28 October 2005
Councils could help the Housing Corporation to assess registered social landlords in return for easing the passage of affordable housing schemes.
Calling for a 'new partnership' between local authorities and RSLs, Housing Corporation chief executive Jon Rouse said it was time councils recognised that the traditional housing landscape was changing and, in future, their role would be to help manage local housing markets.
Speaking at a conference organised by the Local Government Association and the Chartered Institute of Housing, Rouse criticised some councils for not thinking about 'what they can bring to the party' since the abolition three years ago of local authority social housing grant.
'We need to recognise the extent to which a poor relationship between housing and planning can stymie our good intentions and undermine delivery,' he told the conference on October 21. 'Far too many schemes are delayed as a result of hold-ups in the planning system.'
Rouse promised to give local authorities a more direct voice in the corporation's regulatory system, instead of relying on informal discussions between officers.
Councils could in future be asked to assess a housing association's performance on tackling homelessness or antisocial behaviour, as well as how they work with other landlords.
Rouse also called for further stock rationalisation so that fewer RSLs own small numbers of homes in a local authority area.
PFoct2005
