The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
London council places its homeless in Peterborough
More than 30 homeless households from the London borough of Barnet have been placed in Peterborough.
A Freedom of Information request from the Peterborough Telegraph has revealed that 33 households have been moved into the city from the London borough since 2018.
Barnet Homes bought 28 properties in Peterborough in 2017 on behalf of Barnet Council to use as temporary accommodation.
At the time, Peterborough City Council said it was “extremely disappointed” to discover the news through the PT and had not been given any notice by Barnet to prepare for the “additional strain” on resources.
Barnet Homes continues to own 28 properties in Peterborough, all of which are currently occupied.
Barnet Council’s website has previously revealed that some of the homes cost between £130,000 and £135,000, not including stamp duty, and were located in areas across the city in Bretton, Orton Goldhay, Westwood and Ravensthorpe.
Since 2018, it has placed 33 homeless households in Peterborough, with 24 being moved in during the first year and six in 2019.
This was followed by one in 2020 and two in 2021.
Asked if Peterborough City Council had been informed about the use of its temporary accommodation, Barnet Homes said: “Peterborough City Council are informed of all placements made within their area through section 208 notifications, a statutory requirement under the Housing Act 1996.”
The PT recently revealed that five councils outside of Peterborough have placed homeless households in the city over the past two years.
Aside from Barnet, these were: Cambridge City Council, Huntingdonshire District Council, South Cambridgeshire District Council and Fenland District Council.