PLANS to change the way council housing is allocated in Barnet have come under fire from both opposition parties in the borough.

Conservative councillors will vote tonight on whether to scrap the housing waiting list, operated on an arbitrary points system, in favour of a more flexible system.

Plans put before the cabinet this evening will include people being looked on more favourably if they do community work and helping people bid for properties from a pool, rather than on a one-off basis.

In the report the council acknowledges one woman has put in more than 1,000 bids on homes without success and admits only 7,400 of the families on the 17,000-strong list have the required 500 points to gain a property.

Instead the points based system would be replaced with five bands, with the homeless and those in crowded accommodation given highest priority.

Councillor Richard Cornelius, who is in charge of housing, said the current list was merely a roll-call of people with “aspirations to live in Barnet”.

He added: “We have cases of people bidding from overseas, or people who are already council tenants in neighbouring boroughs, bidding for a place in Barnet.

“We also have instances of people who frankly have no likelihood of being placed in social housing bidding for a place in Barnet.

“We are wasting residents’ time and taxpayers’ money running a system that is no longer fit for purpose.”

The current system would be partially suspended during the 12-week consultation with “key stakeholders” before it is formally introduced.

However, Councillolr Ross Houston, Labour housing spokesman, said the plans could see more people put into private rented accommodation rather than into council homes.

He added: “The proposal to stop focussing solely on those in highest housing need is alarming, and I think that the new policy could lead to far more appeals and legal challenges.

“There are many Barnet families who have to live in non secure private rented accommodation. They are still in need of affordable homes with secure tenancies but I fear they will be thrown off our waiting list.

“This might make the figures look better but won’t resolve our shortage of decent affordable homes.”

Lib Dem leader Councillor Jack Cohen agreed changes needed to be made to the system but said the idea of rewarding people for “community contributions” was difficult.

He told the Times Series: “I have one lady in my constituency who has 350 points, she is a working mother of two, but cannot get rehoused.

“How can she be expected to go out and do volunteer work when she has to look after two kids? The people at the town hall who come up with these plans are not living in the real word.”

The plans are expected to be passed at a cabinet meeting at Hendon Town Hall this evening.