LIBERAL Democrat Leader Tim Farron visited Warrington to launch the party’s national housing policy.
He was joined by Warrington South Parliamentary candidate Bob Barr, at a housing development in Latchford East as the Lib Dems announced plans to address the housing shortage in Warrington and build more affordable homes nationally.
In 2016 there were more than 3000 families in the town on a council waiting list for homes, up from 2500 in the previous year.
However, developments in Warrington are helping to ease this crisis. Torus, the partnership of Helena Homes and Golden Gates Housing is at the forefront of building modern, efficient, affordable and attractive homes in parts of Warrington that need them.
Bob Barr, who is also the leader of the Liberal Democrats on the Council said: “I am very proud to have been able to welcome Tim Farron, our leader, to Warrington to launch our party’s housing policy.
“Warrington has a record of innovation much of which came about while we were running the Council as a Liberal Democrat led administration.”
“We turned Golden Gates Housing into a Housing Trust so that it could raise £150 million to invest in local homes. We welcomed Helena as a development partner to help build affordable homes for sale, shared purchase and affordable rent and we saw Helena and Golden Gates come together as Torus to be able to do more together than they could alone. We also pioneered the ‘help to buy’ mortgage guarantee scheme which has now been copied nationally.”
“Warrington was the natural place for Tim to come to demonstrate what Liberal Democrat policies for housing can achieve.”
“It is not only us who say that, Sarah Beeny recently announced that Warrington is the second-best place to live, after South Ribble, because of the supply of quality housing at affordable prices in much of the town.”
Pictured: Helen Riddington – Head of Helena Living with Bob Barr and Tim Farron at Ash Acre Meadows in Latchford East
1 Comment
Hardly a vote catcher! Tim Farron obviously hasn’t been informed about what has really been going on in Warrington or he wouldn’t have put himself in such an embarrassing position.
Golden Gates gets £150 million to invest in local homes – builds a ‘flagship’ office for staff and can’t afford basic repairs for tenants!
WBC lends money to housing associations to build housing -most of which is outside of Warrington!
The ‘help to buy’ scheme helps housing developers more than it does buyers. Flagging sales would have eventually led to a fall in house prices – this project encourages people to get tied in to mortgages at prices higher than they would be if the market wasn’t tampered with.
When you have to use quotes from Sarah Beeny it’s a sign of desperation. From sources without bias in favour of housing developers Warrington gets less favourable press. Named by WHO for being second worst area for air pollution in the North West. Ranked bottom in the country for Culture – now just a few places up from bottom! A town centre regeneration project which CABE refused to support – which you Mr Barr insisted you ‘dotted the i’s and crossed the t’s on during the Lib Dem administration – (which, note, was well before any public consultation).
Also, you fail to mention your part in the push for ‘aspirational’ 4/5 bedroom homes on greenfield sites.