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Bath & North East Somerset councillors pledge to work across party lines in UK first
The region’s housing crisis was under the spotlight, as more than 150 policymakers, activists and industry figures came together at the second annual Bath and North East Somerset Housing Summit.
The summit saw leaders from across the political spectrum commit to improve the supply of affordable homes in the area. Their signing of a first-of-its-kind housing accord establishes a commitment to work together, across party lines and beyond individual council terms, to create long-term change.
The commitment was signed against the backdrop of unprecedented housing costs and levels of homelessness in our region. Attendees heard that in some parts of Bath, average house prices stand at 18 times average salary. Renters on the open market can expect to spend about 40% of gross average earnings on housing.
The human cost of the housing crisis was a central theme of the event. Wayne Hemingway MBE, a passionate campaigner for affordable housing and founder of advocacy group, Housing Assembly, led a panel discussion of local young people priced out of housing in Bath.
He also read entries from the new Housing Assembly website, which was officially launched at the summit. The site, thehousingassembly.co.uk, offers a platform for people locked out of the housing system and collects evidence of its dysfunction to build the case for urgent change.
He shared Bethany’s story who, though she works, is forced to sleep in her car. She describes herself as a mentally vulnerable woman and says, despite her dire situation, has no hope of accessing social housing.
On signing the landmark housing accord, Councillor Kevin Guy, Leader of Bath & North East Somerset Council, said:
“Only by working together and putting politics aside can we truly start to address a broken housing system. This accord is a turning point. It shows that no matter our political differences, the signatories are united in our commitment to deliver the right homes in the right places, for our communities across Bath & North East Somerset.
“We believe that through co-operation and innovation we can do our bit to urgently address the broken market and deliver more, truly affordable homes in our area. The housing crisis demands bold, long-term thinking—and today we’ve taken a major step forward together.”
The West of England Mayor, Helen Godwin, who also addressed the conference said:
“Tackling the housing crisis is not something any single organisation or political leader can achieve alone. By working together across authorities, and with government, we will build the right homes in the right places, with the services and infrastructure that local people need and deserve.
“We are already working with Homes England and Bath & North East Somerset Council to support work to deliver new homes at Bath Quays and along the Bristol to Bath strategic growth corridor. This new Housing Accord commits us all to further strengthen those partnerships, working together to solve this housing crisis.”
Reflecting on the success of the event, Victor da Cunha, CEO of Curo and Chair of the local Housing Mission Delivery Board, said:
"Bath & North East Somerset has become the first council in the country to sign a cross-party housing accord - we shouldn't underestimate the significance of that. The shared vision of eradicating the housing crisis and providing people with quality homes they can afford will also help to release the economic potential of our region."
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