City leaders clash over housing
Public transport and housing are top of hot issues
LABOUR and the SNP leaders in the city clashed on plans for housing and transport at a special election hustings.
Frank McAveety, Labour council leader, and Susan Aitken, SNP group leader, each said the other was holding back further social housing development in the city.
At the Evening Times Council Election Hustings, the man and woman who both want to lead the city after the election both said they wanted to build new homes.
Ms Aitken said the Labour council was not freeing up enough land for development, while Mr McAveety accused the SNP Scottish Government of cutting grants for housing associations to build the necessary new homes.
HPolitical Correspondent OUSING and public transport took centre stage at the EveningTimes council election hustings event.
The parties clashed over plans to improve the city’s transport network and on securing funding and land to build enough affordable homes to meet the need in the city.
Labour and the SNP both said they had targets for building new homes but embarked on a row over who was to blame for targets not being delivered.
Frank McAveety, leader of the City Council representing Labour said his party had laid the groundwork for transformation of housing the city by eliminating the housing debt to allow the stock transfer of the city’s council homes.
He said Labour will build 25,000 new homes in Glasgow. however he said it required the co-operation of the Scottish Government to help fund the project.
Susan Aitken, SNP Group leader, said the SNP would seek to build 7500 homes as Glasgow’s share of the 50,000 the Scottish Government is committed to.
Mr McAveety said “The very fact act I Did as council leader was to provide 20 sites for housing, but the barrier is unless you have a reasonable settlement in HAG (housingassistance Grant) money its very difficult to bring forward those sites for development. “So we need to break that logjam which requires a level of capital investment, higher from the Scottish government because they have reduced opportunities for the Scottish Government.”
He said if the government puts forward extra money he could guarantee development.
Ms Aitken said the Scottish Government was providing the backing for 35,000 social rented homes across Scotland.
She said: “The homes in Glasgow would built by housing associations and developers but funded by the Scottish Government, 15,000 homes funded by the Scottish Government.”
She said it was the Scottish Government that had pushed the Labour led council in Glasgow to be more ambitious.
She added: “The original plan that went to the government, the minister came back and said it was not freeing up enough land.”
Ms Aitken added: “There was too much being set aside for private development and not enough free up for social rented housing.”
The special election hustings was held at City of Glasgow College and supported by Wheatley Group.
Bernadette Hewitt, Chair of GHA, part of Wheately Group, said: “It is critical that housing and particularly social housing claims its rightful place at the top of every party’s agenda, manifesto and list of political priorities.
“Social Housing has been transformed across Glasgow in recent years but there is still so much to do to ensure that everyone who needs a modern, safe, comfortable and affordable home, receives one.”
On public transport the parties clashed on how best to improve networks in the city, with plans for bus, rail and the Subway coming under scrutiny.
THE SNP wants to investigate expending the subway to the east and north of the city
Green candidate Martin Bartos said he would rather the money was spread to improve transport city wide.
He said it was a good idea but added: “I have no idea how it will stack up financially.”
He said estimates to take the subway to Dennistoun were £2.3bn.
He added: “We can take the £2.3bn and do better for public transport.”
Carole Ford for the Liberal Democrats said she wanted cash invested in better buses and in cycling.
She said: “We have a bus system that has a computerised display at bus stops but doesn’t work.”
She said the cost of Subway expansion was “astronomical” and wanted to see the network opened later than 6pm on a Sunday.
Euan Blockley, conservative candidate said the roads need fixed. He said: “Lets talk about the basics first. Let’s talk about roads.
“The trucks that are fixing the potholes are creating potholes behind them.”
He added: “That just sums up the council’s hypocrisy and stupidity to me.”