Category Archives: Housing

Catching up with local Residents Associations

On Friday afternoon I had a valuable catch up (via Zoom) with the Cobham and Downside Residents Association (CDRA) and Federation of Oxshott Residents and Associations (FEDORA).

We had a good discussion about the forthcoming Elmbridge Local Plan, which Elmbridge Borough Council recently announced will be published for consultation in the new year. Local Conservative councillors are clear – we oppose the option with development on Green Belt land. We call on the Lib Dems and Residents Associations running the council to follow our lead in protecting the Green Belt.

We also spoke about the government’s reforms to the planning system. I talked the associations through my responses to the relevant government consultations. I also questioned why the current coalition of Lib Dems and (other) Residents Associations running Elmbridge Borough Council have left us vulnerable to higher housing targets through their failure to put a Local Plan in place – despite having been in control of the council for three out of the last four years.

Finally, the associations gave me a useful update on the stretch of the A244 which runs through Oxshott. There have been important safety concerns about the road, which I am taking up on residents’ behalf with Surrey County Council. My thanks to the CDRA and FEDORA for taking the time to discuss these important local issues.

Dom volunteering with Elmbridge Rentstart in June.

Government supports Elmbridge to house the vulnerable

I was encouraged to hear that Elmbridge has been allocated almost £73,000 by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) to support rough sleepers and other vulnerable people who were housed during the Coronavirus pandemic.

The funding builds on the government’s “Everyone In” initiative, which saw almost 15,000 vulnerable people across England housed in hotels and other forms of emergency accommodation. This effort ensured that people who were either sleeping rough, in shared night shelters or at imminent risk of sleeping rough were kept safe.

The money will help Elmbridge Borough Council to provide ongoing support and emergency accommodation for these people. This could include helping them into the private rented sector, securing interim accommodation such as supported housing, or assessing what wider support they may need.

I know how important this kind of support can be from when I volunteered with Elmbridge Rentstart in June, delivering food and other essentials to former rough sleepers in Walton and Hersham. Both rehousing and ongoing support are invaluable in helping such vulnerable people to rebuild their lives, so this new funding is very welcome.

Update from Dr Fuller on the local health response to Coronavirus

Dom visiting the Covid-19 Hot Hub at Giggs Hill Surgery in April 2020

 

I had a valuable discussion today with Dr Claire Fuller, the Senior Responsible Officer at Surrey Heartlands Health and Care Partnership, about the local response to Coronavirus. Surrey Heartlands brings together the Clinical Commissioning Group, NHS Trusts, Surrey County Council and others to take collective responsibility for improving the health of people across Surrey.

Dr Fuller explained the great work that Surrey hospitals have been doing in treating all patients, not just those with Coronavirus, at this difficult time. Crucially, hospital capacity has been maintained through the peak of the crisis. I was particularly impressed to hear about the effort that went into converting Headley Court – a disused military hospital – into the NHS Seacole Centre. This rehabilitation facility will be important for Coronavirus patients who live in care homes or who have been discharged from hospital and require rehabilitation and recovery.

GP practices have also been a key part of Surrey’s response to Coronavirus. Practices have set up ‘Hot Hub’ Coronavirus triage centres, which assess whether patients require hospitalisation, as well as providing C19 patients with treatment for other issues. I recently visited the Hot Hub at Giggs Hill surgery in Elmbridge, which you can read about on my blog here.

Dr Fuller outlined how the NHS has linked up with local care homes, with a lead clinician assigned for each one and setting up weekly virtual ward rounds. It was encouraging to hear that there is now an established portal for Personal Protective Equipment, and that deliveries of swab tests are taking place.

More broadly, Dr Fuller also explained the importance of the wider use of digital triage processes and virtual appointments. These are great examples of how technology is being harnessed in responding this crisis, which will also stand us in good stead for the future.

More funding to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping in Elmbridge

I know from my time as Housing Minister how important it is to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping. So I welcome the government providing Elmbridge with substantial new funding to address the issue.

Elmbridge Borough Council (EBC) will receive £180,100 from the government’s Rough Sleeping Initiative in 2020/21 – an increase of 80% on the £100,000 the council received in 2019/20. Last year analysis of the initiative showed that, across the country, areas which received this funding had 32% fewer rough sleepers than they would otherwise have had.

EBC is planning to use this funding to maintain Elmbridge Rentstart’s daytime hub for those who are homeless, as well as its rough sleeper outreach service.

