New Deal have asked for their £1 million investment in Woodside back after the Council would not commit to building enough affordable homes.
New Deal Chief Executive, John Clark, told the New Housing Project Group in January that the Council had consistently promised 20% of Woodside would be affordable homes, but now it had been reduced to 15%. Council officers stated this reduction was in part due to New Deal’s withdrawal, but John Clark said:
“It’s a red herring; we have been told New Deal’s money will not guarantee an increase from 15%. So we have to invest the money elsewhere and lobby for the Council to increase the number of affordable homes along with everyone else.”
The Council claim they cannot increase the numbers of affordable homes, because they have to use the money from the sale of the land at Woodside to fund other commitments across the city, such as the Decent Homes improvements to Council Housing.
Now or never
The project group were told they and other residents could lobbying the Council to increase the number of affordable homes, but it would have to be done in the next few months. John Clark later told the Messenger:
“New Deal will be writing formally to the Councillors.We will be asking the Council to keep its promise of 20% affordable homes. The Council can choose to take the loss on the sale of the land to make this happen.”
Residents can find out more about new housing plans at the Burngreave Community Action Forum quarterly meeting on 24th February 2007, and the New Housing Project Group meeting on the 27th February 2007. See ‘New housing meetings’ for more details.