Decision details

Having considered an officer report, and a presentation by the Cabinet

Member for Housing, Councillor Paul Bell, the Mayor and Cabinet agreed that:

(1) the data analysis detailed be noted concluding:

 that approximately 26% of the residential properties in the borough are

private rented properties;

 that the stock condition of the private rented sector is shown to be below

that of other sectors with the highest proportion of non-decent homes and

there is considerable data to suggest that poor property conditions occur

within the private rented sector in Lewisham;

 that there are demonstrable relationships between the location of the

private rented sector in Lewisham and prevalence of deprivation, anti-social

behaviour, crime and migration in the borough, and that these necessary

conditions for applying for a selective licensing scheme differ in strength

depending on the area of the borough.

(2) to maximise the chance of a successful application to Secretary of State,

multiple options for selective licensing be submitted: one for borough-wide

selective licensing; and one grouping wards with similar characteristics

together in designations based on ward data evidence;

(3) officers undertake a public consultation on the proposal for a selective

licensing scheme (as split via the designations) which will require approval

from the Secretary of State;

(4) officers undertake a public consultation on the proposal for a new

additional licensing scheme, which does not require approval from the

Secretary of State;

(5) authority be delegated to the Executive Director for Customer Services to

finalise the consultation documents;

(6) if the new additional licensing scheme and the selective licensing schemes

are agreed, the council will incur costs of up to £400,000 to introduce the

schemes, which will be wholly recoverable from licencing fees;

(7) the consultation responses be presented to Housing Select Committee

and to Mayor and Cabinet in the autumn as part of any proposals to progress

with the two licensing schemes