Council tried to power us to promote dwelling to make room for asylum seekers

An aged couple who had simply moved into their £200,000 home have been horrified to obtain a letter from their council suggesting the property could possibly be topic to obligatory buy and used to accommodate asylum seekers.

Jose and Ted Saunders mentioned they have been ‘insulted and shocked’ when the strongly-worded letter from North Northamptonshire Council – which has by no means balanced its personal books – dropped on their mat final month.

It mentioned their neat mid-terraced home in Rushden, close to Wellingborough, was deemed to be an empty property, or was ‘derelict’ and the council may even power them to promote it.

‘I could not imagine it,’ mentioned retired carer Jose, 76. ‘We moved to Rushden to assist present childcare for my grand-daughter and located this good little place to reside.

‘The concept of forcing us to promote it to make room for refugees and asylum seekers appears completely mistaken.’

Jose and Ted Saunders, the couple who obtained a letter from the council suggesting their property could possibly be topic to a obligatory buy order and used to accommodate asylum seekers

The letter that Jose and Ted obtained from North Northamptonshire Council final month

The letter, headed ‘Empty Properties and websites initiative’ had their precise handle in daring and acknowledged: ‘We are writing as we have now motive to imagine that the above-named premises… is empty or unused.

‘The Government has recognized empty privately-owned properties as a possible trigger o blight inside communities, and as a wasted useful resource at time of excessive housing want.’

The letter continued that the council was seeing a ‘appreciable enhance’ in optimistic immigration choices being made in favour of asylum seekers, primarily single males, and the authority was ‘struggling’ to supply appropriate lodging for them.

It added: ‘The preferrred long-term resolution could be to offer lodging through the use of empty properties which might profit homeowners and the mission.’

It mentioned the council may make a obligatory buy order on the property.

The couple thought the they have been going to lose their dwelling price £200,000 (above)

North Northamptonshire Council has by no means managed to stability its finances since its inception in 2021. The council has mentioned elevated pressures from demand-led companies have pushed up prices.

Added Jose: ‘It was all of the extra worrying as we might solely moved in final November, so we nonetheless hadn’t obtained the deeds for the home.’

Retired driving teacher Ted, 78, and his spouse known as the council and requested what was happening.

Three days later they obtained an apology, saying their workers had mistakenly ear-marked the home for potential obligatory buy, however the Saunders have been nonetheless baffled by the coverage itself.

‘What on earth is the council doing forcing folks to promote their homes – and even an empty home is owned by somebody – in order that asylum seekers can reside in them?’ requested Jose.

‘The reply to that is to cease them coming within the first place, to not power folks out of their properties.’

The incident was seized upon by the Reform UK Party, whose candidate in Thursday’s (Feb 15) Wellingborough by-election, Ben Habib, heard concerning the couple.

Mr Habib, who can also be the social gathering’s co-deputy chief, informed MailOnline: ‘I used to be horrified to listen to the plight of Mr. & Mrs. Saunders, however my horror couldn’t evaluate to what they skilled final month.

‘They have been served with a letter from North Northamptonshire District Council searching for to own their dwelling. The accusation made was their dwelling was derelict and the Council meant to make use of it to accommodate single younger males searching for asylum. Known to the remainder of us as unlawful migrants.

‘ I can verify their house is most actually not derelict. It was nicely appointed and cared for. They have been distraught by the risk made by the Council. They feared not having title deeds and being incapable of defending their place. It was not till they visited the Council and after a lot pleading they managed to get the Council to desist.

The Saunders had simply moved in to their new dwelling once they obtained a letter from the council suggesting that could possibly be the topic of a obligatory buy order by the council

A spokesman North Northamptonshire Council apologised to the couple for suggesting that their dwelling could possibly be offered prime home asylum seekers – and mentioned it had been despatched in error  

‘It is completely surprising that the Council would hearth off a letter like that to 2 aged folks. And achieve this with the purpose of shopping for a £200,000 home for asylum seekers. This from a Council that’s nearly as good as bust and has by no means filed consolidated accounts because it was established in 2021.

‘The native charity for homeless folks, the Daylight Centre, spends £650 per head per homeless individual per 12 months. Think what that charity may do with £200,000! It would have the ability to present look after over 300 British residents. There are additionally veterans’ charities within the constituency struggling to care of troopers who risked life and limb for the nation. Instead of the cash going to them, the Council was ready to blow it on housing possibly 4 migrants, after forcing out of their dwelling two aged British residents. Disgraceful.’

The Council is run by the Tories – for all their chat about championing native points each the Tories and Labour are asleep concerning the harm being wrought on Wellingborough by a failed council and a whole failure to police our territorial waters. Heads ought to roll and the Saunders ought to be compensated!

‘The solely social gathering able to stopping the dystopia into which our nation is sinking is Reform UK – the Tories and Labour have misplaced the plot.’

Jason Smithers, Leader of North Northamptonshire Council, informed MailOnline in an announcement: ‘North Northamptonshire Council (NNC) is working with owners of long-term empty properties to bring their property back into use. Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPO) are not utilised to “oust” current owners from their properties, they are a tool used as a very last resort to bring empty properties, which are a valuable and much need housing resource, back into use.

‘The “empty property initiative letters” were sent out in a bid to assist empty property owners to bring their property back into use, and on the whole, the support from NNC was gratefully received. Since NNC formed in 2021, no properties have been purchased by CPO. This is a mechanism of last resort to bring problematic, long term empty properties back into use.

‘Unfortunately, in this case, records held by NNC were outdated, and the letter was incorrectly sent to a property which was occupied. For this I am very sorry for causing any undue distress and worry.’