Strategy to fight homes shortage

Oldham Council Cabinet meeting reports

OLDHAM needs a better mix of more affordable properties to house a growing waiting list.

Cabinet approved a paper that sets out a planning policy framework to provide an appropriate range of house types and sizes to meet the borough’s housing needs — as well as mechanisms for securing affordable housing.

They were given statistics showing worrying trends for housing in Oldham that the council aims to address.

Oldham’s housing waiting list has increased from 3,529 in 1997 to 8,501 in 2007. Seven per cent of Oldham’s housing stock is also overcrowded.

But the number of rented properties has significantly fallen due to targeted clearances and Right to Buy sales.

It means Oldham has one of the lowest levels of supply to demand, being only able to house 9 per cent of the households on the waiting list for re-lets.

And there is a stock and supply imbalance with low proportions of detached properties and high numbers of terraces. Flats make up over half of all homes built over the last two years.

Inner Oldham needs large family housing while Royton, Saddleworth and Shaw need two and three bedroom accommodation and Failsworth two-bedroom flats and properties for single people. House prices are also a problem with cheaper housing in Oldham soaring by 180 per cent from £31,500 in 2002 to £88,500 in 2008, making it unaffordable for many residents.

Housing needs will also be affected by the number of older people being forecast to increase to 40,000 by 2022 and the minority ethnic community to increase from 16.6 per cent to 24.6 per cent in 2022.

Policies agreed to tackle the issues include requiring all developments over 25 properties to incorporate a variety of house types and sizes.

And 25 per cent of sites should be made up of properties that meet identified housing needs.


Top tiers to be slimmed

COUNCILLORS approved plans to slim-down the council’s senior management structure and save at least £650,000.

They backed chief executive Charlie Parker’s proposal, revealed in yesterday’s Evening Chronicle, to slash the number of second tier posts from 28 to 17.

The number of executive director posts has already been cut from five to three to save £200,000.

Labour Councillor Dave Hibbert said: “Labour remains to be convinced that the claims for cash savings are not simply ‘smoke and mirrors.’ Some existing officers are being moved sideways, so their salaries will not be saved.”