Hampton Wick councillor Jim Millard has reflected on his 3 years Tenant's Champion after being promoted to a new role on Richmond Council.

Millard, an actor and property maintenance business owner who lives in Hampton Wick, was elected as a Liberal Democrat Councillor for Hampton Wick ward in 2018.

Last week (17 June), the father-of-two and Talk Richmond podcast host wrote a blog on the Council's website reflecting on 10 years of the Tenant's Champion Role.

Millard also announced his promotion to become Richmond Council's Lead Member for Housing as Vice Chair of the Adult Social Services, Health and Housing Committtee.

His successor is fellow Liberal Democrat Councillor Alan Juriansz who represents the West Twickenham ward.

In the blog, Millard wrote: "Following my election in 2018, and the return of a Liberal Democrat administration, I became Tenants' Champion and, talking to hundreds of tenants and leaseholders, I found a recurrent theme was that they had often not felt listened to, felt that their housing association landlord had become impersonal and remote, and that they didn't feel involved in decisions affecting them.

"This seemed to be something that had happened due to national and local changes over time and I felt it was important that we as a council found ways to work with our housing provider partners to change this and make good engagement and listening a priority again."

He paid tribute to his predecessors in the role and singled out support officer Penny Diamond for praise, calling her "an integral part of the Tenants' Champion service."

He added: "With a background in Housing and Community Development, Penny's experience, wisdom and judgement has been a great asset to each Tenants' Champion she has worked with and a key part of the successful growth of the service."

Millard then announced his departure from the role, stating "it's been an honour" to take it on.

He said: "I will continue to take a close interest in the work of the Tenants' Champion service and I would like to thank all the residents who have come to me in that time for what they have taught me about what the priorities are for us to achieve together with our housing provider partners.

"I wish Cllr Juriansz all the best in his time in the role. I know he will find it very fulfilling, as have I and I'm sure the previous Tenants' Champions before me did, and I look forward to the next ten years!"

Millard told Teddington Nub News some of his ambitions for his new role on the Council.

He said: "As the new lead member for housing I'm looking forward to continuing the work we're doing to increase affordable housing, adding to the unprecedented pipeline of over 1000 new affordable homes we've got being built in the borough in coming years.

"I'm looking forward to leading our work on tackling homelessness and helping rough sleepers, developing the new 'housing first' approach we are trialling in the borough.

"I'm looking forward to leading efforts to help even more residents who want to 'downsize' to free up larger, under-occupied homes and spearheading our new programme to identify empty homes and bring them back into use.

"We will continue to work with our regulatory officers to monitor conditions in private rented housing and take action where necessary to improve conditions.

"I will also continue to work closely with our new Tenants' Champion and our housing association partners to support residents in existing homes and continue to work to help give them more of a voice."

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