Barnet’s Labour councillors have welcomed a u-turn by the local Conservative councillors to support the #EndOurCladdingScandal campaign. The u-turn follows a campaign by Barnet residents affected by cladding issues on blocks of flats where they live.
Labour councillors had raised the issue in a motion to Council in October, and subsequently at the Housing and Growth Committee. They followed this up with a joint letter with private and housing association residents living in these blocks to the Chair of Barnet Council’s Housing & Growth Committee, Cllr Richard Cornelius, asking for his support to end the cladding scandal.
The letter asked for the Chair of the Committee to:
1. Raise residents’ concerns in writing directly with the relevant housing associations and freeholders, particularly those companies which are responsible for many of those properties.
2. Arrange a special session of the Housing and Growth Committee in January with the heads of affected residents’ groups and the key local housing associations and freeholders – to help residents gain greater clarity and also access mental health support if needed.
3. Support End Our Cladding Scandal’s 10 pledges as many local councillors and MPs across the country have done already.
The Labour motion last October from Cllr Anne Clarke supporting the #EndOurCladdingScandal campaign was rejected by Barnet’s Conservative councillors at a Full Council meeting for the spurious reason that it contained other issues on planning that they didn’t agree with. The Conservatives could have accepted the cladding resolution without the planning issues at that meeting had they chosen to.
The Conservatives have now submitted a motion supporting the #EndOurCladdingScandal campaign to tomorrow night’s Full Council meeting (19 Jan).
Labour Childs Hill Councillor, Anne Clarke said:
“I welcome this motion to support the #EndOurCladdingScandal campaign.
“I would like to thank the #EndOurCladdingScandal campaign for relentlessly pursuing justice for all residents of blocks affected by the cladding scandal.
“I’d also like to thank all the Barnet residents for bringing issues to our attention. We will always do all we can until justice has been realised.
“This issue affects hundreds of residents trapped and unable to sell their homes because of cladding problems.
“They should not have to foot the bill for fire safety works to fix a problem not of their making. For many the stress of both financial and safety worries is overwhelming.
“As Labour councillors, we will continue to show our support and advocate alongside these residents. It is now time for the government to get its act together and End Our Cladding Scandal.”
Ends.
Notes:
- A copy of the Conservative motion for January Council can be found here: https://barnet.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s62806/Dangerous%20Cladding%20Motion.pdf
- A copy of the Labour motion in October can be found here: https://barnet.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s60806/Amendments%20to%20Opposition%20Motion%20in%20the%20name%20of%20Cllr%20Ross%20Houston%20-%20Stop%20overdevelopment%20in%20Barnet.pdf
- A copy of the letter to Cllr Cornelius can be found here:
Dear Cllr Cornelius
As you will be aware we have been raising concerns about cladding and related issues on behalf of hundreds of residents across our Borough for some months now.
Please can you urgently:
1. Raise residents’ concerns in writing directly with the relevant housing associations and freeholders, particularly those companies which are responsible for many of those properties.
2. Arrange for January a special session of the Housing and Growth Committee with the heads of affected residents groups and the key local housing associations and freeholders – to help residents gain greater clarity and also access mental health support if needed.
3. Support End Our Cladding Scandal’s 10 pledges as many local councillors and MPs across the country have done already.
We hope that you will listen to the hundreds of local residents asking for your support and look forward to hearing from you soon.
Yours sincerely,
