Scunthorpe selective licensing to come back to council meeting this month, as target date passes by
Plans for tougher rules to be a landlord in parts of Scunthorpe remain under consideration, after the target date for their introduction slipped by.
The earliest the scheme could be in place now is the end of November.
Grimsby Live previously reported on plans for North Lincolnshire Council to introduce a selective licensing scheme in parts of Scunthorpe to crack down on rogue landlords. A consultation was launched in February on the details of the scheme, including where selective licensing would cover.
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Two separate licensed areas were proposed, one covering part of Frodingham Ward, the other involving elements of Crosby and Park, and Town Wards. In licensed areas, landlords will have to pay a fee and ensure any property is in good condition and safe to be able to rent it out.
Consultation documents laid out a timetable for expected action, with the selective licensing scheme to be in place in August. But since the consultation ended in April, there has been no further update on the plans. Grimsby Live recently followed up with the council to clarify where things stand.
It was confirmed selective licensing is due to feature on the agenda for the council's cabinet meeting on September 30. There will be a report on the consultation carried out, discussed by senior councillors. It and the consultation's results are due to be published post-meeting, subject to cabinet approval.
A final decision on the selective licensing proposal was meant to have taken place in late April to early May, according to the council's timetable for 'Next Steps' after the consultation. But this did not occur.
The calling of the general election followed in late May. During pre-election periods, decisions councils can take become legally more limited in scope. Selective licensing did not feature at cabinet on July 29, the first major meeting post-general election.
Before selective licensing can be implemented, a notice of designation is legally required. Under the Housing Act 2004, this needs to run for at least three months before the licensing scheme begins. This means even if a notice of designation is issued the same day as the cabinet meeting, no selective licensing will be in place in Scunthorpe until November 30 at the earliest.
Ward councillors, all Labour, strongly favour a licensing scheme. "We are very supportive of selective licensing in our area," said Cllr Lorraine Yeadon and Mashook Ali, Town Ward.
Cllr Christine O'Sullivan, Crosby and Park Ward, said the council's consideration of such a scheme went all the way back to around 2016. "We had this great idea for selective licensing and I absolutely jumped for joy." However, the Conservative-run council eventually shelved the idea and opted for a voluntary system.
When returning to plans for selective licensing in Scunthorpe last year, Conservative Cllr Richard Hannigan described landlords as having "not picked up the baton" of the voluntary sign-up scheme. When asked by Grimsby Live back then, he also indicated the hope was to bring in selective licensing for June 2024. Figures previously sourced from the council by Cllr Yeadon indicate there are suspected around 180 unlicensed HMOs in Crosby and Park.
Selective licensing in Scunthorpe will now not feature this summer. Dependent on the decision of the council's cabinet, it could be up and running before the year's end.