Wednesday 23 February 2011

Barnet council failed in bid for Decent Homes grant

I'm combing Barnet council's website now to look for pronouncements on their (failed) bid for Decent Homes grant money. What will be the implications of our failure to get this money for repairs to social housing in the borough? The money will have to be found from elsewhere, or essential upgrading will not be done...

Here's how the local press reported to Enfield the good news that their bid was successful - and how we found out that Barnet's had not been.

(Thanks to JC for spotting this story.)

15 comments:

David Duff said...

Could anyone define precisely and exactly, and in terms which would attract large scale agreement, what "a decent home" is?

I have similar problems with expressions, almost always written as slogans for the hard of thinking to understand, like "a fair wage".

Just askin'!

David Duff said...

Apologies! I inadvertently linked my name to the wrong blog. Of course, it should be:

http://duffandnonsense.typepad.com/

On the other hand, the link I gave is an excellent essay and well worth reading - no, no, don't thank me, just the usual readies in the plain brown envelope . . .

Mrs Angry said...

hello: Duff is alive ... 'a decent home' = one free of right wing old codgers prancing around in thermal longjohns?

Rog T said...

Actually for once David Puff has made a useful cuntribution. He has demonstrated exactly how out of touch some supporters of the Tory party are. May I recommend that Mr Puff read George Orwell "The Road to Wigan Pier". The current official definition of a "decent home" was written in response to this.

As to his blog. I can thoroughly recommend it. Force your children to read it if they are naughty and they'll never sin again. Those of us who had an RC education in the 1960's will be familiar with such strange and unusual punishments for minor transgressions

David Duff said...

Ah, Mrs 'A', you just don't know what you're missing!

Well done, Rog, old chap, still full of sparkling sh.. ooops, sorry, wit, I see. I realised long ago that no-one is more hide-bound in their traditional views than your average socialist (they out-Tory the Tories) so it is no surprise to see you offer up The Road to Wigan Pier published in 1937, that is, some 70+ years ago. Look, Rog, old thing, this might come as a bit of shock to you but we're in the 21st century now.

Rog T said...

Mr Puff,

I see irony is wasted on you

Mrs Angry said...

Duff, are you a secret plane spotter, as well as an annoying old codger? Your blog link is mystifying and is horribly reminiscent of too many wet afternoons being forced to look at giant airfix kits in the RAF museum.

Moaneybat said...

Duff,

you old relic of the past who is now ready for the wheelie bin

"the decent homes' standard of being warm and weatherproof with reasonably modern facilities"

http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/pdf/138355.pdf

http://www.londontenants.org/publications/briefings/LTF%20Lifetime%20neighbourhoods.pdf

Moaneybat said...

In Barnet Decent Homes Grant was subject to revised estimates (a consequence of Right To Buy) being supplied by Barnet every two years from the moment they created their private Arms Length Managemment Organisation Barnet Homes in 2002.

Those few who mattered including their employees of the day or was it foisted on them by an ousted Tory leader when he held the Housing Regeneration Portfolio. Guess why he was ousted and guess why Blue Labour have had to bite their tongues over the past 9 years in the Town Hall. Despite the rules for accessing grants for new build state housing being changed a few years ago, the silence for "Blue" Labour has been deafening.

Moaneybat said...

A correction to the 2nd paragraph of the post on the ALMO

...Those few who mattered including their employees of the day knew that and voted for it

David Duff said...

Well, Mrs 'A', I'd rather spend time in an RAF museum than Barnett Town Hall - my dear, simply too, too, dreary!

Mrs Angry said...

RAF museum: tedious for ladies, but a record of the courageous fight (including the contribution of Mrs Angry's late father in law in his Lanc) against right wing dictatorship.
Barnet Town Hall: scene of courageous fight, including the contribution of Mrs Angry, against right wing dictatorship.(without Lancaster bomber).
Nuff said?
History always repeats itself, but never in exactly the same way.

Moaneybat said...

Mrs A,

Old Duff has an awful lot of guff sitting in his armchair while others give up their lives against people like him.

David Duff said...

"Old Duff has an awful lot of guff sitting in his armchair while others give up their lives against people like him."

Oh, no! Don't tell me those Tories are actually shooting people in Barnet. I'd never of thought they were capable of it. Hmmn! Might have to reconsider joining them, or even, dread thought, I might move to Barnet.

Moaneybat said...

Heil Duff,

Showing your true self again.