Housing Minister agrees to visit Orchard Park Estate

Housing Minister Grant Shapps has accepted an invitation from Hull North MP Diana Johnson to visit North Hull's Orchard Park Estate.

The undertaking was made at a meeting held today (Monday 16 May) between the Hull North Labour MP and the Housing Minister to discuss the future regeneration prospects for Orchard Park Estate after the Coalition Government's axing last November of funding for a £160m housing scheme.

Diana Johnson MP said: "I took the opportunity to express the frustration of many Orchard Park people at being let down, yet again, by the withdrawal of the £160m of housing investment that would have led to an improvement in the quality and quantity of homes to rent and buy in the area.

"I appreciate that a minister's diary is very busy and I am therefore pleased that the Housing Minister has agreed to set the wheels in motion for a visit to Orchard Park to see the challenges for himself.

"Although I suspect that the opportunities to get investment into Hull's housing will be very limited in the next few years, this makes it all the more important to be more rigorous than the previous Lib Dem Council was in making the best of any opportunities to attract investment that can benefit local people.

"To this end, and in advance of the Minister's visit, I will work with the new Labour Council on making a full assessment of Hull's need for rented social housing, the number of empty homes and the realistic options for increasing opportunities for affordable home ownership locally."

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