The loss of council estates will likely increase homelessness and return working-class families to the pre-council estate era of cramped and squalid privately rented accommodation. My family was able to escape that world and found security, community, and friendship on the council estate. That this won’t be afforded to future generations is heartbreaking. The end of council estates and their diverse communities will be a huge loss for the country. I hope many people will speak up in opposition and defeat this bill.
Recently, the British Prime Minister, David Cameron, announced that his government plans to demolish problem council estates due to their concentration of social problems and related crime. The scheme will include rebuilding projects, and current tenants will hold on to their homes (albeit in a redevelopment). Cameron’s current Tory government do not have a good track record on the provision of public housing, and it is difficult not to be cynical about this announcement. But there are other reasons to be concerned, including the language Cameron has used to describe estates: – ‘sink’ estates, full of ‘anti-social behaviour’, and havens for gangs and other criminal behaviour. I see a different side to council estate life – one that includes rich diversity, community, and strong local connections.
Council estates are social housing projects and part of the fabric of life in Britain. Council estates, whether low-density houses built on urban…
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Ned Hamson's Second Line View of the News 