Lib Dem Leader says Council should consider buying the Welsh Streets  

Liverpool Lib Dem Leader Cllr Carl Cashman has made a bold ask of Liverpool City Council. Should they look at buying the Welsh Streets houses? This comes after the recent scandal of the housing provider putting up locals’ rents by obscene amounts.

Residents living on Toxteth’s Welsh Streets are facing rent hikes over 30%, well above the North West average of 5.9%.

The Lib Dem Leader has warned about settled residents being priced out of their community. 

The Welsh Streets development is owned and operated by private rental developer Placefirst. 

Liverpool Liberal Democrat Leader, Cllr Carl Cashman said: 

“Up and down the country there are councils that have their private rental portfolio, offering high quality properties at reasonable rates.  They’re not hiking people’s rents up by 30%. That’s the model we should be following here in Liverpool. 

“If the Council had taken a longer term look at the city’s housing needs, then they never would have given the Welsh Streets away to a private company. These houses, in the same way as Oakfield Terrace in Anfield, could have provided the Council with a perfect opportunity to grow it’s own private rental housing stock.

“The Council has probably priced itself out of being able to afford to buy these properties back. The lesson here is that the Council should have the ambition to develop the properties themselves, become the landlord and keep rent prices at reasonable rates.”

Cllr Cashman has met with Lee Brady, a resident of the Welsh Streets who is campaigning against the rent rises. Lee said:

“I think it's wrong that residents are expected to pay these extortionate rises but there’s no additional service provided and it's just come out of the blue. Many people I speak to won't be able to afford this rent rise.”