tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7481456182314953565.post6330982486795904449..comments2024-03-28T10:26:10.942+00:00Comments on Allison's Blog: Ed Miliband and Steve Reed launch "Towards Cooperative Councils" with a contribution from Allison Ogden-NewtonAllison Ogden-Newtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04056527172582080767noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7481456182314953565.post-78958980657129174302013-02-10T18:10:17.173+00:002013-02-10T18:10:17.173+00:00If co-operative councils are going to let their ci...If co-operative councils are going to let their citizens take control of their services then there will be no greater litmus test for this than in Lambeth, where Steve Reed (when he was leader) presided over the start of legal action against housing co-operatives of 40 years standing, threatening their members with eviction and starting a purge against people who had maintained properties neglected by the council across four decades.<br /><br />Residents were promised permanency on several occasions, but the council pulled out of these deals. Now these residents, despite being under attack and watching their neighbours moved away from their communities, have put a new deal on the table – a ‘Super Co-op’ that would be an umbrella co-op for the remaining co-op houses across the borough and also act to recycle empty homes. This deal, supported by housing experts, co-op organisations and the local MP, Kate Hoey, is now on the table for Lambeth to engage with.<br /><br />So, rather than than funding reserves through evictions and spending money on lawyers, vacant property managers, contractors and auctioneers, Lambeth can choose to do something that is very much in the spirit of this co-operative council initiative.<br /><br />Let’s hope that Lambeth will heed the words of three of its own co-op council commissioners, who, in correspondence with co-op residents said:<br /><br />“I do certainly sympathise with your position” says one, “and view that it would be in the spirit of the 2011 Housing commission report, for Lambeth to work with you more collaboratively.”<br /><br />Here’s another commissioner:<br /><br />“I think it is important that they understand how to deal with legitimate challenges such as the ones you have raised. If they do not understand how to do this, there will be no hope for the development of a Cooperative Council.”<br /><br />And finally one more Co-op Commissioner who simply said:<br /><br />“Next time I see Steve [Reed], I am going to encourage him to get a grip on matters before the project loses its credibility.”<br /><br />Stop press: Lambeth Council recently manipulated the agenda of a meeting so that it could avoid talking about the Super Co-op, doing so despite the presence of two housing co-op professionals who had accompanied residents to discuss the idea.<br /><br />Please help lobby Lambeth to make them see sense!<br />Lambeth United Housing Co-ophttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04587495665245139805noreply@blogger.com