Mr Williams (Houses for the many, not the few, Letters, 20 July) suggests that the getting one in every three homes built in Watford as being ‘affordable’ is not enough. That the real problem is with social rent homes which are disappearing faster than they are being replaced. Those least able to buy into the housing stock are losing out the most. Agreed.

READ MORE: Letter: Houses for the many, not the few

Unfortunately his letter does not tell us what he would do about it if in office. Fortunately the Labour Party manifesto for 2017 does tell us. The manifesto includes allowing councils to spend the millions they hold in housing revenue accounts on building new social rent homes, scrapping Right to Buy so as to keep what social rent homes we have and giving Council tenants secure tenancies.

But until Westminster changes the rules it imposes on councils none of these things will happen. So councils have to do the best they can as things stand. The London Borough of Haringey tried to redevelop its land in partnership with a major house developer. But to do this existing tenants had to lose their homes whilst new ones were built. After a four year struggle the whole idea has been dropped.

Watford has a choice. Do nothing and run the risk that the Government will impose development on it by re writing the town’s plan and or allowing planning appeals. Second redeveloping existing residential areas fitting more homes than at present. This may well need homes to be compulsory purchased to put sites together and third allow non residential sites to become residential with as much affordable and social rent as can be got out of the builders.

Which brings me back to Westminster. There is national guidance as to how work out how much can be squeezed out of a developer. This may change but whatever the guidance is, that will limit how much Watford can get.

Last, I have suggested before that the answer lies in building more homes. The five councils in SW Herts have started work on this .The sooner we get a strategic plan for housing in SW Hertfordshire the sooner those least able to buy a home may see more social rent homes built for their families to live in.

Roger Pidgeon

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