Letter: Decision likely to increase B&Bs
Published 28 Oct 2010 12:30
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The reports that councils in London believe the Coalition Government’s cuts to housing benefit may result in as many as 82,000 families, or 200,000 people, being forced to leave their homes in the capital, and that they are beginning to ‘block-book’ bed-and-breakfasts across the South East, including Reading, highlight the dangers of another Coalition decision - the announcement by Tory Housing Minister Grant Shapps that landlords will no longer need to ask for planning permission to convert homes into houses in multiple occupation.
The consequences of their decision means that any house in your street could become a B&B overnight, without you being informed, let alone consulted, and without anybody checking, for example, to make sure fire precautions, refuse collection and so on are adequate.
The Coalition running Reading Council has the power locally to insist on planning permission being required, but they are dilly-dallying while landlords rush to buy up houses while prices are low and create new B&Bs to take in, and make money from, all those people from London who will be desperate for somewhere to live.
Labour has launched a campaign to try to persuade the council to act now before it is too late.
Please support that campaign by signing our online petition at http://www.gopetition.com/petition/39897.html
Cllr Deborah Edwards
Shadow Lead for Housing,
Reading Borough Council
This letter appeared in Reading Chronicle 28 Oct 10
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