‘Don’t send any more families’

MPS warn Housing Minister of ‘serious issues’ if more people relocated from London

Kent MPS are calling on the government to take steps to curb London councils from relocating residents to the county to save money.

In a joint letter to the housing minister, Gavin Barwell, they warn there are signs that the practice of councils sending families to Kent has the potential to cause “significant issues”, notably the pressure on public serv- ices such as the NHS and schools.

The letter, co-signed by Canterbury MP Sir Julian Brazier, states: “We appreciate the London boroughs are under pressure with many having very significant levels of homelessness combined with high local property costs.

“There is, however, a resource disparity between London boroughs and the authorities receiving placements.”

It cites as an example the impact of 250 families from Redbridge relocated “en masse” last year to homes at Canterbury’s Howe Barracks. Redbridge council bought the site, despite Canterbury City Council wanting it for its own residents.

MPS say: “This is a new phenomenon which, if it is the start of a new trend, has the potential to cause significant issues.”

The letter says that as a consequence of the relocation by Redbridge, “public agencies have had to respond quickly to the needs of these extra 250 families”.

“One notable example is of a primary school which was asked to find 100 school places with just two weeks notice of the chil- dren’s arrival,” they said.

MPS say the government should take steps that would give London boroughs less incentive to place families out of their area.

One proposal is that Kent receives a share of the housing allowance paid to London councils to mitigate the costs of the wrap-around services the county has to provide.

The minister is told that it should be compulsory for placing councils to notify in advance where they are putting families.

MPS say councils should also be required to provide infor- mation about whether families have social care issues, such as domestic abuse. The letter has been signed by 12 of the county’s MPS, including Sir Julian.

He said: “London councils are much more generally resourced than those in Kent, and in the long run the funding formula needs to be addressed so we’re on a level playing field. There is a real issue here.”

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Ismail Darioglu, wife Leyla and their children Yunus and Kubra were among 250 families from Redbridge who moved to homes at Howe Barracks