At the Doncaster Federation of Tenants and Residents Associations we have always had grave concerns about the demolition of council homes (MPs change their tune on use of demolitions 8 April, page 10).

Doncaster has a housing waiting list of 13,000 and rising. Where will we house these people after a wholesale demolition programme?

I am certainly not against improving the estates and the environment. But the key to “good” estates is ensuring they are well managed.

This requires a combination of strict policing; mediation; tougher tenancy enforcement; faster zero tolerance rules; teaching families and school children through Sure Start and infant schools; and applying codes of conduct and behaviour not only to council estates. Estates aren’t the only places with yobbos.

I applaud the government’s realisation that tenants who have spoken out against wholesale demolition may in fact know what they are talking about.

Lynda Ralph, Comment via Housing Today website

Source

Housing Today