Southwark Labour REFUSE Plan to Make Council Housing Services Better

At the council’s annual budget setting meeting last night, Southwark Labour voted against the Liberal Democrats bold plan to address the council’s record on customer service.

In an amendment to the budget, The Liberal Democrats proposed the council use existing facilities, such as libraries, to set up “one stop shops” for council services across the borough,

The system of satellite offices would echo the approach of the previous Liberal Democrat administration in Southwark, where residents could easily access face-to-face support at local hubs throughout the borough.

The Liberal Democrat amendment also contained a plan to bring more apprentices into the council’s housing repairs workforce, upskilling a generation of local young people to deliver high quality repairs.

Customer service under Labour in Southwark, especially relating to housing and repairs has been heavily criticised by the Housing Ombudsman, the Secretary of State and a recent independent review led by the Local Government Association.

Despite these issues, Labour chose to unanimously reject the plan, choosing instead to maintain the current state of housing that’s seeing ballooning repairs costs and unacceptable customer service.

Proposing the amendment, Southwark Lib Dem leader Cllr Victor Chamberlain spoke about how he and his colleagues frequently hear from residents who try and fail to get through to the council by phone for days.

Commenting, Southwark Liberal Democrat housing spokesperson Cllr Emily Tester said:

“Southwark Labour are failing to get the basics right. Residents facing severe, urgent issues are being ignored every day, being left in unacceptable conditions and in desperate situations. The Housing Ombudsman, the Government and the LGA have all told Southwark Council it needs to improve, yet Labour refuse to listen.

Our amendment gave them a credible, deliverable way of improving customer services and repairs by returning to face-to-face services and training apprentices. Unfortunately for residents, Labour voted against our plan, once again proving they’d rather fantasise about the future than solve the problems of right now.”