Labour leaders take affordable housing worries to minister

29 January 2007

Cambridge Labour leaders have met Housing Minister Yvette Cooper at Westminster to voice their concerns that plans for 20,000 badly needed affordable homes in the area could be at risk.

They told the minister that these would be under threat unless a single integrated growth delivery organisation for the region was set up, and there was a thorough review of future Cambridge transport strategies, both described as 'crucial'. The meeting last Thursday (Jan 25) was arranged by Cambridge's Labour Parliamentary Candidate Daniel Zeichner, also a member of Labour's national policy group on housing. The delegation included the Labour Leaders on both Cambridge City and Cambridgeshire County Councils – Coun Lewis Herbert and Coun Martin Ballard.

At the meeting, Daniel Zeichner said there was growing concern about the capacity of local councils, particularly South Cambridgeshire District Council, to deal with the huge number of planning issues expected to arise in the near future. The councillors also expressed concerns about the traffic implications of some of the new developments, especially in East Cambridge.

The Cambridge deputation welcomed a commitment from Ms Cooper to investigate the transport strategy proposed by the county and city councils for the 11,500 homes planned in Cambridge East, and to reassess assumptions that 60% of future journeys in fringe areas in the city would not be made by car, and that no significant new roads were needed.

The minister also agreed that there needed to be much better joint council growth delivery structure plans in place before the Government will give the green light and release growth area funding. Mr Zeichner said: 'The minister listened closely. She shares our view that the city needs more affordable housing and understands that we need it quickly. She also appreciates that we need to get the transport solutions right. Labour has been critical of the failure to develop local transport solutions earlier in the process and we are not convinced that current proposals will work. We also urged her to make sure that local councils have the resources and capacity to deal with the many planning issues they will face.'

Coun Herbert said: 'The minister showed a real understanding of Cambridge's needs, including the now urgent need for a major increase in affordable housing in and around the city. She also listened carefully to our case that a fresh look at the future overall and at East Cambridge transport strategies was justified and we have written back to her on this.

'It is clear that the councils need to do much more to achieve a structure that will deliver the badly needed extra 48,500 homes, including 20,000 affordable ones, in the region. The Government is also clear that it would then consider allocating funding from its growth areas budget, so the sooner the councils can sort themselves out the better.'

Coun Herbert said after the meeting: 'At the moment different people do different things in different places. What is needed is a single team of project officers based around a refocused Cambridgeshire Horizons to deliver the area's growth.'

Coun Ballard said: 'If the city council, South Cambridgeshire and the county cannot sort out their differences, this could drag on for months and the losers will be people who badly need somewhere affordable to rent or buy.'