Government plans to make regional assemblies responsible for devising housing strategies

The nine regional housing boards are in jeopardy as the government proposes to hand the responsibility for deciding regional housing strategies to regional assemblies.

The plan is part of the ODPM鈥檚 response to economist Kate Barker鈥檚 review of housing supply, and is out for consultation until 30 November.

An ODPM spokeswoman said: 鈥淭his is only a consultation. But if the proposed changes go ahead, the regional housing boards as they are currently constituted will no longer exist.

鈥淲e feel regional assemblies are the best vehicles for taking on Barker鈥檚 recommendations that housing and planning strategies should work more closely together.

鈥淗owever, the regional assemblies will have to show that they are consulting on strategies with the individual members currently on the boards.鈥�

Members include the Housing Corporation, representatives of regional assemblies and regional development agencies and English Partnerships.

The boards were welcomed when they were set up in February 2002 as part of the Communities Plan. The plan to abolish them has met with disbelief in the sector.

One London Housing Board source said the consultation document had 鈥済one much further than we had expected鈥�.

If the proposal is carried through, the change will most immediately be felt in London as mayor Ken Livingstone will take control of housing policy in London 鈥� a power he has wanted for a number of years.

The Greater London Authority, which Livingstone heads, is at present the only fully operational elected regional assembly.

Merron Simpson, head of policy at the Chartered Institute of Housing, said: 鈥淭he boards were established to provide leadership on housing in the nine regions.

鈥淭hey were set a mandate to produce strategies reflecting this.

鈥淭o withdraw that is taking much-needed power from them.

鈥淚t is a fudge by the ODPM.鈥滱 northern regional housing board source added: 鈥淲e have only really just got going properly on producing these strategies. So to have that responsibility taken away is a bit of a blow.

鈥淗owever, as I understand it, we will remain closely involved with the process.鈥�

The ODPM consultation also proposes that:

  • regional housing boards and planning boards be merged, as recommended by Barker
  • a single national advice unit is set up to oversee the integration of the separate boards 鈥� Barker wanted one for each region. The unit would be overseen by an independent committee.

The ODPM expects to have fully implemented any changes by September 2005.

Source

Housing Today