A London council's consultation process ahead of introducing a landlord licensing scheme has been branded a farce - because the council has admitted the decision to go ahead with the proposal has already been made, ahead of the consultation result.
The National Landlords' Association claims that Camden Council has admitted during a meeting (at what the NLA calls the council's chic new headquarters) that the decision to introduce licensing has already been made.
The NLA also claims that Camden council has suggested the funds from the licensing scheme will help to pay for staff at the cash-strapped authority - although this is apparently in violation of licensing consent criteria set out in the Housing Act 2004.
The meeting proved to be a tense and frustrating one and we are just astonished by the council's approach to this consultation. It's a farce claims Richard Blanco of the NLA.
People who are genuinely concerned about the impact of this scheme have put in their precious time to ensure their views are heard, but sadly by the council's own omission this is a waste of time, as they have already decided to introduce the scheme regardless of the consultation's outcome he contends.
NLA chief executive Richard Lambert has accused the council of not taking the issue seriously and undertaking a cynical political exercise to get tenants in Camden onside.
The association says the inevitable result will be a Tenant Tax', as the increased cost of providing housing is passed on by landlords to tenants.
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