Guest 675- Registered: 30 Jun 2008
- Posts: 1,610
#1
This news just in from the Planning Portal.
'Beds in sheds' move
Ministers have unveiled plans for a national taskforce to tackle the issue of "beds in sheds". A cross-Whitehall summit heard calls for councils to make greater use of legal powers in areas such as planning, fire safety, housing and environmental health.
The summit - the first in a series - was attended by representatives from the police, local government and the UK Border Agency. The meetings will find ways to close down thousands of sheds and outbuildings being rented out illegally to migrants, including some with no right to be in the UK.
These 'tenants' are being exploited by landlords who charge them extortionate rents to live in cramped conditions.
Housing Minister Grant Shapps said: "It is a scandal that these back garden slums exist to exploit people, many of whom are prepared to return voluntarily to their home country but instead find themselves trapped into paying extortionate rents to live in these cramped conditions.
"I want to see a crackdown on these criminal landlords. So today we are launching a national taskforce, made up of the police, local councils, the UK Border Agency and HM Revenue and Customs to close down these 'beds in sheds', help those living there to be reunited with their families and ensure their so-called landlords feel the full force of the law."
Politics, it seems to me, for years, or all too long, has been concerned with right or left instead of right or wrong.
Richard Armour
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#2
seems like a bit of a smokescreen, there was a documentary on this terrible situation a couple of years back.
it is not as if it is not obvious.
in most cases the landlords are also the employers and as we know the previous and present government are in favour of cheap labour for businesses above all else.
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
#3
I believe we have a number of slum landlords in Dover and their houses should be emptied and shut down until they are brought up to standard.
Part of the problem is that many of the tenants in these awful places don't/won't complain, because no matter how bad they are, they aren't as bad as where they came from.
Roger
Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
#4
there was a programe on tv in the last couple of months about this subject.
Guest 699- Registered: 3 Jun 2010
- Posts: 292
#5
60 people sleeping rough in london each nifght after getting off eurolines thru dover
mostly go begging and pickpocketing the next day
must say we do not have many rough sleepers in dover in the town