Government & Legislation
On 5 June 2006 the Cabinet Committee on Anti-Social Behaviour & Respect received a presentation from "five experts" on anti-social behaviour.
Click Here to view the transcript
Following the meeting the Secretary of State for Work & Pensions announced the Government's plans to cut housing benefit for households evicted for anti-social behaviour who decline to engage in rehabilitation. Detail of the pilot arrangements is available in the DWP News Release. Click here to read more
Following the same meeting, Shelter announced the publication of a report on the evaluation of its Inclusion Project (in conjunction with Rochdale MBC) which indicated that over 70% of its users had ended or improved their anti social behaviour. Click Here to read more
Today (12 June 2006) the latest quarterly statistics for Homelessness in England have been released. They show a reduction in the number of accepted applications and of households in temporary accommodation. Read more
The Secretary of State announced that the figures indicated progress in homelessness prevention and she published a new guide to help local authorities with homelessness prevention work. Read more
Click Here to view a summary of the new guide.
Cases
R (Conville) v Richmond LBC [2006] EWCA Civ 718, 8 June CA. Intentionally homeless families are entitled to temporary accommodation from a council for a period that will give them a "reasonable opportunity" to find their own accommodation. The Court of Appeal held that, when local housing authorities are working out how long that period should be, they must only consider the particular needs and circumstances of the individual homeless family. They are not entitled to take into account the cost of the accommodation or any other demands on their resources. This decision reverses an earlier decision of the Administrative Court. It means that each intentionally homeless family will be entitled to temporary accommodation for a period that reflects their own needs and abilities to find other accommodation, after those needs have been carefully assessed by the council.
Click Here to read the transcript
Supperstone v Hurst [2006] ALL ER (D) 59 (Jun), 8 June, ChD. On the husband's bankruptcy, the trustee obtained an order for possession and sale of the matrimonial home. The proceeds of sale were to be split between husband and wife. The couple asserted that the trustee was acting unreasonably and should let the wife re-occupy and negotiate a purchase by her. The Court upheld the trustee's actions. He had been advised that the best price would be obtained by selling with vacant possession. If the wife could match the price that would be realised on the market, the trustee was prepared to negotiate a sale with her.
South Cambridgeshire DC v Flynn & Others [2006] EWHC 1320 (QB), 7 June, QBD. This is the latest case to review applications for injunctions to remove mobile homes sought against travellers under section 187BTown & Country Planning Act 1990 in the light of recent decisions such as South Beds v Price [2006] EWCA Civ 493, CA. On the facts the injunctions were granted even though the travellers owned the land which was not in the "Green Belt".
