In North Tyneside, Labour defends its housing policy against Tory calls for stricter rules, emphasizing local connections for council homes.
North Tyneside: A recent council meeting stirred up some heated discussions. The local Tories pushed for a “UK Connection Test” for council housing, claiming it would prioritize British nationals and long-term residents. They argued that it’s about fairness for those who’ve contributed to the system.
But the Labour administration wasn’t having it. They pointed out that local connection requirements are already part of their housing policy. Deputy Mayor Carl Johnson explained that the top priority bands for social housing applications already require local ties, like family connections or residency in the area.
Johnson also mentioned that a whopping 98% of housing applications fall into these priority bands. Plus, government stats show that 90% of new social housing tenants last year were British nationals. So, it seems like the current system is working just fine.
Cabinet member John Harrison added that the rising demand for social housing is mainly due to skyrocketing home prices, making the Tory proposal seem unnecessary. He emphasized that they’re focused on helping North Tyneside residents first.
Interestingly, the number of council homes has plummeted from 45,000 to just 14,000 over the years. Labour Councillor Frank Lott even took a jab at the Conservatives, suggesting they’re just trying to play politics rather than genuinely reform social housing.
In the end, the Conservative motion was amended by Labour, showing that the ruling party is sticking to its guns on this issue.
