Housing body could cut community ties, local authority says

Peel Commissioners own 350 properties in the town

An island-wide housing association could cut people off from their communities, a western local authority has said.

A review has recommended that an independent body be set up to manage public sector homes on the island.

If backed, it would manage the government's 1,200 properties.

Alan Jones from Peel Commissioners said if the authority's properties were also taken over people could be moved "unnecessarily".

Infrastructure Minister Tim Crookall previously said the housing stock options report, authored by the David Tolson Partnership Limited (DTPL), started an exercise to "assess the suitability of a housing model which works well elsewhere".

'Community ties'

Mr Jones told the Local Democracy Reporting Service Peel Commissioners had tried on three occasions to set up a local housing authority to manage about 20 government-owned properties in the area.

While a committee was formed with other western parish commissioners, following a 2013 report also by the DTPL which looked at the island's housing needs, the government had "sat on" the idea, he said.

Speaking at last week's government conference, Gary Kermode from the Department of Infrastructure said the report had explored the "fundamentals" and the next steps would be to consult with local authorities.

Mr Jones said the western local authority, which owns 350 properties in the western town, had concerns about a "lack of democratic control" over the housing if a larger organisation were introduced.

He said: "We know our communities very well and that can direct how we deal with things.

It was "easier to contact us than some remote office miles away", and an all-island list could see "community ties weakened", Mr Jones said.

But he admitted the authority would need to understand how the association would work in practice before opinions could be fully formed.

Politicians will be asked to receive the review at the October sitting of Tynwald.

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