HOW refreshingly honest for Cherwell District Council to lay it on the line when it comes to the impossible task of housing everyone who asks for a taxpayer-subsidised roof over their heads.
It is set to take 2,700 people off its 4,000-strong waiting list, saying they stand little or no chance of ever getting social housing.
The administrative burden that will lift off the cash-strapped local authority will be significant as staff will no longer have to process applications that would only then languish on the waiting list for eternity.
Yet as Labour group leader Patrick Cartledge suggests, it is a marked change from the past when housing was seen as a right like the NHS or a state pension.
As Britain’s obsession with owning and renovating property – galvanised by the right-to-buy craze of the 1980s – shows no sign of abating, the move to slash the list will be seen by many as long overdue. Yet it will place more emphasis on Cherwell as the local planning authority to ensure enough private sector homes are being built to bring with them much-needed social housing.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article