黑洞社区

What is left unsaid is perhaps even worse. It seems that the government and local councils have already adopted a 鈥渇ourth way鈥� for achieving the Decent Homes standard for all social housing. It requires neither a ballot nor, apparently, government approval and is called 鈥渄emolition鈥� 鈥� a method whereby tens of thousands of flats and houses, most of which are structurally sound, are demolished and not replaced. The tenants are often rehoused in equally unsuitable housing. The knock-on effect is, of course, to deplete the supply and perpetuate overcrowding among existing tenants.

Despite what the government says, there is little evidence that tenants who are transferred to private landlords (large-scale voluntary transfer) express greater satisfaction afterwards. Most people I meet say nothing much changes.

The opposition鈥檚 policies seem little better.

Were Mr Curry to escape from the Westminster village and take a trip up to Birmingham, he would see the council trying to outdo the Luftwaffe in its efforts to demolish its housing stock. Unfortunately, it is his own party that is now charged with responsibility for what will be the most important social issue of the next generation.

Gerald Kennedy, McGrath Environmental Partnership Solicitors, Birmingham