Southend council are holding a public consultation on Selective Licensing on three areas of Southend - parts of Kursaal and Milton wards and the area around Station Road in Westcliff. As a landlord, an agent and a resident, we are strongly against the implementation of Selective Licensing in any areas of Southend. There are adequate powers to deal with the root causes of the problems in these areas. If the real objective is to improve the poor quality housing, then the council should be clear about that, and use the powers they have already to target those landlords at fault, rather than burdening the sector as a whole.

The Southern Landlord Association have spoken to the big banks who say they will either not lend or charge increased premiums for properties in these areas.

The council information is here: http://www.southend.gov.uk/selectivelicensing.

If you didn’t get our previous newsletter on the subject and would like a copy, please let me know.

If you don't have time to respond yourself, please just ask us for a copy of our full response and, if you like, we will add your name to it.

Crystal Horwood.  15th September 2011.