MPs call on Government to act over housing

8:00am Saturday 24th November 2012 in News Photograph of the Author By Jo Winrow, City Hall Reporter

MP Gerry Sutcliffe MP Gerry Sutcliffe

MPs in Bradford have warned the city’s “housing timebomb” is likely to get worse before it gets better without urgent Government action.

Bradford South MP Gerry Sutcliffe last night urged cross-party MPs to lobby Housing Minister Mark Prisk about the housing crisis after the Telegraph & Argus revealed how nearly 21,000 low-income individuals and families in Bradford were trapped on social housing waiting lists last year.

It led to Bradford West Respect MP George Galloway tabling an Early Day Motion calling on the Government to implement an immediate programme of new house building, saying the problem was part of a “more general national housing crisis where need now far exceeds supply”.

This week the T&A revealed how a report by the National Housing Federation, Home Truths 2012, says only one fifth of the new homes Bradford needs are being built every year and homelessness in Bradford has rocketed 47 per cent in the past year alone.

But the stock of properties run by housing associations has actually shrunk by two per cent over the past five years.

Mr Sutcliffe said he wanted Bradford Council leader Councillor David Green and fellow MPs to organise an urgent meeting with Mr Prisk to call for investment to build new homes in the district.

“There is a huge demand for housing that is not being met – and it is a demand that is growing. It is at crisis point,” he said.

Bradford East Liberal Democrat David Ward said a ‘bedroom tax’ to be implemented next April, which will cut the amount of benefit that people can get if they are considered to have a spare bedroom, would make the problem worse.

Shipley Conservative MP Philip Davies said while he agreed new houses needed to be built, he believed this should happen in the centre of Bradford.

Comments(11)

RollandSmoke says...
9:14am Sat 24 Nov 12

Can Philip Davies elaborate on his statement as at the moment he just looks like a NIMBY? Would conversion of empty office space into housing be a cheaper and faster option, even if this is only done as a stopgap measure?

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thatsnotmyname says...
10:52am Sat 24 Nov 12

The government need to change the social housing policy. There are too many people earning decent wages still living in these house which were ment for none or low earners.

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Joedavid says...
12:29pm Sat 24 Nov 12

RollandSmoke wrote:
Can Philip Davies elaborate on his statement as at the moment he just looks like a NIMBY? Would conversion of empty office space into housing be a cheaper and faster option, even if this is only done as a stopgap measure?
Maybe he means build them on the Westfield site.
" Conservative MP Philip Davies said while he agreed new houses needed to be built, he believed this should happen in the centre of Bradford."

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room124 says...
12:40pm Sat 24 Nov 12

Perhaps George Galloway could allow people of lesser means to stop overnight at his London mansion...oh, he already has. Whatever became of that. I trust he wasn't wasting Police time.

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Victor Clayton says...
2:35pm Sat 24 Nov 12

there is plenty of low cost housing in Bradford. some need to get off their bottoms and get to work.

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The obvious says...
2:38pm Sat 24 Nov 12

Earth calling Bradford council and the MPs. It was Bradford council backed by its shortsighted MPs and councillors that allowed our councils houses to be "transferred" over to a private company now known as Incommunities. The housing stock that belonged to all those who live in Bradford aka the tax payers is now in the hands of a business with huge debts and shrinking properties because of the right to buy ehich means that soon the business asit appears will either be taken over or bailed out due to a failingbusiness model. Common sense would say more housing is needed, more roads are needed,a city centre that lies empty and appears like an advert for pound shops and bookies,pawnbrokers.
..bitter pill to swallow but it's all the local councils fault. Business rates are stupidly high, parking costs same as large cities which is a con job. Industry is declining, crime or the fear of crime is rising...I want to know what the heck the tax payers are exactly paying for...failure on a mass scale where the electorate is blind or ignorant of the real problems that this great city faces. Wake up

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thruth9211 says...
11:45pm Sat 24 Nov 12

Mr sutcliffe, stop increasing house prices in bradforrd

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thruth9211 says...
11:49pm Sat 24 Nov 12

those that earn well wether it be a stable job or selling drugs are still living in council owed properties

Driving flash car, so why isnt the housing minister kicking these idiots out and getting those that deserve to live in low income properties.

Those benefits indiviudals should who get drug by tax payers money should be restricted to food vouchers only

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RuggerTyke says...
3:18pm Sun 25 Nov 12

I'm surprised you're not extolling the virtues of a mortgage, MP Sutcliffe, perhaps from Bradford's much-published, much venerated - mostly by yourself - Friends Provident, who can surely help.

In fact, they are refurbishing the Collonade building for rent.

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Jackie Thompson says...
10:41pm Sun 25 Nov 12

There are at least 11,000 plots in Bradford District and 16,000 in Leeds that have planning permission for houses but the developers would rather build on greenbelt sites because they can get more money for houses there. If you read the construction industry press the large developers (including Redrow, Persimmon and Taylor Wimpey) are concentrating on increasing their profit margins by building expensive houses on desirable sites. They are not one jot interested in building lower cost housing that is accessible to the average person.

Those who call people who want to protect the greenbelt NIMBY's need to take a walk around central Bradford or Keighley and look at all the derelict and vacant sites and remember that if the developers get their hands on the greenbelt they will stay derelict. And the other thing those people need to remember is that the less well off people who need new homes aren't going to get the posh new ones in the greenbelt, they won't be able to afford them.

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Willard says...
3:34pm Mon 26 Nov 12

I am sure that I read in the T and A that there were 13,500 homes currently needing to be brought back into the market and another 15,500 with planning permissions and not built. Now it seems to me that there is a problem with a lack of houses in Bradford, and there are some jobs to be had in Bradford, Then if people had jobs, they need a house to live in. Personally, I wouldnt want to have to move to Skipton to get a house and then pay to travel back to Bradford for Work. Why arent houses being built when the builders have theland, the permission and the ability to deliver. Who's palm isnt being greased enough?

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