Labour’s Executive for Housing on Cambridge City Council, Cllr Richard Johnson today reacted to Mayor James Palmer’s claims that he is providing affordable housing for the county, pointing out the consistent failure to deliver on his promises and comparing it with the City Council’s own impressive record on housing delivery.

Mayor Palmer will tomorrow unveil three new homes, built on the site of the Laragh redevelopment of a former squash club on Histon Road and is claiming these will help meet housing need in Cambridgeshire.

Cllr Johnson said;

‘It’s quite strange that Mayor Palmer is claiming success in providing affordable housing for our county, celebrating the completion of just 3 homes valued at £100,000 on the Histon Road site. Of course, those new homes are very welcome, but he’s building fewer than 20 affordable homes across the whole of Cambridgeshire. That’s a drop in the ocean when you consider there is a council housing waiting list of 1500 in Cambridge city alone.

“While he’s here, perhaps he could learn from a visit to one of several sites across the city where we and our partners are building hundreds of genuinely affordable homes for rent. He wouldn’t have to go very far – we’re purchased 7 new council homes on the same site, underlining our strong commitment to meeting Cambridge’s housing need. 

“With £70 million from the Devolution Agreement – the same agreement that set up the Combined Authority Mayor Palmer leads – the Labour City Council is on target to deliver over 540 council homes by 2022. We have a further aim to build an additional thousand in the decade after then. Actions really do speak louder than words.”