Tuesday, 17 April 2012
Council House Sales in Hartlepool, in the 1970’s
A few months ago I started to do research into the Sale of Council House Property’s , I even involved my Labour Member of Parliament for Hartlepool , Iain Wright M.P. unfortunately , he appears to have lost interest in what I though would have been of worthwhile social interest, after all , I always though that the Labour Party were instrumental and very passionate in supporting the re-housing of people living in slum and poor housing conditions, and I, could not understand “why,” Hartlepool Borough Council
, politically controlled by the Labour Party for over 60 years + would allow any such sales of Local Council Houses in the period, I am Interested in, the 1970’s. without a very good reason ?
I can't help but wonder, how selling off essentially needed rented council housing, was going to help the real housing shortage in the 1970’s, and I was very interested, as I feel many more would be, to know what Special needs or qualification would a weekly rent paying council house tenant require, to be allowed to purchase their Council House property, prior to the Introduction in 1980 of the Right to Buy by the Margaret Thatcher Government.
I would have thought that Councils, especially Labour Controller Councils such as Hartlepool, would have had a very active and open policy to discourage any Council House Tenant from applying to buy their Council House Property, I thought they would have tried to retain all the much needed council houses for people, still living in damp unhealthy and unsuitable poor living Conditions, and avoid selling them off, to the more affluent Council House Rent paying tenants,
Surely., I thought, if a Rent Paying Council House Tenant could afford a “Mortgage ” in the 1970’s they would have been told by the Council to go and buy your house in the Open Market Place, then they would have vacated their present Council House, making the Council Property vacant and available to another deserving family, on the Council House Waiting List, and would discourage a sitting Council House tenant to purchase their Council House which would diminish the Local Council House Stock,
I though, that was the Idea of building Council Homes, built for the People unable to afford a Private Purchase.
My requests for information was not politically motivated, I simply wanted to know “How” and “Why” it was done, I am not suggesting ? That you could buy your Council House by a Nod and a Wink, or knowing the right people, in the right placers, or what some may might think, “Brown Envelopes” or having Uncles and Cousins on the Council, or even knowing and being involved with some men, who had a funny habit of running around their back gardens in female frocks and howling loudly at the time of a Full Moon, ? Don’t laugh, this is Hartlepool. We have more than our fair share of, shall I say, unusual People, even some, dressing as “Baboons” and being elected to Political Office,
I was simply asking “How” a Council House tenant , managed to purchase their rented Council House, and how many did so in the 1970’s.
When Council Houses were at a Premium , there was at that time, and still is I believe, a very Long Council House Waiting List ?
You don’t have to be a Rocket Scientist to answer those two questions,
These Freedom of Information requests to Hartlepool Borough Council , for answers to my reasonable questions were not answered , nor have they had the courtesy to acknowledged my request for a Review,
This suspicious, arrogant and conceited conduct is not unusual, and certainly Not what a law abiding Hartlepool citizen should receive, after all my Council Tax, helps pay these Council Employees, does it not ?
But of late we are seeing a couple of disturbing trends appearing in Hartlepool, and highlighted on a regular basis, in that well known magazine “Private Eye” and the only other decent local news is published on the Internet site, High Tax Hartlepool / The Hartlepool Post, http://www.hartlepoolpost.co.uk/
take a look, if you really want to know what is going on and read about Council Corruption in Hartlepool as I have said before, Corruption is endemic in Hartlepool Borough Council, unfortunately the Hartlepool Public are Lied to on a Regular Basis, and the locals, Religiously re -elect the same scoundrels, thieves, swindlers Liar and cheats,
It appears that Hartlepool cannot no longer find a few Honest Local people willing and able to serve the Public of Hartlepool as Councillors without receiving extravagant expenses, the times of Fred Jaquess, Billy Emerson, Bill Pounder, Harry Lightfoot, and many, many more, who thought it an honour and a privilege to be elected to Public Office are long gone, we all are the poorer for this unhappy situation, all we have at the moment are would be opportunists, political wannabies, who will be seeking office again in May, for personal reasons, self interest, self enrichment, and financial gain, more snouts around the trough,
few if any have a Job, or have even ever had a job, not because there is very little work available in the North-East, but simply because being a Councillor in Hartlepool is better than working for a living, if you don’t believe me, ask the Mayor.
while it is difficult to believe that Members of Parliament and Town Councillors need no qualifications No basic educational or even any work experience, and many don’t posses any skills that would help them to do their job, what many do posses in abundance, is a nasty arrogant attitude, they actually seriously think that they can do no wrong? And most certainly will not admit any mistake, like closing the Hospital, it was not my fault, is the cry, what is even more alarming is that they have the authority to pass the buck, delegate their functions to even less qualified and experienced Council Staff, the Council Planning Committee for example, does this often, particularly whenever any Controversial Planning application are submitted.
However , I still remain hopeful, that this bad dream will end soon, maybe in Springtime or even Maytime, but then I’ve always been a dreamer, and I still like Nelson Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald, and who can forget Limelight, or Al Bowlly.
I’m pleased to hear that HighTax Hartlepool / ,The Hartlepool Post,
are to launch their own on-line newspaper in direct competition with the Hartlepool Mail, I wish them well .
