing stock of homes for those on low incomes has been almost halved over the last 30 years. No wonder there is a housing crisis of epic proportions. When will the Government see sense and reverse its damaging housing policies?"
ENDS
Contact Councillor Paul Dimoldenberg on 020 7566 7960 or 07864 042 584
This is exactly what happens when strong willed politicians, without checks and balances, get out of control and defile democracy. The woman was a menace, narrowly avoided jail, paid a huge fine and had to leave the Country. Unfortunately she recently crept back in but not many people are talking to her. Reptile
ReplyDeleteOf course the pathetic Tory Councillors of Westminster are as much to blame. Too stupid or frightened to kick the woman out. And the long term damage of her self seeking policy is now upon us and it is very hard, if not impossible, to reverse the damage which has become structural. Just like Harrods!
In K&C we have our own "Pooter" Porter. The same construct of a self seeking reptile and pathetic Tory Councillors, too stupid and frightened to get rid of the menace
I knew it was a dud policy but these statistics are very damaging for the Tory Party. Thank you Dame for informing us
ReplyDeleteLabour should go to town with these statistics and really hammer the Tory failure of Democracy in Westminster.
ReplyDeleteDespots and Dictators should not be tolerated. It is no accident that Mubarak Cockell has been so named
Chickens always come home to roost
ReplyDeleteWe have our own property give away brewing in K&C. Soon after Pooter has rubbed shoulders with the Cambridge Clan at the Official Opening of £100 millin Holland Park School (the date has now slipped from September 2012 to December 2012) this publicly funded facility will be handed over to Trustees and become an Academy. The planning is already in hand, the decision taken.
ReplyDeleteNice bit of financial engineering for some.
And let us pray that the school opening does not slip to May 2013 because the wretched Mubarak will hang on as Leader for another year........
Shirley Porter would do anything to get noticed by Mrs Thatcher. It was her way to emerge from the shadow of her father, the founder of Tesco.
ReplyDeleteShe was also a bully and her colleagues were terrified of her. Everyone saw the nonsense going on but it took the press to blow the whistle and get her kicked out. Too late alas. As we now see, the damage was already done.
If only the spineless Tory Councillors at Westminster had put a stop to it then this huge financial abuse could have been prevented. Take note, K&C poodles