Forum Topic

Social Engineering in Hammersmith and Fulham

So Andy Slaughter has finally laid bare what we suspected all along namely that the Council's plans for housing were a cover for social cleansing. The presentation of the communities that live on local estates as not 'decent' and offering a low return on investment shows just how unattached the current Council is from the idea that they were elected for the benefit of all the people. I'm sure there are many here who would be happy to see Council Taxes fall when people who offer a higher yield to the borough move in but can they really turn a blind eye to the massive social displacement that is planned. It would be one of the biggest population shifts ever seen in this country if they get away with it.

Karen Cooper ● 5772d8 Comments

Stephen Greenhalgh has responded in detail to some of the claims being made. His comments don't seem to be getting the same profile that the original scare stories on this subject.Two things he said are worth noting - firstly they will build homes before they knock any down so nobody will go homeless and tenants will be rehoused locally.

Ellen Kearney ● 5681d

As well as the 200% rise in cost for meals on wheels and the closers of community centres, the selling off of schools and the decimation of experienced staff in the social departments. 'New tories'?Same old CONS!

Dan Baldwin ● 5691d

George Osborne is lauding the achievements of Hammersmith and Fulham Council and saying a Tory Government would follow their example.This presumably would include instituting charges for home care for the disabled despite a manifesto pledge to keep it free.

Karen Cooper ● 5710d

'Is there any real evidence that people would need to be rehoused? 'If you redevelop estates and reduce the amount of social housing then by definition people will need to be rehoused probably outside the borough.

Karen Cooper ● 5740d

Well it is quite clear that massive concentrations of social disadvantage are not a good thing so making an area a bit more socially diverse would benefit everybody. Is there any real evidence that people would need to be rehoused? Isn't more likely to be the case that existing tenants will be given a wider range of ownership choices?

Ellen Kearney ● 5760d

The plans effectively seem to be aiming to give private developers access to sites currently occupied by social housing which they will redevelop. The new units built will have different ownership structures to the old ones with some private and some shared ownership. This will mean fewer social housing units and a proportion of the tenants will have to be rehoused.

Karen Cooper ● 5767d

What exactly is the Council being accused of? If they are redeveloping some of the sink estates in the borough and improving the quality of the housing then good for them.

Ellen Kearney ● 5772d

I have heard that the Tories are so fearful of getting into a Lady Porter-type scandal that they have tried to get advice that what they are doing is not illegal.  I wonder whethr it would take as long to get surcharge money out of them as it did the Westminster Tories.

Dan Filson ● 5772d