Cllr Helen Douglas, Conservative Executive member for Housing and Safer Neighbourhoods has categorically rejected claims made by Rachel Maskell MP at Prime Minister’s Question Time on Monday that no new social housing has been commissioned by the current council for the last three years except for older peoples’ accommodation.
Cllr. Douglas said:
“As usual Rachel Maskell is once again using her position to try to cast a shadow on the City of York Council, and once again she misinterprets the facts.
“The real story is that since 2015 the City of York Council has commissioned:
- 66 general needs homes for social rent
- 57 homes for temporary accommodation
- 68 independent living homes
- 79 shared ownership homes
- 6 self-build plots
“The general needs housing that has been completed during the current administration includes 14 flats purchased by the council from a developer at Lindsey House, 8 flats at Fenwick Street for downsizers to free up larger family homes and 6 two-bedroomed houses on Pottery Lane.
“Homes commissioned include 5 bungalows on Newbury Avenue, 5 houses on Challoners Road and the Lowfield Green development, which will include 28 homes to be built for social rent, 14 shared ownership homes and 6 self-build plots.
“The council is also moving ahead with its renovation of James House, which will provide 57 modern flats for temporary accommodation for homeless families.
“Although Ms Maskell doesn’t wish to discuss older peoples’ housing, she must realise that our 25 new independent living flats and two bungalows for social rent at Glen Lodge, our planned 29 new independent living apartments and four new bungalows at Marjorie Waite Court and our planned eight additional independent living flats at Lincoln Court will help to allow older people to downsize and to free up larger family homes.
“The council’s ambitions stretch beyond these achievements however: We have accessed an additional £20m from the HRA to invest in new council housing (adding to the existing £20m we have) and long-term the council is looking at maximising its land assets by creating a housing development company which could potentially result in 800 new homes within the next 10 years
“Rachel Maskell asked for these figures and was given them by the council on 7 March.
“It really is a shame that the MP for York Central would rather spend her few precious minutes on her feet in the Commons fighting with the current Conservative-Liberal Democrat council instead of speaking on matters that would benefit all of York.”