London Councils welcomes call to place councils at the centre of local housing policy

London Councils has today welcomed the Cave Review of Social Housing Regulation - in particular its recognition that local authorities play a central role in housing planning and delivery.

However, the leaders of London's local authorities have questioned the wisdom of the proposal to create a single national body to regulate social housing providers and have instead called for local councils to be provided with greater regulatory powers over registered social landlords.

'The Cave Review, Every Tenant Matters', recognises that the leadership of local councils, particularly through their strategic housing role, will be instrumental in responding to communities' housing needs. The Review also supports moves to award councils greater 'place shaping' powers which would enable them to invest in an area and share in the fruits of that investment as the area develops.

This is something London Councils has called for previously, arguing that it would enable local authorities to ensure all communities benefit from regeneration areas.

However, London Councils argues that the proposal to create a single national regulatory body will not be the best way to improve standards in the social housing sector. London Councils believes a far better move would be to provide councils with the power to ensure all providers co-operate on local housing strategies. This role should include assessment of housing providers' performance and contribution to the local housing strategy and wider local strategies including Local Strategic Partnerships and Local Area Agreements.

London Councils Executive Member for Housing, Councillor Jamie Carswell said:

"Professor Cave should be praised for providing an interesting study of social housing regulation, along with some very interesting regulations. We particularly welcome his recognition of the importance of the strategic housing role of councils, and his support for local authorities to be awarded greater place shaping powers. Such a move will be vital if local authorities are to remain responsive to the needs of their local communities.

"We also support his desire to improve standards in the social housing sector - but are calling for a different approach. A national body for scrutinising housing providers could find itself drawn into far too many disputes that are strictly local in nature. It would be far better to bolster the ability of local councils to scrutinise RSLs in their delivery on the local housing strategy. That way we can increase the accountability of RSLs to local communities, without always having to involve what could be an unwieldy national body in strictly local matters.

"Such a move will further underline the strategic housing role of local councils. London Councils has been campaigning for RSLs to be included in the list of bodies in the Local Government and Public Health Bill that can be scrutinised by local authorities through local area agreements - and I would like to take this opportunity to renew that call."