The UK's most up-to-date social housing and public sector news website
More from TCPA
- Flood risk: England ill-prepared for scale of challenge, warns planning charity
- TCPA calls for new planning framework to unlock rural economy
- Garden City principles key to sustainable new communities
- Government pledges support for locally planned new communities
- Localism Act marks major change to planning system
Advertisement
Latest Ministerial appointments in the Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) are welcomed by the TCPA, however the housing and planning charity have called for a new focus on the challenges of climate change, social justice and the acute housing shortages facing the nation today.
As set out in the TCPA’s Manifesto published today, the new CLG team - which includes Ministers of State The Rt Hon John Healey MP and The Rt Hon Rosie Winterton MP, and Parliamentary Under Secretaries of State, Shahid Malik MP, Sarah McCarthy-Fry MP and Ian Austin MP – must work together and across government to tackle climate change, create cohesive communities and deliver desperately needed homes for all.
TCPA Chief Executive Gideon Amos OBE said:
“The housing and planning experience in latest Ministerial
appointments made today are welcomed by the TCPA. Shahid Malik MP,
Sarah McCarthy-Fry MP and Ian Austin MP bring a complementary set
of experience to the CLG brief. The issues of climate change and
massive housing challenges in a recession urgently await
attention.”
With experience of housing, regeneration and community empowerment Shahid Malik is well placed in CLG. Prior to being elected Shahid Malik was the Chief Executive of the Haringey Regeneration Agency in North London and National Chair of the Urban Forum, a national regeneration policy network made up of residents and community organisations, with the aim of pushing power to local people in deprived neighbourhoods.
Sarah McCarthy-Fry MP has experience of both central and local government. Her time on Portsmouth City Council from 1994 to 2002, including a period where she chaired the environment committee, will be useful in ensuring tackling climate change and creating sustainable communities remain top departmental priorities.
With a strong interest in housing issues Ian Austin MP, who
worked for Focus Housing in the early 1990s, is another welcome
addition to the CLG team. The recession and the acute housing
shortages facing the nation today must continue to be proactively
addressed at this crucial time.
