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Khan backs mandatory ballots for estate regeneration
Sadiq Khan has backed resident ballots for estate regeneration where demolition is involved, in a major U-turn.
In a new version of his Good Practice Guide to Estate Regeneration, published today, the London mayor has proposed to require ballots as a condition of his funding.
The policy is still subject to consultation until 3 April, with the mayor seeking views on the principle of the idea, how the ballots should work in practice and what transitional arrangements should be.
The policy document states: “Positive votes in ballots create a powerful mandate for change and a strong endorsement of councils and housing associations, as landlords, working with residents to develop plans.”
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This is despite draft guidance, published in December 2016, not including any requirement for balloting tenants.
The draft guidance reads: “A potential reason for caution around using ballots or votes [is that] they can risk turning a complex set of issues that affects different people in different ways over many years into a simple ‘yes/no’ decision at a single point in time.”
However, since then Jeremy Corbyn announced his support for the idea at the Labour Party conference in September.
Tom Copley, housing spokesperson for the Labour Group at the London Assembly, said: “It’s important that it’s actual residents who have their say. Therefore I would urge that private tenants on estates are balloted, rather than the non-resident landlords they rent from.”
This guide was expected last summer, but was delayed until now. James Murray, London’s deputy mayor for housing, told Inside Housing the guidance had been delayed by an increased number of consultation responses sent in after the Grenfell Tower fire.
The guidance, however, does not mention Grenfell.
The guide also covers various other aspects of estate regeneration. It states that social tenants should be guaranteed full rights to return, other options besides demolition should be considered, and affordable housing should “at least be replaced on a like-for-like basis, and increased wherever possible”.
It adds: “The mayor believes that social housing residents must be at the heart of decisions about the ongoing management and future of their estates.”
To this end, it encourages councils and housing associations to “engage early and meaningfully with residents” on any schemes for regenerating estates.
It also encourages engagement with other local stakeholders, such as local businesses, places of worship and schools.
Political and economic circumstances have threatened the future of estate regeneration in the capital recently. Claire Kober, leader of Haringey Council, resigned this week after local opposition to the council’s development plans led to 21 councillors being deselected.
