Upcoming Housing Conference

A day’s symposium

Sponsored by The School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh 1st October 2007 with:-

• Peter Ambrose ‐ University of Brighton
• John Bone ‐ University of Aberdeen
• Stuart Cameron ‐ University of Newcastle
• Andrew Field ‐ SFHA
• William Fleming ‐ Scottish Government
• Sarah Glynn ‐ University of Edinburgh
• Andrew MacLaran ‐ Trinity College Dublin
• David Manley ‐ University of St Andrews
• Hilary Thomson ‐ MRC Glasgow

To reserve a place: email Robert.Groves@ed.ac.uk

Conference Room, David Hume Tower
George Square, Edinburgh

AN ALTERNATIVE HOUSING STRATEGY FOR SCOTLAND
A day’s symposium sponsored by the School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh
1st October 2007

Those who have been working on housing ­ or trying to find somewhere to live – have long known that we have a housing crisis; but now, suddenly, everyone is talking about it. And with a new Scottish government putting together a new housing green paper later this autumn, we need a serious debate on the issue, which is prepared to ask some fundamental questions. We will hear papers from academics who have been taking a
critical  look  at  the  nature  and  impacts  of  housing  policy  both  within and outwith Scotland, and from the Scottish  Executive  (Department  of  Communities  and  Sport);  and  the  day  will  end  with  a  round  table discussion that brings together academics, policy makers and housing activists.

Draft programme:
9.00 – 9.30 registration and coffee

9.30 – 10.45 Sarah Glynn, University of Edinburgh (An Alternative Housing Strategy for Scotland?), William Fleming,  Scottish  Government  (The  Future  of  Social  Housing:  the  new  governments’  perspective),  David Manley, University of St Andrews (Mixing Tenures – in search of Scottish evidence)

10.45 – 11.15 coffee

11.15 – 12.30 Andrew Field, SFHA (View from the SFHA), Peter Ambrose, University of Brighton (The Real Meaning of Affordability), John Bone, University of Aberdeen (On the Treadmill)

12.30 – 1.30 lunch

1.30 – 2.45 Hilary Thomson, MRC Glasgow (Healthy Housing Investment in Scotland), Andrew MacLaran, Trinity  College  Dublin  (The  Impact  of  Recent  Changes  in  the  Irish  Housing  System),  Stuart  Cameron, University of Newcastle (The Changing Face of Housing Market Renewal in England)

2.45 – 3.15 tea

3.15 – 5.00 round table discussion

There will be opportunity for further discussion with drinks afterwards, and it is also hoped that participants will want to join the speakers for a restaurant dinner. All main speakers will be asked to keep their presentation to a maximum of 15­20 minutes to allow time for questions  and  discussion.  The  final  round  table  discussion  will  give  an  opportunity  to  raise  issues  not previously covered, with everyone being given an opportunity to speak. Participants will be asked to book, and numbers will be kept to no more than 40 in the interests of debate. All speakers will be asked to submit a written version of their paper, which, along with a summary report of the discussion, will be put on the Institute of Geography Website as a more permanent record and resource for policy makers.
Thanks to the sponsors there will be no cost for this event

To reserve a place, email Robert.Groves@ed.ac.uk.  For further information email Sarah.Glynn@ed.ac.uk

Edinburgh Council Housing Left Empty

 

Sat 14 Apr 2007

Council flats that time forgot in the midst of housing crisis

Jenni Marrow says the city is crying out for the mothballed Pennywell Road flats to be revamped.

Picture: Toby Williams

 

 

(mblackley@edinburghnews.com) MICHAEL BLACKLEY

A BLOCK of council flats has been left to sit empty for more than eight years despite the city’s affordable housing crisis.

The council rehoused residents of 12 two-bedroom flats in Pennywell Road in 1999 and planned to turn the block into community offices.

But the project hit a brick wall when funding could not be found, leaving the flats empty for years. In the meantime, 6000 people have been competing for 60 available council flats on a weekly basis.

The council said today it intends to spend £450,000 refurbishing the flats and aims to make them available again as council housing by the end of the year.

But the Pennywell Tenants’ Association estimates the city will have lost out on about £300,000 in lost rent because of its “mismanagement of resources”.

It says there was little wrong with the flats when they were emptied but that a lack of security measures at the empty building has allowed children to cause damage that will cost much more to fix.

Jenni Marrow, secretary of the Pennywell Tenants’ Association, said: “At least four years ago the council knew that the community business centre was not going to happen and knew that the money was not going to come in. It’s been such a waste of resources.

“They are big flats and they were in a decent state – the city is crying out for that kind of accommodation.

“I have been thinking about going to the district auditor about this because it’s such a waste of taxpayers’ money.

“All that was needed for that block of flats was double glazing, better heating and better security, but that’s just the same as any other council accommodation at the time. A lot more will need now to be done now and that is a disgrace.”

She said that since the flats became vacant, groups of children had made their way inside, where they had set fires and ripped up floorboards and ceilings.

She said the flats, being next to Pennywell’s shopping centre, would be ideal for elderly people.

“The construction of these flats is 100 times better than the rest of Pennywell – they’re good, strong, solid, big flats,” she said.

“They’re spending so much knocking down flats at the moment and the city is in the middle of a housing crisis with people waiting years and years for a flat, yet they have had these good flats lying idle all these years.”

Councillor Lesley Hinds, whose ward includes Muirhouse and Pennywell, was at the centre of the plans for a new community centre, which were initially popular with residents.

Cllr Hinds today said: “These houses became very unpopular a number of years back and so it was proposed that rather than demolish the block the premises would be refurbished so as to be used in a different capacity.

“Unfortunately, several attempts to agree on proposals proved unsuccessful. The council’s housing department has now decided to refurbish this accommodation to a higher standard and to make it available for occupation once again.

“We envisage the flats will be ready later this year. I welcome the high quality housing for rent which is going to become available.”