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Circulation 10,000 No. 74 May 1988

TENANTS 'UNDER THREAT' MARKET LOCAL
FROM NEW LAWS DECISION ELECTIONS
A meeting attended by fifteen "If each little estate is sold off, HOPE
households in Bloomsbury Close private landlords will be able to On Thursday 5th
recently heard that proposed charge what 'market forces' A decision to open an open May voters across
housing laws will radically allow, so rents will go up air market will be taken this week.
change the conditions of their massively. We were told that a 3 As The Link went to press a report Thamesdown go to
tenancies, raise rents dramatically bedroom houses rent for £22.00 a was being put to a Thamesdown the polls to elect
and may see many families evicted. week now would cost £70.00 to Council committee recommend- representatives on
The meeting was called by £80.00 with rates on top." ing that tenders be invited from
tenant Leonard Ray after he operators to run a market on the to Thamesdown
watched a television report on Snooping on Tenants Link Centre coach park. Borough Council.
new housing laws to be put before The way estates would be privat- Local Councillor Ricky Mid-
Parliament later this year. "What ised fills Mr. Ray with horror as winter, who has been promoting The Link invited
I saw frightened me a great deal. I well. "Firstly prospective buyers the market idea, is hopeful that candidates for the
really am worried that other will have the right to snoop on there will be a positive decision. seats in the Toothill
tenants do not know what is tenants details to see who rents "It's likely that our market will
being planned for them. The con- the houses on an estate so they take place on a day when there and Freshbrook
sequences will be a disaster for can work out how much they will are no others in the area, so it wards to present
many people." pay for it. For example, they could attract high quality traders. some information
Representatives from the will be able to find out people's A condition upon the operator
Thamesdown Federation of incomes or what kind of benfits will be the requirement to run a about themselves to
Tenants' Association and Thames- they may be getting. free minibus to and from the the electorate. Read
down Borough Council Housing "Secondly, tenants will be homes of the less mobile, this is what they say on
Department attended the discus- asked to attend a meeting and an exciting first.
sion chaired by Freshbrook vote whether they want their "I have had a discussion with pages 4 and 5.
Councillor Bob Pixton. houses to be managed by a private Gateway and the management of
The Government's proposals landlord. It's not clear whether the West Swindon Centre and "pt &tbe
set out to remove control of there is one vote per house or one they are backing the idea as well,
council housing from local auth- vote per tenant. There will have which is great." J09
orities by forcing the sale of to be a 51% vote for privatisation Hopefully the market can start bntu Centre
estates to private landlords or to of the votes cast. But what is also during the summer.
tenant co-operatives. In order to amazing is that if a tenant does On page 12 Christine Ellis delivers
acheive this, it is proposed to do not attend the meeting, their non Well Done a broadside to a West Swindon
away with the 1980 Rent Act and attendance will be counted as a A commuflity minded person put housebuilder for failing to keep
to change the status of house- vote in favour of going private. up this sign as Westlea Park in up with the times.
holders from secured tenants to • This could mean people not turn- an effort to preserve the spring
assured tenants. ing up at the meeting taking the daffodils for all.
The implications are enormous decision for those who did. On
according to Leonard Ray. "At top of this an empty house will be
the moment tenents have a house counted as another vote for
for life. Under a private landlord, privatisation!
tenants would have a short lease "I can see prospective land-
on a property (say 12 months), lords offering all manner of
which will be reviewed and could inducements to go private, but
be terminated. For example, once under their control, tenants
tenants could be evicted for being having fewer rights than they
one weeks rent in arrears or if a have at present - and higher
neighbour makes a complaint rents."
against you. Commenting on the meeting he
"The Council operates a fair chaired, Councillor Bob Pixton
rent system at present so that said, "The tenants were quite
rents across the borough are • shocked by what may happen to
roughly the same for similar their homes. I think they went
properties. (Continued on page 3)