Vulnerable Tenants Stranded As Charity Landlord Evicts Them So It Can Build Homes

An education charity has left tenants in its housing stock stranded after handing them eviction notices so it can build more homes. The Dame Alice Owen’s Foundation is adding a fourth storey to two blocks. As a result, those living on the first and second floors have been told to pack their bags. Some who have been there for decades have assured tenancies, and are moving to empty ground floor flats while work is carried out above them. But others, who don’t have the protection of an assured tenancy, have been told to find somewhere else to live. Read more on the Islington Gazette website.

http://www.islingtongazette.co.uk/news/vulnerable-islington-tenants-stranded-as-charity-landlord-evicts-them-so-it-can-build-homes-1-5690501

Council Wins Landmark Affordable Housing Case

Islington Council has won a landmark case that could stop developers across the country skimping on their affordable housing offering. The Planning Inspectorate, an independent regulator, upheld the town hall’s refusal of planning permission for a site on grounds the project did not provide the “maximum reasonable amount” of affordable homes. First Base Ltd applied to build 96 homes but the bid contained no affordable housing at all. Islington’s target is 50 per cent, but policy dictates developers must build as many as possible. The council rejected the bid twice and now its appeal  has also been dismissed. The decision centred around how the viability of the development was assessed and how the price of the land should be determined. Read more on the Islington Gazette website.