Co-op News (August 2019)
What is co-operative culture - and why does it matter? This issue looks at how co-op values intersect with the values in organisations, across movements and between countries. Plus 100 years of the Channel Islands Co-operative – and how the new Coop Exchange app is tackling the capital conundrum.
What is co-operative culture - and why does it matter? This issue looks at how co-op values intersect with the values in organisations, across movements and between countries. Plus 100 years of the Channel Islands Co-operative – and how the new Coop Exchange app is tackling the capital conundrum.
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
Is there a need to redefine affordability?<br />
Yes. Paul Dennet, the city mayor of Salford, was very<br />
keen that we devel<strong>op</strong> our own Greater Manchester<br />
definition of affordability linked to the real labour<br />
market here, as <strong>op</strong>posed to the national or London<br />
market. We have set the set the target of delivering<br />
50,000 truly affordable homes – according to the<br />
Greater Manchester definition on affordability. Work<br />
is ongoing on that but we want to link it to real wages<br />
and the regional economy, so that’s our commitment.<br />
Can planning processes leave room for<br />
heat and energy efficiency co-<strong>op</strong>s to help<br />
you meet the 2038 low-carbon target?<br />
This is a big deal, because you need a plan that<br />
accelerates progress in the next five years, and it’s<br />
going to require the whole society to change, not just<br />
councils. It has to involve everybody thinking about<br />
different ways of working and doing things.<br />
There is an <strong>op</strong>portunity for co-<strong>op</strong> renewable energy<br />
schemes, possibly solar and ground pumps. But what<br />
2038 means is that all ideas have to be on the table<br />
and all parts of society have to think how they could<br />
help. The key question for me is: can you do that<br />
while helping pe<strong>op</strong>le bring down their energy bills?<br />
And how can you create new ways of financing that<br />
will allow pe<strong>op</strong>le to borrow and to invest in these<br />
projects that then can be repaid back?<br />
We want these ideas brought to us and we’re h<strong>op</strong>ing<br />
to get funding from the government. And my message<br />
for co-<strong>op</strong>s is to get ready – there is an <strong>op</strong>portunity and<br />
the co-<strong>op</strong> sector might be better placed than others.<br />
I also think there are <strong>op</strong>portunities in transport.<br />
We’re looking at clean air zones. We would want to<br />
create incentives for electric vehicles. You’ve got taxi<br />
companies that are going to have to acquire new<br />
vehicles because we want to move to much cleaner<br />
taxis that <strong>op</strong>erate at consistent standards. And it<br />
might be that we encourage co-<strong>op</strong>s of taxi drivers to<br />
help pe<strong>op</strong>le to borrow to buy these vehicles.<br />
There’s change coming through the climate<br />
imperative that might break things up and allow<br />
<strong>op</strong>portunities for new ownership models to emerge.<br />
We all love what the co-<strong>op</strong> movement stands for.<br />
It’s specifics that are right for that moment in time –<br />
finding that right spot that is going to be the key.<br />
More broadly, I would make an appeal through for<br />
the co-<strong>op</strong> movement to become quite full-throated in<br />
support for more devolution across the country, both<br />
in terms of more powers for a city like ours, but also<br />
to fill in the gaps around the country. What we are<br />
beginning to feel is that when you have power held at<br />
this regional level, bottom-up change becomes much<br />
more doable. Whitehall is too far from the ground to<br />
stimulate co-<strong>op</strong> ownership and devel<strong>op</strong>ment.<br />
If everywhere starts getting devolution, you create<br />
the conditions for much more bottom-up change –<br />
more capability at our level to borrow, to support<br />
new forms and new sectors of the economy. The 21st<br />
century is going to be driven more bottom-up, is going<br />
to be led by cities and that can be hand in hand with<br />
the co-<strong>op</strong>erative movement.<br />
“There is an <strong>op</strong>portunity and<br />
the co-<strong>op</strong> sector might be<br />
better placed than others”<br />
AUGUST <strong>2019</strong> | 27