New Site Licence

Over the last year or so Basildon Council have been drawing up a new site licence because the previous one was very old.

In October we received a draft copy of the new licence.

Everything was pretty standard except one thing. There was a clause to say that the council had identified 26 homes with spacing issues and they don't meet legal requirements (remember in the summer when the council officer was going round with her tape measure?).

The clause went on to say the council would exempt current occupiers but as soon as the home changes hands, the issues would have to be rectified before anyone else could move in. Imagine the cost and hassle involved in that!

This rang alarm bells with the residents association so we contacted the council immediately. We didn't want to worry anyone unnecessarily so we've been quietly working away on this one in the background trying to get a resolution.

We told the council in no uncertain terms that is unacceptable. Current occupiers (or the people they sell or Will their home to) should not be penalised for spacing issues which aren't their fault.

We have spent a considerable amount of time with the council on this matter. We explained that their stance was unusual because the guidance to council's dealing with historic spacing issues is to draw a line in the sand.

We are pleased to say that the council have now altered the draft licence so that these issues now no longer need to be dealt with during the lifetime of the home.

We don't like to beat our own drum, but had the RA not spotted this in the draft licence, residents would have been unaware of potential issues further down the line. Because of the residents association's intervention, those residents flagged up in the site licence with spacing issues, no longer need to worry if you wanted to sell your home or leave it to someone in your Will.