Sustainable Communities

Part of the debate – in the House of Lords at 3:59 pm on 5 February 2003.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Baroness Dean of Thornton-le-Fylde Baroness Dean of Thornton-le-Fylde Labour 3:59, 5 February 2003

My Lords, I begin by declaring an interest: I am chairman of the Housing Corporation. I am sure that the Minister will join me and other Members of the House in expressing how regrettable it is that the noble Lord, Lord Rooker, was not here today to deliver the Statement, due to a family bereavement. As some of us know, he has put hours of work into the communities plan.

That plan involves a step change. None of us has yet had the chance to study the document and the nine supporting documents. There is still much work to be done. Perhaps in that alone, I agree with the noble Baroness, Lady Hanham, that it would be good to have more time in which to debate this detailed and complex issue, which covers so much.

From our point of view—housing is our raison d'etre—one of the major changes in the government document is the recognition that sustainability is not just about housing; it also involves hospitals, schools, transport and the local infrastructure. The document covers that.

Regional housing boards will be critical. We have seen the end of local authority and housing corporation funding for housing. There will be a single pot, the distribution of which will be discussed within the regions and sub-regions. That will involve local authorities, economic generators, the regional development agencies, the Housing Corporation and the government office in the region. That is a step change and it is up to those organisations to make the arrangement work.

As a corporation, we are delighted to be given the responsibility of examining in a taskforce—I hate that term—or in a group all areas in the private and public sectors involving home ownership. That is another step change. There are many models out there but many of them are not used. We welcome that step change.

I return to where I started; that is, the sustainability issue. We and other agencies have been closely involved in developing the plan and we welcome the openness of the discussions. In view of the fact that this approach involves several government departments, has the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister secured commitments from other departments that they are part of the plan in terms of health, housing, transport and infrastructure? If not, the plan will not be deliverable.