Sedgemoor District Council has joined three other local authorities in issuing a legal challenge over the government’s decision to withdraw millions of pounds of funding for council house improvements.
Sedgemoor was expecting to receive £40million to bring council homes up to a minimum standard – including some in the Burnham-On-Sea and Highbridge area.
But in July, the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) wrote to 11 councils across the UK to tell them that the cash they had been due would no longer be forthcoming.
Due to the system where the government takes approximately 40p of every £1 collected in rent, the Council could not afford to meet these standards itself.
The council says the government’s withdrawal of funding for the years 2009–2011, and the lack of certainty after that, means that some properties in Burnham and Highbridge will lose out on much-needed investment.
Councillor Paul Herbert, Portfolio Holder for Housing, pictured right, told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “There is a widespread expectation among tenants that work will soon commence on improving council homes with promised Government funding.”
“The removal of funding for 2009–2011 and the uncertainty thereafter is a devastating blow.”
“The properties affected lie in some of the most deprived areas. This work would not only have improved conditions in those homes, but also provided opportunities for local apprenticeships and jobs in communities already affected by the current recession.”
“It is a daunting decision to challenge the Government and we have done it reluctantly, but our main motivation is to secure significant investment in areas that are much in need of a boost.”
“The Government has not thought this through, as the potential of a £40m investment is monumental. Good housing affects health, prospects for employment and life expectancy; all key objectives for the Government and this Council. We need the Minister to think again and ensure this investment in Sedgemoor and its future really does happen.”
