More Council Housing - Letter to Cambridge Evening News
0 Comments Published by Tom Woodcock on Tuesday, January 30, 2007 at 10:51 AM.
The suggestion in Letters 29th January that immigration is the reason for a council housing shortage is racist and ill informed. These are the lies that the BNP and other fascist parties use to divide communities who are all on the receiving end of poor policy.
The shortage in council housing is because consecutive governments and councils have sold housing stock without replacing it. The shortage puts house prices and rent up and makes it more difficult for people to own their home either personally or through co-operative housing.
The council allows property development companies to throw up hundreds of one bedroom apartments for maximum profit and then lets them buy out of the social housing obligations and market the ‘homes’ at London’s overspill.
This kind of approach does not serve the interests of anyone but the developers, the bankers and the far right! Cambridge needs family and community homes that are well designed and well built with good transport, social spaces and amenities.
Our local elected representatives must campaign for more council housing as part of a city wide plan not make excuses for the pro market ideologies that create these housing conditions. They will however write to this page claiming that central governments don’t give them any money to build council housing and that the planning committee is not to cast political judgement. Well what do our councillors do? They should shout a little louder for public housing or it is their own hands they have tied.
The shortage in council housing is because consecutive governments and councils have sold housing stock without replacing it. The shortage puts house prices and rent up and makes it more difficult for people to own their home either personally or through co-operative housing.
The council allows property development companies to throw up hundreds of one bedroom apartments for maximum profit and then lets them buy out of the social housing obligations and market the ‘homes’ at London’s overspill.
This kind of approach does not serve the interests of anyone but the developers, the bankers and the far right! Cambridge needs family and community homes that are well designed and well built with good transport, social spaces and amenities.
Our local elected representatives must campaign for more council housing as part of a city wide plan not make excuses for the pro market ideologies that create these housing conditions. They will however write to this page claiming that central governments don’t give them any money to build council housing and that the planning committee is not to cast political judgement. Well what do our councillors do? They should shout a little louder for public housing or it is their own hands they have tied.
Labels: Local Respect, No Fire Cuts, Oakington/Immigration, Unite/Anti Racism
We have helped save the fire station from privitisation - for now!
0 Comments Published by Tom Woodcock on Thursday, November 23, 2006 at 3:59 AM.
The rejection of the Parkside Fire Station re-development is a victory for the community and a condemnation of privatisation and cuts to public services. The proposals would have given the private company, Revurban, a prime site from which to make millions in profit. In return, the community would have received a sub-standard fire station and poor quality housing.
Liberal Democrat Councillors on the planning committee were split, eventually rejecting the plans 5 to 4 on the grounds of the ‘affordable’ housing quota being unacceptably sub-standard. However, RESPECT believes that the plans should never have been put forward.
The public RESPECT campaign has raised awareness of the real agenda behind the development, our petition and principled stand has helped make the council think twice before giving away our assets to private developers and downgrading our fire service.
RESPECT and the Fire Brigades Union and housing campaigners see the decision as a victory in the larger struggle to defend the Fire Service from cuts and attacks on conditions of service. As with other vital public services, (Health, Education, Housing and the Post Office), our Fire Service is being threatened with ‘modernisation’ agenda. This is Neo-Liberal political jargon for marketisation, privatisation, worsening of working conditions for employees and cuts in services to the public.
Revurban look likely to appeal the decision. We must all continue to resist the profit before people agenda. We will continue to campaign for better housing and direct investment in democratically controlled public services. We aim to elect councillors who are prepared to fight for the principle of public services and affordable social housing. Join Us.
Liberal Democrat Councillors on the planning committee were split, eventually rejecting the plans 5 to 4 on the grounds of the ‘affordable’ housing quota being unacceptably sub-standard. However, RESPECT believes that the plans should never have been put forward.
The public RESPECT campaign has raised awareness of the real agenda behind the development, our petition and principled stand has helped make the council think twice before giving away our assets to private developers and downgrading our fire service.
RESPECT and the Fire Brigades Union and housing campaigners see the decision as a victory in the larger struggle to defend the Fire Service from cuts and attacks on conditions of service. As with other vital public services, (Health, Education, Housing and the Post Office), our Fire Service is being threatened with ‘modernisation’ agenda. This is Neo-Liberal political jargon for marketisation, privatisation, worsening of working conditions for employees and cuts in services to the public.
