HL Deb 16 March 1989 vol 505 cc443-5WA
Lord Boyd-Carpenter

asked Her Majesty's Government:

If they have had an opportunity to consider the consultants' reports on Housing Action Trusts.

The Earl of Caithness

We have today published the consultants' reports on the six areas we proposed for Housing Action Trusts. Copies of the reports have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

The consultants have concluded that, having regard to the matters listed in Section 60 of the Housing Act 1988, the Loughborough and Angell Town estates in Lambeth; the North Peckham and Gloucester Grove estates in Southwark; and the Downhill, Town End Farm, Hylton Castle and part of the Red House estates in Sunderland justify the establishment of trusts. We therefore propose to proceed in these areas, subject to some minor boundary changes.

In Leeds, the consultants consider that the Halton Moor, Seacroft South and Gipton estates meet the criteria for designation: but that the most compelling case for a trust is at Gipton. We therefore propose to proceed in that area only.

In Sandwell, the consultants consider that there is not a strong enough case to establish a HAT for the Lion Farm, Wallace Close and Titford estates; but that the Windmill Lane estate would benefit from a trust and that there is also a case for treating a wider area of the Cape Hill community. We agree with the consultants' findings. We are therefore asking them to carry out a further study to help my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for the Environment to decide whether to proceed with propoals for a trust in that area and where to draw the boundaries.

In Tower Hamlets, the consultants conclude that the problems associated with the six run-down council estates they studied justify the establishment of a HAT. However, a trust could only tackle the overcrowding that exists on the estates if it had enough land to provide more housing for the people who now live there. This could involve considerable disruption of the existing communities and would require a much larger area for a trust than we originally proposed. We have therefore decided not to proceed with our original proposal. If, after discussion with tenants, the council wishes to bring forward a proposal for a different trust area, we would be prepared to consider it.

The Housing Act requires the Secretary of State to consult local authorities and hold a ballot of tenants in each proposed area before he can seek Parliament's approval to orders setting up a trust. My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Environment is writing to the leaders of the councils concerned today. We also intend to consult local people fully about how we propose to take matters forward. As a first step, we are sending explanatory leaflets to all individual residents in the proposed trust areas. We also propose to appoint consultants to discuss the proposals with residents and to seek their own ideas for improving the design, condition, management and general living conditions of their estates. Tenants will have time to consider the ideas which emerge from these consultations before they vote on a trust in a ballot.

The creation of trusts provides an opportunity to target extra government resources on some of our most difficult estates. But it will be for individual tenants to decide whether they want my right honourable friend to proceed. If they do not want a trust, then the available resources can be used to tackle areas of problem housing elsewhere. We are therefore prepared to consider sympathetically any proposal which other councils or tenants wish to bring forward for a trust in their area.