Exposing Labour's lies: Lib Dems delivering new homes for Newcastle (Greg Stone)

Exposing Labour's lies: Lib Dems delivering new homes for Newcastle

November 3, 2009 2:55 PM

Lib Dem parliamentary spokesman for Newcastle East Greg Stone has welcomed the city council's robust response to an enquiry from Labour MP Nick Brown asking about the city council's plans for delivering new council housing.

Contrary to Labour's claims that the council had failed to submit a bid for new council housing, the Lib Dem controlled city council has identified a programme of 300 new homes to be constructed under the National Affordable Housing Programme, in conjunction with Your Homes Newcastle as well as housing associations including ISOS, Affinity Sutton, Cheviot, Nomad E5, and Riverside North East.

In addition to this programme, the Lib Dem controlled council has backed housebuilder-led affordable housing schemes supported by the Homes and Communities Agency's Kickstart funding programme. An application has been made by McInerny Homes supported by the city council for 54 new units including 24 HomeBuy Direct affordable homes on the Wydale site off the Fossway in Walkergate.

Lib Dem parliamentary spokesman Greg Stone said "It is politically deeply dishonest for Labour's MP to mislead people that the council is not building new units when clearly it is. More to the point, the council had already commenced its own plans to build much needed new provision when the Government finally got round to performing a U-turn and allowing new council house construction.

"It is clearly a cause of great political embarrassment to Nick Brown that his Labour government did not allow council house construction for over a decade after taking office. The Lib Dems are leading the way on this issue whilst Labour are struggling to catch up."

Note: Greg has also been closely involved in his "day job" as a regeneration consultant in developing much needed new rural affordable housing provision in Northumberland with North East housebuilder Yuill Homes and housing association Four Housing Group.