Housing policy built on sand

You may be wondering why, on a blog dedicated to Regional Assemblies, the top article is headlined "Housing".

Well from the Queens speech - A Housing Bill will also create a new Homes and Communities Agency "that will deliver more social and affordable housing, and promote regeneration" she said.

Brown has promised three million new homes, with an annual house-building target of 240,000 new properties by 2016.

NOW. Let's think about that and see it from a Local Authority point of view and imagine the conversation: -

"Mr Local Authority how many of the 3 million news home would you like built in your area?"

"Hmm let me think???? I know NONE MATE"

So given that Local Authorities are very unlikely to actually want major new housing developments in their area, how on earth is the government going to implement this policy? Yes the only way to do it is going to be through the Regional Assemblies. Who by the way are being given complete control of planning!

So here we go, we have a body on people in a position of power and who are completely un-elected to this position. Now some of these people have been elected (Local Councillors etc) but not by us to the assembly. Others are appointees (Totally unelected)

So if you want a policy of house building (and if you're a natural born sceptic like me) I wonder what sort of people you may appoint to these assemblies. Wouldn't it be a good idea to have for example a builder, perhaps a builder's merchant a local land owner, a developer, and perhaps even an estate agent?

Of course you may want to balance that with a few environmentalists, a representative from the country side alliance and Parish Councillors, no don't be silly.

But this is the whole point about Regional Assemblies. No one wants them (Except the government), They cost a great deal of money, they are formed from people who are un-elected to the post, formed from some people who are completely un-elected and were actually voted out by the north east.

On the subject of cost for regional assemblies I had a little look at the South East Regional Assembly (SERA) It is described as a small team, well let me tell you there a 50 of them and I don't consider that a small team in any way shape or form. In addition to that at an average salary of say £35k per year (I bet that's a major under estimate) the salary bill alone is going to be one million seven hundred and fifty thousand pounds!!

Now there are 8 of these things so id SERA is representative we are talking about a salary bill of fourteen million pounds per year!

That's just salaries the running costs are going to be enormous, let's say there are only 400 people making up the Regional assemblies and each one costs (excluding salary) it is about 32% of salary so £10,240 each a total of another £4 million so were are looking a people costs of around £18,000,000 Yes Eighteen Million pounds just in people costs.  That's before they actually start spending our tax money on projects! By the way this is probably a very low estimate.

So are you getting value for money and are these people in such a powerful position representing you?

Answers on a reply please

So the Housing policy is not so much built on sand but forced through by undemocratic means, with no account of local input and by passing the Local Authority. It's built on a dictatorship.