More 'Government' control/social engineering

The Daily Telegraph reports here and the BBC here on Grant Schapps’ idea to ease the housing shortage, a plan that has already had a trial in the London borough of Redbridge. Weirdly, there is no information about this scheme available on the Redbridge council website and on telephoning their press office on 020 8708 3755 I was informed that as it is a pilot scheme they had not produced any information. When querying why a pdf of a press release about the scheme had been found but was, again, not mentioned on their website, I was informed it had been deleted although no reason was given when queried. Reverting to Redbridge council’s press office, when pointing out that it seem odd that the DCLG was promoting the scheme on their website, Grant Schapps was plastered over the pages of some newspapers, promoting the scheme, that it seemed odd Redbridge was omitting to mention a scheme being trialled with public money, the press officer to whom I spoke remained silent.


The press release mentioned above can be found by typing freespace redbridge into Google and a link to the pdf will be found. More information on ‘Freespace’ can be found in a report commissioned by Elderly Accommodation Counsel (EAC) as part of its Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) – funded FirstStop Advice programme. The Elderly Accommodation Counsel (EAC) website also refers to an analysis carried out by the Centre for Housing and Planning Research, at the University of Cambridge.


That the ‘Freespace’ idea can even be considered as worthy of merit is not one with which Shapps would agree because it is yet another idea to ‘order’ peoples lives through ‘friendly persuasion’ and another method to solve a problem that ‘government’ has – one of their own making. It has to be said that one, if not prime, reason for our housing shortage is due to our country being open to Europe, together with his wives and children to walk in and in the process virtually demand to be housed because of their human rights.


It also has to be said that where the ‘government’ offers to help it is well known that ‘help’ is the last thing that will be on offer. The ‘Freespace’ pilot scheme raises other questions such as if ‘improvements’ are needed to a property which has been ‘leased’ to the local authority, does the owner have the right to agree to said ‘improvements’ which the local authority deem necessary? The scheme allows local authorities to carry out maintenance, but who has the right to select those will provide that maintenance, will the most cost-effective quotation be chosen – in fact will estimates for the work be requested? Grant Schapps is quoted as saying “The Government is determined to pull out all the stops to help those who aspire to buy their first home. This includes social housing tenants and we will continue to look at ways to support everyone who wants to get on the property ladder“. And the exact definition of ‘social housing’ is? Will those tenants of the ‘Freespace’ scheme be considered as ‘social housing tenants? Will they be allowed to purchase at a discounted price and if so, will the local authority make up the shortfall twixt that price and the ‘market price’? Anna Raccoon has what some may term a slightly cynical view of this scheme.


As with most government schemes, especially any involving Grant Schapps, this is another example of a half-arsed idea which does not appear to have been ‘thought through’ – but hey, the Lib/Lab/Con are all socialists now.

Read more at Witterings from Witney