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G15 backs mayor’s proposal for resident ballots on demolitions
The G15 group of leading London housing associations has said it supports mayor Sadiq Khan’s proposals to hold resident ballots for any regeneration schemes that involve the demolition of existing homes.
However, the group said that the requirement should not apply to schemes already in progress or where health and safety issues made other options too expensive.
The mayor has proposed the introduction of mandatory ballots as a condition for any regeneration projects receiving funding from City Hall.
Responding to a public consultation on the proposals, which closed this week, the GLA offered support but suggested several conditions for the policy.
Paul Hackett, chief executive of Optivo and G15 chair, told Inside Housing: “We support the mayor’s call for ballots because we recognise the political environment in which we are operating in London.”
However, Mr Hackett added that several conditions should apply, rather than have ballots held for every scheme.
These conditions include only holding ballots on new projects “so any scheme would be excluded where there are sunken costs”.
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He also said ballots should only apply to schemes that are GLA funded and should not take place where demolition is the only viable option.
“Where demolition is the most obvious thing to do because of health and safety requirements there should be exclusion from ballots,” he added.
The National Housing Federation (NHF) earlier this week suggested ballots should be limited to projects where more than a third of the estate is slated for demolition.
Mr Hackett also said that proposals for estate regeneration should be as clear and complete as possible before residents are asked to vote.
“There are many good examples of ballots across London. Residents like to have a clear understanding of what is being proposed. In the future, where there are ballots, there needs to be a balance between how much cost is invested to get to the point of balloting and having sufficient detail for residents.
“Housing associations have a strong track record of working with local communities to achieve good ballot outcomes.”
In the mayor’s consultation paper, Mr Khan proposed two ways in which the policy of mandatory ballots could be applied: by using his planning powers or by applying a condition whenever Greater London Authority funding for affordable housing is sought.
Green Party London Assembly member Sian Berry also offered support for the measure, adding that the principle of ballots “should be applied as widely as possible, using all the powers the Mayor holds, including planning powers”.
She said that the holding of ballots to inform planning decisions should be enshrined in the London Plan. She added that schemes which involve large-scale remodelling of homes that necessitate residents moving out of existing buildings should also be subject to ballots.
The ‘Save Cressingham Gardens’ campaign, which is opposing the demolition of an estate in Lambeth, south London, said the mayor should clarify the criteria for holding ballots.
The group said: “The consultation document is quite vague as to the scope, and would allow extreme abuse by local authorities who are looking for legislative loopholes to operate through.”
It added that any ballots should take place before planning applications are submitted, to save councils “a considerable amount of unnecessary expenditure”.
