He is talking about the fact that – though Peterborough is part of the London Stansted Cambridge growth area and bid for funding for 300 homes – the corporation gave it cash for just 65 homes in the next two years.
The council has already received £10.2m for infrastructure from the ODPM to enable development on five of its "key growth sites", so what's gone wrong?
Holdich explains: "The problem is that the ODPM sees us as part of the growth area, but the corporation doesn't.
"Last year there was a shortfall of 793 affordable houses in the city and we are selling about 500 homes a year through the right to buy," says Holdich. "So we've been talking to developers to get more affordable homes from them as part of planning agreements.
"We've been working hard to do our bit and are putting in £1m of our own resources this year – that's double what we did last year. Housing associations are doing likewise but it needs to be backed up with Housing Corporation grant."
Peterborough's director of community services, Shelagh Grant, says the council won't take this "funding cut" lying down. She has been quick to arrange meetings next week with the ODPM and the corporation to argue Peterborough's case.
The lack of funding is not only a blow to Peterborough's efforts to be included in the housing growth area cash bonanza, she says. It also casts a shadow over the longer-term regeneration of the city.
"We want to double the population of Peterborough town centre and bring the homes that were built in the 1980s as part of the last big population expansion up to date," she says.
More corporation funding would have helped kick-start this, but it will proceed nonetheless.
The process began in June 2002 with the separation of the landlord and housing strategy roles in preparation for the successful transfer ballot that took place last December. The transfer of the council's 9800 homes to new landlord Crosskeys Homes will be completed in October.
Assistant chief executive Ben Ticehurst takes up the story. "In the next 20 years, there will be very significant housing growth in Peterborough. The population will reach 200,000 by 2021, compared with 160,000 at the moment. This would mean 120,000 homes and you're talking about building upwards of 1200 a year to achieve that."
In the city centre, the council has ambitious plans to create more than 2500 homes – many of them converted from vacant office space. Although this aspect of the regeneration is principally driven by Morley Fund Management, the fund manager that owns the sprawling Queensgate shopping centre, the council has ensured the plan will also include a new university and a marina on the south bank of the River Nene.
Ticehurst is keen to stress, however, that Peterborough will be no London commuter town.
He jokes that, at present, it is impossible to get a parking space at the train station after 4.30am.
More seriously, he says Peterborough's inclusion in government lists of possible relocation sites for the Home Office and other Whitehall departments could fundamentally change the character of the city.
"We are lobbying hard for large chunks of the civil service to be relocated to Peterborough," he says. "We don't want to stop people living here and working in London, but we don't want only commuters. It needs to be jobs-led growth rather than housing-led. "
And that will happen despite the funding worries, says Holdich. "Everyone feels good about expansion," he says. "There is a can-do situation here."
Peterborough: the facts
- Population: 156,600
- Average house prices over past three years: £112,828 in 2003; £95,513 in 2002; £77,470 in 2001
- Decent homes: 4307 decent; 5620 non-decent
- Number of homes sold through the right to buy in past four years: 446 to date in 2004; 499 in 2003; 296 in 2002; 311 in 2001
- Audit Commission inspection: two stars with promising prospects for improvement
- Key personnel: Shelagh Grant, director of community services; Ben Ticehurst, assistant chief executive; councillor John Holdich, cabinet member for housing; Christine Ansell, housing strategy; Mick Leggett, chief executive of Crosskeys Homes
Source
Housing Today
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