People on Leicester’s housing register can expect to wait 16 months to get a two bedroom council house.
A senior council manager said the wait of around a year and a half was the current reality because of a chronic lack of social housing in the city.
Leicester City Council’s senior development manager Peter Kandola outlined the long delays while making the case to councillors to allow the controversial construction of a dozen new council homes on a patch of green space in Stocking Farm.
The council wants to build the two-bedroom homes on the grassed area – an informal football pitch off Elliott Road and Felstead Road.
Residents and councillors have acknowledged the need for new council housing but said the green space should not be sacrificed and another location established.
The council earmarked the site for development because it says there is a particular need for housing in this area and because it already owns the land.
Speaking at a planning committee meeting last night Mr Kandola said: “We have 6,000 people plus on the housing register waiting for good quality affordable homes.
“At the present time, for a two-bed four person house, the waiting period will be circa 16 months – almost one-and-a-half years to get a property – and during the interim period those people could possibly be inadequately housed in poor standards of accommodation.
“That is the current reality.
“As a council we have a number of interventions and this is one of them – a direct intervention for the council to begin house building.
“It is also about having the properties in the right area and location where the demand is.”
He said he noted the objections and position.
“These properties are larger, with large bedrooms, storage and on-site parking,” Mr Kandola added.
'Where are the children going to play now?'
Abbey ward councillor Annette Byrne outlined why some residents oppose the scheme.
She said: “You are taking away the only green space kids on that side of the estate have.
“Where are they going to play now?
“You want the children out in fresh air instead of sitting in their bedroom with an iPad or computer.”
Is the council right to buy private homes?
500+ VOTES SO FAR
Coun Byrne said councillors had persuaded the council to erect goalposts on the green space.
She said there was a ball park but to get to it children would have to cross a main road and it was mainly used by teenagers.
She said: “You are not going to let a five or six-year-old to go down there on their own.
“People round there are extremely angry.”
She said that the green area floods, adding: “I know because I have caught myself in it when I have walked across the green and I have ended up sinking.”
A council planning officer said: “The site is in a critical drainage area. It is not the same as being in a flood plain.”
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There are concerns about new parking in the area but the council says each home will have space for two cars and there will be extra parking for existing homes.
Planning committee chairman councillor Vijay Singh Riyait said: “This is a good development that does deserve support.
“There could have been a much more intensive development on there.
“It does provide some additional parking for residents.”
The scheme was approved.
The Labour-run authority has promised to provide about 1,500 new social homes over the next four years.
