Petition shows councillors need to get the message on housing
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Labour has attacked the Liberal Democrat opposition to building new homes in Dorchester. Claudia Sorin, of Dorchester Labour, says ‘We were shocked to read of the Liberal Democrat position, which smacks of nimbyism. They say ‘we do not need so many houses’ but Dorchester is desperately short of housing for local families and key workers. I challenge councillors to find a two bedroom flat in the town for much less than £200 a week to rent on the open market. We have just delivered a 1216 signature petition asking West Dorset council to provide more affordable housing’.
Labour argues that any new housing such as on the Charminster to Cokers Frome site does need to be the right sort of housing, genuinely affordable for local people, so that the town can carry on thriving and developing as a community. A recent Labour Freedom of Information request shows that since 2011 the council received over £500,000 from developers wanting to avoid their local plan responsibility to ensure some of their projects are affordable. Labour says the Council should spend all of that money on affordable housing, perhaps by giving some to the new Community Land Trust. But they should also toughen up their procedures. Claudia says ‘During the prison fiasco we gave the council lots of advice about how other councils get better deals out of developers, but they have not toughened up their procedures. As a result, the town is likely to be ripped off again in this next wave of development. We are also disappointed they are not taking the proposal to include housing in the Dorchester Town redevelopment seriously.’ |
Dorchester Labour Condemns Councillors for Abandoning Dorchester Residents in Need of Affordable Housing
The prison is set to become a gated community again but this time of luxury flats and houses that local key workers will not be able to afford. Barry Thompson of Dorchester Labour said ‘Dorchester residents paid for that prison over centuries, it was a public asset, and when the government sold it as part of a job lot of four prisons for £5 million, West Dorset District Councillors should have made it clear to developers that they would have to stick to the Council’s own target of 35% affordable. Instead Conservatives and Liberal Democrat councillors have just accepted the developers’ figures and incredible claims they won’t make a profit’.
He adds ‘Other councils up and down the country have got wise to developers, why can’t we? This firm boasts of record profits over the last few years and by the time they have built and sold all these flats they will have made another record profit. But the Council will not make them publish their figures and will not even find a way to claw back some money for Dorchester if at the end they have made more of a profit than they claim. Our public building, but developers profit. We have been ripped off again’. |
Update on Dorchester Prison Site development (BBC & Dorset Echo webpages)
Both the Dorset Echo and the BBC are reporting on a view that affordable housing is not viable on the prison site. Please watch this website for further developments.
Why is Labour campaigning about the Dorchester Prison Development
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We believe that developers should stick to the District Council plan that all developments should include 35% of ‘Affordable’ housing. This should be available to local residents below the market price.
We have discovered that the housing waiting list in West Dorset is 1,094 applications of which 108 are homeless or threatened with homelessness. That is why we are campaigning for affordable housing in Dorchester and West Dorset. According to the Office of National Statistics, there are now 3.3 million 20 to 34 year olds living with their parents that`s more than any time since 1996. Young people should have the chance to own or rent homes for themselves and not be reliant on ‘the bank of Mum & Dad’. West Dorset needs a building programme that helps young people get their own home. We will continue to fight for better and fairer housing solutions in our area. We want policy makers to see things the same way. We must have 35% Affordable Housing! |
Housing Forum Team
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Local Labour members attended Dorchester Town Council's planning meeting on the 4th January to express concerns over the planned prison site development. Forum Members Claudia Sorin and Anna Killick asked the Town Council to Pressure the District Council to publish the full viability assessment into affordability on the site.
Claudia Sorin went on to ask the council to hold its planned meeting with City & Country in public so that residents could hear the full debate with the developers. The council refused! Lee Rhodes asked the council to press for a full disclosure of all data collected by City & Country during their recent consultation on the development plans. Labour want to ensure the level of public support for affordable housing on the site is made clear. Members of the public can still contribute comments to the District Council web-site up until that date. http://webapps.westdorset-weymouth.gov.uk/PlanningApps/Pages/Planning.aspx?App=WD%2fD%2f15%2f002840 |
Claudia Sorin (Left) with Anna Killick (right) at Dorchester Town Council
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Prison Site plans released
Labour hail public housing meeting a success
Dorchester & District Labour Party have hailed their recent public meeting as a significant step forwards for those who want a home in Dorchester.
Local Labour Chairman Barry Thompson said "The high numbers of people attending the meeting and the strength of their feeling clearly show that housing is a serious and important issue in Dorchester. Some people discussed their personal experiences including earning a reasonable wage yet still being unable to buy a home. Others mentioned how they can't save for a deposit because private renting costs are so high."
Event organiser Claudia Sorin said, "There was some anger from people who want a home in West Dorset. The audience indicated that some of the key issues to be tackled in West Dorset include a shortage of social housing; the right to buy schemes making the housing situation worse and private rents being too expensive and insecure. There was also support for stronger regulation of landlords to address the problems faced by many tenants. "
Labour will be forming a housing pressure group in Dorchester in the new year to raise these important issues with those who have power and influence over housing in the County Town.
Barry Thompson added "We in the Labour Party want to express our thanks to the event speakers Graham Colls (Magna), Cllr Tim Yarker (WDDC) and Catherine Parker (Shelter). However, we also want to express our disappointment at the non attendance of City & Country, the prison site developers, who could have given their 'developers' view on housing."
