Latest news with #DanSwords
BBC News
2 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Harlow housing block dubbed 'open prison' to be redeveloped
Councillors have unanimously backed their authority buying a 14-storey building that was controversially converted from offices into temporary leader of Harlow Council in Essex, Dan Swords, said Terminus House had been "a massive postcard image of the decline of Harlow" and said the authority would redevelop the town centre leader, Labour's James Griggs, said he supported the plans, but his primary concern was what would happen to the 150 to 200 people living council said it would take ownership once the current owner has re-housed the residents. The owner, Caridon, said the building had helped hundreds of people avoid homelessness. 'An open prison' Glen Lane, 65, has lived in the tower block in one room with an en-suite since 2018. He described conditions as "the worst place I have ever lived in", saying it "feels like an open prison, probably worse than an open prison".Mr Lane was homeless and said he struggled to get on the local council housing list."It's depressing. It's got a reputation this property. It's embarrassing when I put my address down," he said."I feel quite ashamed about it as I haven't always lived like this. I used to have my own property and job but I lost all that." His room is only a few square metres in size. At the end of his double bed, the kitchen the last eight months he said the property had been plagued with insects. He had used insect powder but they were still "climbing on me at night when I'm sleeping". Crime rose by 20% in the area around Terminus House after it was turned into accommodation in 2018, according to police figures.A BBC East and Panorama documentary highlighted the cramped conditions. In 2021, the government imposed a minimum size of 37 sq m (398 sq ft) on new office to flat conversions. 'Housed out of Harlow' Harlow Council has become the largest landowner in the town centre, buying up buildings to regenerate them into new housing, leisure and retail authority's latest decision to buy Terminus House has brought uncertainty about the building's future. Conservative leader Dan Swords said plans were being finalised on whether it would be demolished or he said in any scenario it would look "completely different from that which it does now"."The existing tenants, which have largely nearly all come through temporary accommodation from London boroughs, will be housed outside of Harlow," he said. Labour's James Griggs argued that "sending them back somewhere else seems completely wrong".He told the BBC that some people had been living there for years. "There are families who now consider themselves Harlow families. They have children in Harlow schools, the parents are working in the town."The redeveloped site would likely include housing. The local authority has not disclosed how much it was paying for Batrick, a charity organiser who supports local families, said many people living in Terminus House would be "reeling at the news that their homes will be going"."There is a real concern about the human element of this," she said. Caridon, the company that owns Terminus House, said in a statement the building met "a pressing need for temporary accommodation at a time of limited options". "The building has since supported hundreds of individuals and families in avoiding homelessness and finding stability during difficult periods," it at his flat, Mr Lane welcomed Harlow Council's plans."I'm glad they are doing it. It definitely needs upgrading," he where he and others will end up living is not currently known. Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
12-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Harlow Council feeling pressure of housing Londoners, leader says
Housing people from London put an Essex town under "massive pressure", a council leader claimed. Dan Swords said Harlow Council was being beaten to temporary accommodation in the new town by London boroughs with more meant there was less shelter available for homeless people from Harlow, the Conservative said. He vowed to take a "robust and firm" approach in accepting homeless applications from the capital.A London Councils spokesperson said "out-of-London placements are a minority" and added: "Boroughs only make placements outside London as a last resort or when the homeless household has a connection in the placing area." Under previous measures to tackle homelessness in Harlow, 12 former office blocks were converted into 1,000 fire concerns have seen residents evacuated from two of those developments in the past 11 months. Swords said the latest incident on Thursday compounded "significant pressure" felt by the council."Harlow has a particularly challenging problem because we've seen a huge number of, typically, London boroughs placing residents in temporary accommodation into Harlow," he told BBC Essex."Often, London boroughs will pay much more than Harlow Council is able to, to secure those properties."Swords said it was then left to the council to support the new residents, as well as local NHS services and 370 families were living in temporary accommodation in the town, he said, adding over the past five years, Harlow had seen annual rises in homelessness of 20%.The council leader pledged to remind London authorities "very firmly" of their duties so he could prioritise people from Harlow."Our job as Harlow Council is to provide housing and do the very best we can for Harlow residents," he added. "It is simply impossible for us to do that for London boroughs too, and we will be very robust and firm in that approach." London Councils, a cross-party organisation that represents 32 borough councils and the City of London, said the capital faced the "most severe homelessness pressures in the country, accounting for more than half (56%) of England's homelessness figures". It added that boroughs were aware that London's homelessness emergency is increasingly felt beyond its boundaries, and it was a "national emergency requiring a national response"."Out-of-London placements are a minority of the overall number of placements made by boroughs," the spokesperson added. "The latest available data shows that 12% of London placements were outside the capital. Given the worsening housing pressures in London, this has increased from typical historic levels of around 6-8%."The organisation estimated that more than 183,000 Londoners were homeless and living in temporary accommodation arranged by their local borough, equivalent to one in 50 Londoners, and one in 21 children. Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
04-03-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Colchester council increases tax by 2.99% and approves budget
Another council in Essex has agreed to increase its share of tax on residents by the maximum amount of 2.99%.Members at Colchester City Council approved a budget for 2025-2026 at a meeting on County Council, Southend, Braintree, Basildon and Tendring are among the local authorities in the county that have already agreed tax Liberal Democrat deputy leader at Colchester, Mark Cory, said his teams faced "pressures of rising costs and demand". "This budget allows us to continue investing in our city, including our play parks, community facilities, and the legacy we leave behind," he in band D properties in Colchester city centre currently pay £2,069.49 per Harlow Council agreed to freeze its share of tax on residents at its budget meeting on D properties in Harlow currently pay £2, leader of the council Dan Swords said he hoped to freeze tax until at least colleague, cabinet member for finance James Leppard, said: "Our budget paves the way for a brighter future."Last year, the Labour government said councils could increase their share of tax by 2.99% without holding a referendum, and by 4.99% if they had social care duties. Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