Elmbridge will also receive £365,255 from the Flexible Homelessness Support Grant in 2020/21 – the same amount as last year – and £72,121 from the Homelessness Reduction Grant. This grant, which helps councils to carry out new duties under the pioneering Homelessness Reduction Act 2017, is an increase of almost 200% on the £24,772 that Elmbridge received in 2019/20.

Finally, cold weather at this time of year can present particular challenges, so the government provides dedicated funding to support rough sleepers through winter. Elmbridge received £14,000 from this Cold Weather Fund last winter, and this winter is able to receive up to £15,000.

Together, this funding can help to make real progress in tackling homelessness in Elmbridge.

Visit to Esher Citizen’s Advice Bureau

On Friday, I visited Esher Citizen’s Advice Bureau (CAB) to meet with the Deputy Manager, Sarah Waite, and Tom and Ryan from their research and campaigns team.

We discussed common issues that residents inquire about, including Personal Independence Payments, Universal Credit, Housing Associations and the EU Settlement Scheme.

It was also good to hear about their developing plans to move into new premises at Esher Civic Centre in the future, which will allow an expansion to their services – a fitting tribute to our local CAB as the organisation celebrates its 80th anniversary across the country.

Elmbridge Rentstart

Last week, I spent the morning with Elmbridge Rentstart, a Walton-based charity supporting local homeless people into rental accommodation and work.

I was particularly impressed with their ‘Freedom2Work’ scheme, which helps homeless people secure shared accommodation in the private-rented sector in order to provide a stable environment for them to find employment. Under the scheme, Rentstart match-funds clients’ savings to help them transition into paid work and find their next property. Rentstart is currently in the second year of the project, which has seen an impressive 31 people graduate since it opened.

My thanks to Helen for inviting me down to see the great work that Elmbridge Rentstart does. For more information, you can visit their website here.

Chartered Institute of Housing Conference

I was up in Manchester last Thursday to deliver the keynote speech at the annual Chartered Institute of Housing Conference.

I focused on three key themes. First, the safety measures we are implementing following the terrible tragedy in Grenfell, based on the Hackett Report.

Second, the drive to build more homes, and make them more affordable for aspirational low and middle income families.

Third, I addressed some of the technological innovation that can help open up the housing market to SME developers, and boost the supply of more affordable homes at a quicker rate.  You can read my speech here.

Interview with i News

Today, you can read my interview with the i’s Nigel Morris, where I set out plans to end the grip of big business on the housing market to support Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs), and introduce pro-consumer reforms to ensure that the housing sector works better for SMEs and low- and middle-income buyers and renters.

You can read the full interview here.

Ensuring Fairness in the Housing Sector

Yesterday, I opened the Second Reading debate for the government on the Rating (Property in Common Occupation) and Council Tax (Empty Dwellings) Bill.

Put simply, the Bill does two things.

First, it allows councils to charge double the rate of Council Tax on homes left empty for over 2 years. Currently, local authorities can levy a 50% premium, which has seen the number of long-term empty homes drop by a third since 2010. We now want to go further. This Bill will allow councils to double the amount of council tax on vacant residential properties, to incentivise bringing long-term empty housing back into use.

Second, the Bill reverses the so-called ‘staircase tax’. The staircase tax resulted from a Supreme Court ruling, which changed the way business rates were calculated. It meant that businesses who worked from two linked areas of the same building (but which were separated by a wall or staircase) faced multiple rates assessments, rather than just one. As a result, many hard-pressed businesses faced an unjustified tax hike. We are amending the law to reverse these changes, which will support small businesses and the high street. 

So, the Bill was an important boost for small businesses, and for increasing the supply of residential homes. The Bill passed the House of Commons at Second Reading. You can read my contributions to the debate here, and watch my speech here (from 18:03:45).

Cobham and Downside Residents’ Association

Last Thursday evening, I went along to the Cobham and Downside Residents’ Association AGM at Cobham Village Hall. I spoke to the group about some of the positive news we’ve seen locally in Cobham, including the progress towards opening the permanent site for the Cobham Free School at Munro House. I also paid tribute to the terrific local community groups that I’ve visited, including Cobham Players which puts on plays and pantos.

Next, I spoke about my portfolio at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), including planning reform, the announcement on the consultation we’ve launched to tackle illegal traveller encampments, the £1billion Homeless Reduction Act to tackle rough sleeping and the abolishment of stamp duty for first-time buyers. All of these policies have a direct impact on the community in Cobham and across Elmbridge.

I then took questions on planning reform, infrastructure funding and the use of surplus public sector land. I am very grateful to Chairwoman Sue Kilpatrick and her great team at CDRA for the invitation, and for all they do in the community. You can read more about CDRA here.