Local Labour Chairman Barry Thompson said "The high numbers of people attending the meeting and the strength of their feeling clearly show that housing is a serious and important issue in Dorchester. Some people discussed their personal experiences including earning a reasonable wage yet still being unable to buy a home. Others mentioned how they can't save for a deposit because private renting costs are so high."
Event organiser Claudia Sorin said, "There was some anger from people who want a home in West Dorset. The audience indicated that some of the key issues to be tackled in West Dorset include a shortage of social housing; the right to buy schemes making the housing situation worse and private rents being too expensive and insecure. There was also support for stronger regulation of landlords to address the problems faced by many tenants. "
Labour will be forming a housing pressure group in Dorchester in the new year to raise these important issues with those who have power and influence over housing in the County Town.
Barry Thompson added "We in the Labour Party want to express our thanks to the event speakers Graham Colls (Magna), Cllr Tim Yarker (WDDC) and Catherine Parker (Shelter). However, we also want to express our disappointment at the non attendance of City & Country, the prison site developers, who could have given their 'developers' view on housing."
South West MEP's concerns for West Dorset housing crisis
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Clare Moody, Labour MEP in the South West has given her support to the public meeting on housing hosted by Dorchester & District Labour Party.
Clare said, “Home ownership is fast becoming a distant dream for many in the South West. Housing is becoming more and more unaffordable with the average house now 10-times the average yearly wage. This is excluding more and more families from owning a home.” “Every family in West Dorset should be able to own their own home or have security of tenure in rented accommodation. I am delighted that a local Labour Party branch has taken such a bold step and arranged for a public meeting to take place to discuss the matter more fully." Dorchester & District Labour Party have been campaigning on housing for over a year. They have called the meeting as housing was a big talking point on the doorstep in recent elections. Dorchester Labour have received answers to a Freedom of Information request from West Dorset District Council which showed that a family needing a 2 or 3 bedroom house could be on the Council's waiting list for 8 to 10 years. Clare Moody added " If home ownership is to be a realistic aspiration for working people, and if rents are to be affordable, then we need a step change in the scale of house building not just in West Dorset but in the entire South West. We look forward to the views of residents as they attend this meeting." |
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Why a public meeting on Housing?
We will let this family answer that!
Public Meeting to discuss the future of Housing in West Dorset
On the 25th November 2015 at 7pm Dorchester and District Labour party will be holding a public meeting at the Corn Exchange to discuss affordable housing both to rent and buy, with the citizens of West Dorset.
Claudia Sorin of Dorchester Labour said "We will be holding a public meeting across the road from the latest private development. We want to get the views of families in the area who are being priced out of the housing market due to the lack of supply at locally affordable prices."
Claudia said "Dorchester's residents are facing a housing crisis the likes of which it has not seen in generations. The Government has presided over the lowest level of house building in peacetime since the 1920s. The consequence is that families are being priced out of local housing whether this is renting or buying. We know there is real demand for both first time and family homes in the area."
Figures obtained by Labour under the Freedom of Information Act show that the wait for a 3 bedroom house can be up to 8 years with a 2 bed flat being up to 10 years.
Claudia continued "This simply is not good enough. Should we have luxury second homes built in Dorchester, when we can't provide homes for our existing residents?"
Labour believes West Dorset District Council should take action to tackle the housing crisis by requesting private developers build real affordable housing, whether to rent or buy to help deal with the growing housing problem in West Dorset. Labour will be inviting the other 4 political parties in the area to attend as they need to make a positive contribution to this debate.
Claudia Sorin of Dorchester Labour said "We will be holding a public meeting across the road from the latest private development. We want to get the views of families in the area who are being priced out of the housing market due to the lack of supply at locally affordable prices."
Claudia said "Dorchester's residents are facing a housing crisis the likes of which it has not seen in generations. The Government has presided over the lowest level of house building in peacetime since the 1920s. The consequence is that families are being priced out of local housing whether this is renting or buying. We know there is real demand for both first time and family homes in the area."
Figures obtained by Labour under the Freedom of Information Act show that the wait for a 3 bedroom house can be up to 8 years with a 2 bed flat being up to 10 years.
Claudia continued "This simply is not good enough. Should we have luxury second homes built in Dorchester, when we can't provide homes for our existing residents?"
Labour believes West Dorset District Council should take action to tackle the housing crisis by requesting private developers build real affordable housing, whether to rent or buy to help deal with the growing housing problem in West Dorset. Labour will be inviting the other 4 political parties in the area to attend as they need to make a positive contribution to this debate.
Chairman announced for public meeting on Housing
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Dorchester and District Labour Party have announced that Dorchester local resident, Chris Williams has agreed to chair the public meeting on housing on the 25th November in the Corn Exchange.
Chris said, "I was delighted to be asked to chair such an important local debate. I have lived in the centre of Dorchester for many years. Like others, I am concerned that many of the younger generation may never be able to afford to live in their home town." Dorchester Labour party have also announced the key organisations invited to take part in the public meeting. Invitations to speak have gone to representatives at Shelter, Magna Housing Association, City & Country - the developers of the Dorchester Prison site and the Councillor for housing at West Dorset District Council. Claudia Sorin of Dorchester Labour said, "We wanted to ensure that residents could ask questions of key stakeholders in the future of housing in the Town and District. We are inviting housing providers from both the profit and not for profit sectors along with the council and those who have to deal with housing problems." Members of the public with views or questions on the future of housing are encouraged to attend the event to be held at the Corn Exchange. |
Claudia Sorin with Chris Williams
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