Cllr Marcus Boyland

• IT has been suggested to me that I clarify my comments at Housing Scrutiny Committee on February 28, (‘Cardboard’ council estates only designed to last 15 years, claims Labour’s party whip, March 3).

Indeed, local residents have asked me that I should repeat what I said about housing in Camden needing to be replaced.

It’s worth noting the HHE reported from the Camden Housing Development Committee that West Kentish Town estate suffered from “water penetration through roofs and wall joints, mould, structural defects and decaying wiring”; this is November 26, 1982, just over 15 years after it was built!

The report goes on to say that the system used to put up the estate was “of minimal quality and could not possibly have lasted the 60 years estimated when the estate was built. And yet here we are, after round upon round of repairs and refits.

Anyone speaking to residents who actually live on our estates will not be in doubt that they love their homes and the community that make the estates what they are.

But they will also be in no doubt that residents feel time needs to be called on some of these places and we need to rebuild them with new and additional council homes.

In Gospel Oak, our residents and Camden Council have together built award-winning new estates and new homes.

In the latest consultation, residents of Wendling estate voted strongly in favour of a rebuild, 75 per cent of the 72 per cent who took part in that ballot.

These are not self-appointed neighbourhood forums, anonymous email accounts or keyboard warriors. These are real people casting a real vote to improve their housing.

I grew up in a single-parent family and there were times we had no home. We lived in the shadow of Cathy Come Home and other cam­paigns to provide decent affordable homes. It’s what I – and many other Labour council­lors – came into politics to do.

Up to last year Camden have built almost 400 new council homes. Work is going on to build new homes at Agar Grove, Central Somers Town, Mayford and Peperfield and Highgate Newtown Community Centre. This work has put over 1,000 people and over 400 children in new homes.

And while this Conservative government ended the Future Schools Programme at a stroke, Camden found a way to create new buildings at six schools around the borough including at Parliament Hill and Netley Primary.

This is great work. But Camden can do better, and these numbers are nowhere near enough given that Camden’s housing waiting list has 6,674 people on it with 4,469 of those in overcrowded conditions.

I am incredibly proud to be able to play a tiny part in improving the living conditions of our residents and to help pick up the torch Aneurin Bevan left us all those years ago.

CLLR MARCUS BOYLAND
Labour Member for Gospel Oak