Revurban look likely to appeal the decision. We must all continue to resist the profit before people agenda. We will continue to campaign for better housing and direct investment in democratically controlled public services. We aim to elect councillors who are prepared to fight for the principle of public services and affordable social housing. Join Us.
Labels: No Fire Cuts
The fight to save Cambridge fire station from privatisation
0 Comments Published by Tom Woodcock on Friday, June 23, 2006 at 4:23 PM.
Developers are set to build 100 luxury flats and a sub-standard private fire station on Parkside. It illustrates both national and local government’s lack of commitment to public services. The County Council is intent on giving away the land and vital resource. RESPECT is campaigning for a publicly owned and run fire station which will enable the fire fighters to continue to serve the public in the best way possible.
The decision also highlights the limited vision the City Council has for building an environ-mentally sound, sustainable, socially inclusive plan for Cambridge.
The Council has no long-term strategy for the city’s infra-structure. Housing, transport and other key services are being left to the haphazard design of corporate developers and multi-nationals. There is a political climate that disregards the interests and needs of the local community.
The County Council brought the land on Parkside through a compulsory purchase in order to provide fire and police cover for the city. Now Cambridge is growing at a rapid rate. It is right to re-evaluate fire provision. It is, however, completely wrong to reduce the fire cover and to give away valuable land to the profit-driven private sector. The station should remain owned and run by the public in the interest of all.
RESPECT believes it is the City Council’s duty to refuse planning permission for the new fire station. They must ask for more funds for key provisions and highlight the hypocrisy of central government’s endless war chest at the expense of public well-being.
RESPECT will continue to work with the Fire Brigades Union and the public for better provision in Cambridge. We will be presenting the petition opposing the plans to the City Council. If you have not already signed our petition, please do so.
We hope to welcome representatives from the Cambridge branch of the FBU at the next RESPECT meeting on 4th July at Ross Street Community Centre.
Labels: No Fire Cuts
The Cambridge County Council are making one of their worst decisions ever by proposing to give away Parkside Fire Station. The decision will give developer Revurban the land in return for a smaller, less well equipped station and some undersized over priced yuppy flats. It is a completely undemocratic move. Not only has the contract not been out to tender, but the station once built will no longer be owned by the public. We must not let this happen! Cambridge RESPECT is fighting this decision and we urge you to do the same. Of course this would be easier with an elected councillor.
The building as it stand is not just a fire station but a community fire station. This means we are all allowed to use it! with some proper public investment Parkside station could be a fantastic resource for the people of cambridge.
Labels: No Fire Cuts
No to Fire Station Development
1 Comments Published by Tom Woodcock on Thursday, March 02, 2006 at 4:30 AM.
Sent to Cambridge Evening News 2/3/06
Not Published!
The proposed redevelopment of Cambridge fire station is a disgrace. Job losses at the station already mean that they rescue teams can not crew both special appliances at the same time. The new development will further reduces the services that the fire fighters can provide, by removing training facilities and other vital resources, but it is also a serious mismanagement of public property.
I am appalled that a publicly owned asset can be just given away to a profit hungry developer. Where are the councils principals? We have fought hard over the last century to build a welfare state that supports all of us regardless of social background. At that heart of this commitment is the public ownership of our own services and facilities. This disgraceful decision is one of a long line that hands public assets over to the private sector and is already ripping the heart out of our education, health, housing and now emergency provisions.
I urge the news and its readers to back proper public investment in Cambridge fire and rescue in order to maintain and build on the high standard of safety that we have come to rely on.
Not Published!
The proposed redevelopment of Cambridge fire station is a disgrace. Job losses at the station already mean that they rescue teams can not crew both special appliances at the same time. The new development will further reduces the services that the fire fighters can provide, by removing training facilities and other vital resources, but it is also a serious mismanagement of public property.
I am appalled that a publicly owned asset can be just given away to a profit hungry developer. Where are the councils principals? We have fought hard over the last century to build a welfare state that supports all of us regardless of social background. At that heart of this commitment is the public ownership of our own services and facilities. This disgraceful decision is one of a long line that hands public assets over to the private sector and is already ripping the heart out of our education, health, housing and now emergency provisions.
I urge the news and its readers to back proper public investment in Cambridge fire and rescue in order to maintain and build on the high standard of safety that we have come to rely on.
Labels: No Fire Cuts
