Policy panel - a poss new scheme for tenants, Summer Street and canal developments

Policy panels are about sharing ideas and discussion - input into policy - now this is a difficult area as we need to be presented with stuff to discuss - but it seems to me that in the 3 or 4 Policy Panels that I've attended it is more about briefing councillors - this one was no different...

It kicked off with 'Choice Based Lettings' - yes I know that title got me excited too????!! As Cllr Hilary Fowles pointed out it would have been better to call it something like 'A new scheme to offer more choice in the allocation of housing' - perhaps then more councillors would have attended - anyhow the scheme has loads of benefits but as pointed out it does not provide any more houses - we are still in the dire situation with long waiting lists causing stress to many people.

Plus I can see a serious problem with access to the scheme - people at the moment go on a list and are contacted when a home comes available - this scheme will mean people bid for properties - I've not the time to go into all the benefits here but this is good in many ways - the downside is many people are not computor literate and are not able to find a computor terminal each week that can access this site - before I can support this scheme I will need reassurances that vulnerable people and others will not miss out - a paper version sent weekly would end up being too costly but other ways maybe possible - texting when a home is available or limiting paper versions to certain people....more work is needed.

That was only item one and booked for 20 mins - we ran over lots and clearly more time is needed - next up came the small plot of land at Summer Street (see photo) and plans for SDC to develop for housing - again many issues were raised - Cllr Sarah Lunnon picking up on many aspects of the draft plans sustainability. Again more work needed but at least that means - we hope - that we are more likely to get it right.

One of the other key issues of the meeting was the canal development plans - again we had a presentation outlining the key issues and stages. Cllr Martin Whiteside rightly raised concerns that the time scales meant proper consultation with public was being squeezed.