Call for national roll-out of Oldham plans to fight housing repossession

4.35.47pm GMT Wed 22nd Oct 2008

Vince Cable MP has called for other councils to follow Oldham Council's initiative in fighting repossessions.

The Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor has praised the initiatives as a "really imaginative" way of heading off large-scale housing repossessions.

On a visit to Oldham on Thursday he said, ""I would like to congratulate Oldham Council for their work on this issue and I hope that other councils will copy their good work."

He has subsequently called upon party leader Nick Clegg and other senior Liberal Democrats to follow Oldham's lead and encourage council's to help fight the credit crunch nationally.

"Local initiatives like this can provide answers that may not be apparent on a national level," says Oldham Council Deputy Leader Jackie Stanton. "I know there are a lot of big challenges that we are working hard to fix in Oldham Council, but I am proud that Oldham is leading the way on this important issue. The key message I want to get across to people in mortgage arrears is to come and talk to the council and we will do our best to help you."

"We have worked hard to get these proposals together and the Council must be committed to doing everything it can do to stop repossessions," added Councillor John McCann, portfolio holder for Housing and Communities at Oldham Council. "I am absolutely incensed at the way some mortgage companies are behaving in Oldham. Repossession has to be a last resort rather than a quick fix and we will do everything we can to ensure this happens."

The initiatives praised by Vince Cable include actions to fight repossessions, the development of 'rent back', providing quality impartial advice and augmenting the social housing stock via acquisitions and improvements.