LIBERAL DEMOCRATS URGE LAMBETH’S GREEN LED COUNCIL TO GET MOVING ON NEW HOMES PROGRAMME

Liberal Democrats called on Lambeth’s Green led Council to stop dithering and delaying the
Council’s new homes programme at Wednesday’s Housing Scrutiny Sub-Committee. Their
comments came during consideration of an item on the Council new homes supply where Cllr
Scott Ainslie, the Green Party Cabinet member for new homes supply admitted that they were
not yet able to clarify their position on the new homes programme.

Liberal Democrat Cllr Chris Nicholson said “Lambeth is facing a housing crisis with over 4000
homeless and over 30000 on the housing waiting list. The Green Party said in their manifesto
that solving Lambeth’s housing crisis and building new Council homes was their top priority. But
4 months in they still cannot tell us how many new homes are in their new homes programme
and where they will build these homes. All they tell us is that they are doing ‘deep dives’ and
‘reviews’ of Labour’s plans. It is about time they stopped reviewing and started deciding.”

“They seem much clearer on the new homes they are against than those they are for. We know
that they oppose estate regeneration schemes but they are holding up other new housing
schemes as well. I predict that given the length of time that it takes to design, get planning
permission and then build new houses that by the time of the next election they will have
completed less than 100 new social homes. That is even worse than the dismal record of the last
Labour administration”

Cllr Nicholson added, “The Liberal Democrats stand ready to work with the Green Party to boost
social housing in Lambeth. But they need to stop their dither and delay”