16 COMMENT


the area they live in, and ensure homes are built to high standards with the neces- sary infrastructure in place, and have resulted in the potential loss of thousands of desperately-needed affordable homes.” Polly Neate, chief executive of the housing and homelessness charity Shelter, said no child should be spending months or even years, living in a shipping container, office block or emergency B&B. She said the charity constantly heard of struggling families being forced to accept “downright dangerous accommodation” because they had nowhere else to go.


changes are made in the long-term, when the immediate reactions of horror and shame from commentators and spokesmen alike have died down and the plight of the homeless families continue. It is certainly hard to argue with the report’s conclusion that as a country we are putting the health and wellbeing of these homeless children at serious risk. The analogy of jumping from the frying pan into the fire appears to have almost been coined specifically for this problem.


‘HOT SPOT’


One of the localities identified as a ‘hot spot’ for having a high number of converted former office blocks is Harlow in Essex. In response the council’s leader has demanded the Government changes its policy on permitted development rights (dating from 2013), which allows office blocks to be converted to residential use. He also called for the freeze on welfare benefits to be lifted and for extra funding for the building of new council houses. Councillor Mark Ingall said: “The


report backs up the serious concerns we have been voicing for many months about national policies that have resulted in London councils and others placing children and adults into former office blocks in the town. The independent commissioner’s findings cannot be ignored and it is time Ministers acted to address the issues.


“These office-to-residential conversions in Harlow are private developments, which have been actively promoted to councils in London and other areas as a cheap answer to social housing shortages. Sadly we have been powerless to stop these developments as full planning permission is not needed due to permitted development rights.” Councillor Ingall said steps to require


full planning permission for any future conversions are being investigated, but it is a lengthy process and will not address


WWW.HBDONLINE.CO.UK


existing conversions. “We know of a case where a mother and two children are living in a bedsit in one office block conversion in Harlow, with only a single bed and a single mattress on the floor for them to share, and with no bathroom or toilet of their own to use. “We also know of parents and children


that have been forced by other councils to move into these permitted developments in Harlow removing them from familiar surroundings, moved miles away from their communities, families and where they go to school, socialise or play. There is no doubt that this, along with living in often unsuitable accommodation, disrupts a child’s development, their wellbeing, and their ability to succeed in school, and ultimately it will have a considerable impact on their future potential.


SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS NEEDED Similar messages were given by the Local Government Association, whose housing spokesman, Cllr Martin Tett, said: “The severe lack of social rented homes available in which to house families means councils have no choice but to place households into temporary accommodation.” He said councils’ homelessness services are facing a £159m funding gap next year (2020/21). He urged the Government to use the upcoming Spending Round to ensure councils have long-term sustain- able funding to prevent homelessness, and that councils are given the tools they need to resume their historic role of build- ing homes with the right infrastructure. “This includes allowing councils to keep


100 per cent of receipts of council homes sold under Right to Buy, so that they can be reinvested in new replacement homes, and the ability to set Right to Buy discounts locally.


“It should also scrap the permitted development right which is taking away the ability of local communities to shape


SUITABILITY & LEGALITY ISSUES One advantage of shipping container units is that they are self-contained – they each have their own front door, kitchen and bathroom facilities, while providing more space than traditional units of temporary accommodation. They can also be erected fairly quickly on land awaiting develop- ment, which is only available for relatively short periods. However, the containers are criticised for


poor levels of insulation, being very hot in summer but too cold in the winter. They are often not properly designed with children in mind. Ovens and other dangers can be too close to the ground so that they are in reach of very young children. The report also highlighted ongoing problems with the use of Bed & Breakfast hotels despite the introduction of a legal limit in 2003 which means that families should only be housed in B&Bs for a maximum period of six weeks, after which they must be moved on to suitable accommodation.


In December 2018 there were 2,420 households with children living in B&Bs according to Government statistics. Of the 2,420 families, a third had been there for more than six weeks, meaning that the councils involved were breaking the law. The National Audit Office has reported hearing of families being housed in B&Bs for as long as 30 months.


The six-week legal limit on B&B use applies only to families housed in private B&Bs, not in council-owned B&Bs. In 2018, it was found that 1,641 families were living in council-owned B&Bs, with nearly two thirds having been there more than six weeks, a much higher proportion of families than in private B&Bs. The Commissioner’s report contains 21 recommendations for Government to act upon. Meanwhile we await details of the new Government’s housing policies in the shape of draft legislation and the Autumn spending review. It will be interesting to see how many of Ms Longfield’s recommendations make it into new policies adopted by Boris Johnson and his ministers.


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