David Williams MP Labour MP for Stoke-on-Trent North & Kidsgrove

WORKING FOR YOU: AMENITY CHARGE DROPPED
In late November, David wrote to Stoke-on-Trent City Council to object to a proposed ‘amenity charge’ for the upkeep of estates.
He is pleased to share that the Council listened to shared concerns and has agreed to drop these plans.
The full text of his letter to the council is below:
Dear Councillor Robinson,
I am writing to you regarding the proposed amenity charge for Council housing tenants.
I understand the need to maintain service levels on our estates – and I appreciate that after 14 years of Councils’ budgets being squeezed by the last Government that this is a difficult task. However, I am worried about the unequal way in which this is proposed to be done.
As you know, many former Council houses are now in private ownership after being purchased through the right-to-buy scheme. A great number of them are also owned by landlords who then let these properties out. The proposed amenity charge would only impact those who rent their homes from the Council, although everyone who lives on the estates would benefit from the service.
Further to this, I do not believe it is right to charge our tenants an additional £52 per year at a time when so many are struggling with the lasting impact of the cost-of-living crisis. Too many families in our city are already struggling to afford the basics, and I fear that this proposal would particularly impact those in most need of help.
Nonetheless, I thank you for your dedication and commitment to improving housing standards in Stoke-on-Trent, including through the record investment of more than £100m to bring our Council houses up to date, and your efforts to clamp down on rogue landlords in our city who profit from keeping tenants in inadequate – and often dangerous – living conditions.
I hope you will take on board my comments alongside others from the consultation, and I thank you for the open way in which this decision is being considered.
Very best wishes,
David