Published: Thursday, 29th January, 2009 8:45am

Degree of "confusion" over council houses

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There is a considerable degree of inaccuracy and confusion in the letter from ex-councillor McCarthy last week.

I would first like to point out that the East Lothian Council administration is a coalition of Liberal Democrat and Scottish Nationalist Parties and the convenor in charge of the housing portfolio is, in fact, a Liberal Democrat.

As an opposition councillor in the previous council, I remember the introduction of the fairer rent programme resulting from the review, so the claim that that was responsible for the stock of good houses is questionable. As the letter itself states in the fourth paragraph, East Lothian inherited a stock of good houses from the previous burgh and county councils.

The fundamental issue is the need to provide more homes and, despite the promises of the last administration to build hundreds of new houses, the only new homes available for people on the long waiting list were those built by housing associations.

All of these readily found tenants, despite their slightly higher rents.

I would also like to assure readers that there was a full consultation with tenants" associations and council tenants generally before the policy of a rent differential was brought to council.

From the responses received, nearly 90 per cent were in favour of the higher rent for all houses completed from now on. We are investigating every opportunity to increase the housing stock and the first new council-owned properties will be handed to tenants this spring.

Councillor Sheena

Richardson

Provost of East Lothian