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05/04/09 : Anneliese welcomes scrutiny report on the private rented sector :
Labour's prospective candidate for Reading East, Anneliese Dodds, who published the party's 12-point plan Tackling rogue landlords, Meeting students' needs last October, has welcomed the joint scrutiny report going to Reading Borough Council's Cabinet on 14 April, which she says reflects the proposals that Labour previously put forward.
The scrutiny process was undertaken jointly by the Environment and Housing, Health and Community Care Scrutiny Panels. It calls for a comprehensive landlord accreditation scheme, better co-ordination across Council departments, better information for local residents about planning and licensing issues, and improved liaison with the University of Reading and Thames Valley University on student housing, all of which featured in Labour's 12-point plan (see attached).
Anneliese says: "I attended the public forum the Scrutiny Panels organised at the Hexagon on 10th February and talked to students and other tenants, to landlords, and to local residents. The ideas within Labour's 12-point plan, which themselves drew on local residents' opinions, were echoed by participants at this meeting. I have talked to the new Lead Councillor for Housing, Deborah Edwards, about how Labour's budget to support this work (£120,000) will be used to deliver real improvements to East Reading".
Anneliese continued: "Virtually all of the points mentioned in the 12-point plan have been reflected in the scrutiny report, though I personally would have liked to have seen more on whether the Council could investigate creating 'saturation zones' for HMOs, to promote more mixed and balanced communities. The cross-party scrutiny panels have, though, I believe mapped out the right direction of travel, the budget is there, and I very much look forward to seeing real results in East Reading."
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