Council to borrow £48m without a pledge for new 'Council Housing'

 

Plenty of cash for developers and the never-never land of shared
ownership schemes?

Northumberland County Council have announced a huge borrowing requirement of £48m+ they say its to bankroll affordable housing, primarily in rural and coastal areas in the West and North's beauty spots to help local people gain a foothold on the Housing ladder and offset the massive second home market that's developing County-wide.

This may look and sound very admirable, but that size of capital borrowing requirement uses the cash that should support the services the Council delivers on your behalf to pay the loans back and we here at murky would like to see the detailed reports that supported this scheme and set before the dodgy cabinet at County Hall to see how much will fall into the hands of developers and how much will be used to grow the estate of the currently under police investigation Advance Northumberland whilst your grass cutting, highways, social care, children's services and education are slashed to support the utopia of private home ownership in coastal and rural areas.

We are aware that as late as last month the Council's development arm, Advance Northumberland, forced up its affordable homes prices on its sites at Choppington and Ellington (were they tipped off this cash was forthcoming?) And their shared ownership scheme in the Port of Blyth may also benefit the Company greatly if they secure funding directly from their owners, the Conservative led Council.

We here at murky believe this level of cash would deliver in excess of 1300 Council houses in coastal and rural areas over five years. With the Council in full control of house types based on need as well as who and whom will be offered tenancies. Also services would not have to be slashed to support that level of new development for Council owned housing as repayments would be factored into the rents paid by tenants on a managed basis, ensuring any surplus built into rents would be used to maintain and improve the Council's current housing stock as the time period for 'decent homes 2' grows nearer each year, removing another borrowing burden from the taxpayers shoulders.

Our message to Northumberland Conservatives is: get a grip and stop cash being bled out of the Local Government system then deliver on true need not unattainable want at the taxpayers expense.