Government changes to section 106 funding could lead to more social housing and no logistical increase to local infrastructure.

Mr Chowdhry was invited to attend an Epping Forest Tenant and Leaseholders Panel Meeting on 29th January 2020 at Epping Civic offices. The meeting is an opportunity for official residents association to feed into council teams such as highways, general cleansing and housing.

A number of local councillors and council officers were present.

At the meeting Mr Chowdhry learned about a growing number of residents in temporary housing in Epping Forest.  Fault for this was placed on councils in London who were placing their social housing tenants in Essex to save costs through cheaper rents and then off loading them.

Social housing was said to be inadequate for the areas and plans are afoot to build more social housing with brownfield sites being sought across Epping.  An alarming concern raised at the meeting was impending changes to Section 106 planning obligations placed on large propert developments.  Traditionally such funding was earmarked for social benefit such as improvements to roads, building of community centres and libraries or other infrastructure that would support the new and existing communities.  However the government has decided such funbds will now primarily be used for spend on building more social housing - meaning more homes less infrastructure.  This will no doubt over the long term lead to burgeoning communities with limited local resources. Fortunately the high land/property price in Chigwell means we do not currently have any planned social housing locations within our ward. Don't rest on your laurels however as overtime the increased subsidy of social housing costs through Section 106 may make the expense of Chigwell less of a burden in future.

The council if anything is seeking to slowly dispose of pre-1940's properties through sales and will recoup funds from such sales to build new social homes.  This may be to our local benefit overtime.  As selling older Chigwell property would yield high returns to be spent wisely in other less expensive areas.

The number of Homeless people in Chigwell is said to be only two people.  Mr Chowdhry's wife Juliet is currently running a homeless feeding centre in Ilford every Thursday and we encourage you to share details of this with any homeless people you may see. Flyers have been given to the occasional homeless people seen at Tesco Barkingside and outside the various cash machines on Barkingside High Street.  You can learn more about the homeless feeding centre (here)