Council's performance on housing poor say Lib Dems

11.25.50pm UTC (GMT +0000) Sun 5th Feb 2006

Labour-run Greenwich council is performing badly in managing its local housing stock says Cllr Mark Pattenden (Eltham South).

A recently published report shows the Labour council is failing in three keys areas:

• Rent arrears have increased by £27,000 since March 2005, despite the council's target to reduce them by £500,000. The council is owed a massive £15 million in rent arrears.

• It takes on average 62 days to relet a vacant council property - well above the target of 35 days.

• There are currently 276 vacant council properties across the borough, representing more than 1% of the council's total housing stock.

"These figures paint a depressing picture of the council's attitude to housing. The council is failing its tenants and all residents across the borough by the inefficient management of its housing stock," said Cllr Mark Pattenden.