The Secretary of State for Department of Communities and Local Government, Greg Clark, has rejected a council’s call for a blanket licensing scheme that would have forced landlords to pay to let out their properties.
Redbridge council wanted a borough-wide licensing regime, having consulted over 1,700 people in a string of surveys earlier this year - including 463 landlords and letting agents.
The council claims there was overwhelming support from tenants and residents for the scheme, with an additional doorstep survey of over 500 residents providing 86 per cent of respondents supporting the idea.
But Greg Clark said the case was not proven that anti-social behaviour would, as the council claimed, be improved by a blanket licensing system. The authority is now considering a smaller scheme which stands a stronger chance of being approved.
The council already has approval to implement an Additional Licensing Scheme which will see all HMOs in the borough needing a licence. This scheme will be in place in summer next year.
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That was the correct decision.
While South Ilford may have issues that would benefit from licencing it is difficult to see why northern parts of the borough, including Woodford, Wanstead and Gantshill, would benefit from the scheme other than providing funding to the local authority
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