‘Labour housing plan vindicated by recent survey’ says council leader

Bolsover Council has for a number of years, committed to building new council homes stating that demand is far outstripping supply.

In December 2022, Coun Steve Fritchley, Labour leader of the authority, said they were faced with a perfect storm as increase for council properties was far outweighing what was available. And with over 1,700 people on the waiting list this was only going to get worse.

To help alleviate this problem, the authority has set up a council-owned company called Dragonfly Development, to help build more council properties, which has been overwhelmingly supported with cross-party backing and Union support.

However, Coun Fritchley says the latest report from the BBC highlights “what we are doing is right to help the elderly, the vulnerable and young families who often find themselves with nowhere to go”.

He said, “We know the demand is there and the report by the BBC shows we are right. Demand for council houses and rental properties is increasing all the time. What with the current cost of living crisis and rising household bills, people either can’t afford mortgages or the banks are simply not willing to award them.”

The report goes onto state the figures shared with the BBC by property website Zoopla show lettings agencies typically have 10 rentals compared with more than 16 before September 2021 and the sharp drop in the number of listings has helped drive up rents for new tenants by 11 per cent.

With the freedom Dragonfly Development gives the Council, it is able to increase its housing stock and provide the homes local communities need, such as bungalows for the elderly, one-bedroom flats for young people and family homes.

Without these, people who want to move but cannot find anywhere new and are having to stay put, meaning their old place does not become available.

Coun Fritchley said: “That’s where we come in. We want to help local people stay in the communities they have grown up in. We want to provide local people with a good, decent, modern and efficient property that is also affordable.

“We have stated from day one, that we will only build properties in areas where there is a demand and an obvious need. You only have to look at the 37 we have built in Whitwell which are all occupied, the 19 properties in Whaley Thorns were we have local people clambering to get in them and the £10 million we have spent of upgrading and refurbishing our sheltered accommodation for the benefit of our elderly and vulnerable.”

Labour locally is delivering. Labour in government will also deliver.