| Topic: | Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Cllr Govindia defends the decision in The Times | |
| Posted by: | Sian Evans | |
| Date/Time: | 17/08/11 07:49:00 |
| This is his comment piece in The Times (Tuesday) "Wandsworth Council has been criticised for its decision to evict tenants if they - or one of their household - are found guilty of being involved in last week's looting and rioting. We did not come to this decision lightly and it was not a knee-jerk reaction. We wanted to send out a clear message: actions have consequences. "This was a tough call, but having seen the destruction in the borough and watched CCTV footage, I don't doubt that we have made the right decision. Our community was subjected to terrifying acts of violence and looting; not acting would let down all our law-abiding residents. "Having the long-term security of a council flat or house is a privileged position that, as the waiting lists show, many people aspire to. And with that privilege must come a sense of responsibility to your neighbour and your neighbourhood. That responsibility is written into our tenancy agreements - and all tenants sign up to it on behalf of everyone in their household when they get the keys to their new home. "From the very outset it is made clear to tenants that if they, or members of their household, break the rules they run the real risk of eviction - of having their privileged status stripped from them. If tenants or members of their households do not take this seriously, Wandsworth Council certainly will and enforce its side of the contract. "In our view, where there is a clear and straightforward legal agreement, we should not duck away from our responsibilities towards those who want to live peacefully on our estates. "Residents cannot claim that they are victims of arbitrary justice if they find themselves evicted. Eviction was not a punishment dreamed up last week by councillors in response to the headlines. Far from it. Over the past three years we have begun eviction proceedings against nearly two dozen tenants after incidents of crime or antisocial behaviour. "And Wandsworth won't act on hearsay. We will only seek an eviction if there is a conviction. Ultimately the decision does not rest with us, but with the courts. We will put forward our evidence to a judge while the tenant, no doubt with legal representation, will make the opposing case. The court will weigh up both sides carefully before reaching a verdict. "It is nonsense to suggest that if an eviction order is granted the family will end up on the streets. They will simply have to do what millions of other people, often on low incomes, already do: find accommodation in the private rental market. If they are on housing benefit they will continue to receive it and it will go to any landlord willing to rent them accommodation. "This tough policy was not foisted on reluctant tenants by councillors. Our tenants value the services that the council provides and how we manage our estates. Indeed, when they were asked if they wanted to transfer to a different landlord, 92 per cent voted to stay with the council - the highest satisfaction figure in the country. They voted this way because they know that we will do everything in our power to stand up for the vast majority of law-abiding citizens who live on our estates. They will not tolerate antisocial behaviour, and nor will we. "After the riots, Wandsworth has been focusing on supporting our businesses and getting our shopping streets back on their feet as quickly as possible. The real face of our borough is not the one that you saw on Monday night at Clapham Junction, it is the one that you saw on Tuesday when hundreds of people - the Broom Army - descended on the area to help us to clean up. "In Wandsworth we are determined to play our part in helping to restore a sense of moral purpose. There are no quick fixes to the complex problems that led to last week's eruption of violence but the answers must surely begin with those in positions of responsibility showing clear and unambiguous leadership. That is what I believe we in Wandsworth have done. Frankly, we feel that it is the least our residents can expect of us." |