City council in move to clean up HMO slums
New charter of rights for the troubled and vulnerable
NEW quality standards and a charter of rights have been launched in Birmingham to highlight the good work of landlords who support vulnerable people in hostels – and expose the rogues.
It comes as pressure mounts on Government ministers to act swiftly to introduce stricter regulation in the multi-million pound state-funded sector, ripe for exploitation because of lax rules.
Huge parts of the city have been blighted by hundreds of hostels and houses of multiple occupation (HMO).
Many bring with them antisocial disorder and crime as large numbers of ex-offenders are seemingly dumped in them, with some landlords happy to make a quick buck.
Other hostels house large numbers of mentally vulnerable people and refugees.
But from this week, landlords who house the homeless and other vulnerable people in the ‘exempt’ sector are being urged to voluntarily sign up to the new Quality Standards.
Those who commit to the scheme agree their accommodation can be judged against a strict set of criteria, with the aim of highlighting those who run well led, managed and high quality properties where tenants can thrive. It also means questions will be asked about landlords and providers who refuse, said Cllr Sharon Thompson, the driving force behind the initiatives.
She said: “We want those who refer people in to these properties, including councils, charities, probation services and support workers, to agree to only work with those who meet the Quality Standards. We have already had that commitment from some. We hope it will go some way to deterring those who are exploiting this sector.”
The exempt sector has exploded in the city in the last three years, with some 20,000 rooms now housing some of the most vulnerable people, including people with mental illnesses and disabilities, refugees, people fleeing abuse, drug addicts and released prisoners who qualify for extra support and care. There are also fears people are being dumped in Birmingham from all over the country by other authorities.
However, the rapid increase in the number of properties given over to exempt rooms has triggered a backlash from communities who say they are ‘overrun’ with badly run houses full of troubled, criminal and violent
people who are neighbourhoods.
A campaign by the Post’s sister paper, the Birmingham Mail, launched with MPs, the council and communities, calls on the Government to act fast to curb the actions of bad landlords, managing agents and providers who are exploiting the situation and raking in public cash.
The council has also produced a new Charter of Rights, drawn up with more than 50 people who live in exempt accommodation, to ensure
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tenants understand what they can expect and how to raise issues if they are being sold short.
A new team of inspectors and social workers has been recruited to check tenants are not being exploited and are receiving the right support.
Cllr Thompson, council lead on housing and neighbourhoods, said it is essential providers honour their commitment to deliver the right support in such accomodation.
“I’m very proud that we’ve launched the charter of rights and quality standards which will not only
help us to champion landlords who are providing a quality service but also have the resource available to be able to effectively monitor those landlords who are not.
However, we also need stronger regulation for local authorities, the police and the Regulator of Social Housing.
“This needs to include stronger definitions around care and support so that those who provide poor standards face consequences which will make them change their practices.”
THE final phase of the rebirth of the iconic MG Rover Longbridge car plant is to go ahead after a £6million funding package was agreed to redevelop 75 acres.
The ‘West Works’ site in Longbridge is the last remaining plot of the giant former car factory to be redeveloped in the long-running regeneration of the area which has already seen a new hotel, college, shops, offices and houses built.
Some 5,000 new jobs will be created as hundreds of new homes are built, along with new businesses.
Since closing 15 years ago with the loss of the plant’s remaining 6,000 jobs, the vacant West Works has been a reminder of one of the most painful manufacturing collapses in the region’s post war economic history.
The brownfield land, opposite Longbridge Technology Park next to the A38, is one of largest remaining parts still to be redeveloped and could eventually house around 350 homes.
Other plans include 27 acres of green space and 900,000 sq ft of commercial accommodation to be known as Longbridge Business Park.
This latest injection of capital from the West Midlands Combined Authority will enable developer St Modwen, which is leading the regeneration, to remediate the land, provide essential infrastructure and make it ready for construction.
It follows the authority securing £51million in government funding last year to put towards brownfield regeneration across the region.
St Modwen has already overseen the regeneration of around half the wider Longbridge works which it bought in 2003, but the West Works
site has remained a major missing piece in the area’s regeneration jigsaw.
Once finished, the £1billion transformation of the entire former car plant is expected to have created up to 4,000 new homes, two million square feet of commercial development and 10,000 jobs in total, transforming Longbridge into a modern, attractive environment in which to live and work.
The new deal follows the award in December 2020 of more than £51million of Government funding for the WMCA to continue driving forward significant new homes and jobs for local people on brownfield, former industrial land such as the former
MG Rover site. The funding was in recognition of the WMCA’s nationally leading brownfield regeneration and housing programme
West Midlands mayor Andy Street said: “The closure of Longbridge’s MG Rover Plant in 2005 was one of the darkest days in the history of the West Midlands.
“Having spent some time growing up in Northfield, I know just how iconic the site is and I know that for 15 years now people have waited for its regeneration to finally heal one of our biggest, and most painful, economic scars.
“That is why I am delighted the combined authority has been able to step in and help unlock this major
part of the site for development. Over the past four years, one of the real strengths of the West Midlands has been using government money to clean up derelict industrial land to pave the way for development and industrial land doesn’t come much bigger or more iconic than the Longbridge West Works.
“Now, instead of looking back over 15 years of pain, we can look forward to the thousands of new jobs, commercial premises and hundreds of homes that will be coming to Longbridge.”
St Modwen’s chief executive Sarwjit Sambhi added: “Unlocking West Works is a huge milestone for Longbridge and we are delighted to move forward in partnership with the West Midlands Combined Authority.
“We’re already seeing strong interest from occupiers in Longbridge Business Park and this contribution will ultimately lever in up to £300 million in private sector investment at West Works. This investment highlights the major contribution Longbridge is making to Birmingham and West Midlands.”
The investment into West Works comes just weeks after the combined authority approved a £780,000 investment for St Modwen’s scheme on another part of the Longbridge site at 2 Park Square. This involves more than 60,000 sq ft of commercial office space, creating 400 new jobs.