On Thursday
16th October I welcomed new Housing Minister Margaret
Beckett MP to Harlow to talk to local residents about a variety of
issues, particularly as she used to be local to the town. Before
entering Parliament she lived and worked in Harlow for six months
when completing her engineering apprenticeship. She was therefore
happy to return to her roots!
People at
the event posed a number of questions, but were naturally most
concerned about housing in the area and the
economy.
I have long
held the view that we desperately need more affordable housing in
the area to tackle the 6,000-strong Harlow Council waiting list and
so I was delighted when the housing minister gave a pledge that she
would use her new cabinet appointment to ensure that decent housing
would continue to be available to those in need in spite of
challenging economic times.
Here in the
town we are taking steps in the right direction. One of the things
I have been most proud about during my time as local MP is the
Gateway Project. The project is being funded by a government grant
of £11 million, the biggest single grant to the town for decades. A
total of 750 new homes and apartments will be built on the 27 acre
site off Fifth Avenue. Around a third of the homes will be
affordable, either for rent or part buy / part rent. And these are
homes which will go to people from Harlow, not overspill from
London.
But there is
much more to be done and we can never rest on our laurels. With the
growth planned for Harlow, I give you my commitment that I will
campaign strongly for a significant proportion of the 16,000 new
homes planned for Harlow and the surrounding area to be for
affordable rent or purchase.
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