Reform declares housing emergency over long council home wait

Reform UK has declared a ‘housing emergency’ in Sandwell to battle the ever-increasing wait for a council home.

Cllr Ken Parsons, the Reform cabinet member for housing at Sandwell Council, made the call at this week’s full council meeting saying no resident should have to wait years for accommodation and tackling housing need was “one of the most significant challenges facing the borough” and a “central priority” for the council.

Sandwell Council’s housing waiting list increased from 6,000 in 2020 to more than 24,000 people last year.

Band one and two applicants face average waits of between 12 months and three years depending on the size of the property with band three applicants left waiting between 14 months for a one-bed flat and an astonishing ten years for a four-bed house.

The current estimated average waiting time is just over 12 months for highest priority band one applicants which includes those living in dangerous and unsafe homes, victims of domestic abuse and extreme harassment, witness protection, children in care and care leavers, and those with urgent medical needs.

The wait is 621 days for band two requests and 1,310 days – or four-and-a-half years – for band three vulnerability.

Labour councillors blamed the sale of council housing under Conservative prime minister Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s and the lack of available land in the borough for the huge shortages.

The opposition party also questioned the need to declare an emergency when Reform was not proposing any solutions.

Reform council leader Ray Nock said the idea of Sandwell residents waiting a decade for a council home was “totally abhorrent.”

“The idea that the party opposite think they are on the ball and been doing wonders for the people of Sandwell starts to become a sad joke,” he said.

“I’m not the problem, [Reform] isn’t the problem. We inherited that problem from your good selves and it’s time you actually took it on the chin and realise the mess you left Sandwell housing in.”

Cllr Brad Simms (Reform – Great Bridge) added that long waiting lists may have been acceptable under the previous Labour administration but would not be tolerated under Reform’s rule.

Cllr Keith Allcock (Labour – Newton and Valley) blamed a “NIMBY approach” by neighbouring councils over cross-border housebuilding for housing shortages.

“My inbox to this day has a number of requests for housing because they can’t afford private rent or to afford a house and this is because we sold off our housing stock and that is the real reason behind this,” he told the meeting.

“The other problem we have got is that we have got no more land.

“For years we have been trying to push through a spatial development plan and I think the last three iterations have been pulled due to other councils NIMBY approach.

“Prime green spaces should be protected but we are being pushed to look at using these [areas] because there is nowhere else to go because other councils will not accept that Sandwell cannot build its [housing] quota and that has been the case for probably seven or eight years to my knowledge.”

Cllr Maria Crompton (Labour – Tividale) said declaring an emergency would not solve the housing problem.

“Where in this motion does it say how many homes you are going to build or where you plan to build them?” she asked.

“The residents of Sandwell need reassuring answers, not scaremongering labels. It’s your portfolio, your problem, it’s down to you and your fellow council members to solve this.”

Cllr Amardeep Singh (Labour – Hateley Heath) said Reform’s motion was offering “nothing substantive.”

“Nothing gets built, very little gets done, nothing gets scrutinised, we just have lots and lots of hot air,” he said. “A big void.”

“[Cllr Parsons] is here for the performance, he’s not here for the hard work. We don’t know what he’s going to do, we don’t know how he’s going to improve things, we don’t know how he’s going to turn things around. Get on with some work please.”

Cllr Luke Davies (Labour – Smethwick) said: “There are 1.3m households on council waiting lists and 2m houses that Thatcher sold off. Do the maths yourselves.”

Cllr Liam Preece (Labour – West Bromwich Central) added: “My simple question is, you are declaring an emergency, you are breaking the glass on the fire alarm and then you’re sitting here as the smoke swirls around you and saying ‘I don’t think there’s any rush in doing anything is there? It can’t be that bad.’

“If you’re declaring an emergency, what are you going to do to fix the emergency? Tell us.”

Reform UK’s motion also said the council would lobby the government to provide the “powers, funding and support” to build more ‘genuinely’ affordable and social housing.  An ‘action plan’ would also be drawn up to reduce waiting times.

Last month, councillors were told half of the 26,000 homes needed in Sandwell by 2041 could not be built even if every piece of available land in the borough was used because it only has enough space for just 11,900 homes.

By Christian Barnett | Local Democracy Reporting Service