London council in ‘social cleansing’ row over bid to move tenants to Birmingham
I know it’s a story of city living. However it underlines the massive housing crisis which is equally prevalent in rural England, its just that there are fewer attractive alternatives to encourage those waiting for rural housing to relocate to.
A London council has been accused of “bribery” and “social cleansing” after it was revealed that it had offered council tenants up to £7,000 to move to Birmingham.
The Tory-led council of Wandsworth in south London sent a letter to social tenants last week informing them that they could have “access to a garden” and “a private driveway” if they chose to move away from London.
It said it would pay tenants £3,500 for a two-bedroom property, £4,000 for a three-bedroom property and £5,000 for four- and five-bedroom properties, as well as help with removal costs up to £2,000.
The letter stated: “The properties are mostly houses with a low rental charge and normally come with access to a garden and in some instances have a private driveway.”
It added: “This is just an opportunity and entirely your choice. So if you find the property is not suitable for your family your transfer application will not be affected.”
The letter was brought to the Guardian’s attention after Will Martindale, the Labour parliamentary candidate for Battersea, said a distressed woman knocked on his door to tell him she had received it.