Multi-Agency Enforcement & Beds in Sheds - Russell Moffatt & Paul Mishkin

Multi-Agency Enforcement & Beds in
              Sheds

            Russell Moffatt &
             Paul Mishkin

Newham Context

•   308k residents (growing)            •   Second worst income
•   Most diverse place on the               deprivation borough in UK
    planet (probably)                   •   The/or one of the most
•   Young and vibrant                       overcrowded boroughs
•   Fantastic regeneration and          •   Serious lack of affordable
    investment - billions                   housing = rents £1500+ pm
•   Universities, airport, Olympics,    •   Massive housing demand -
    Excel,                                  30K+ people on our waiting list
•   Private Rented Sector = 40K         •   Shed with Beds Explosion
•   Major transport connections –       •   “Ground Zero for the current
    multiple train lines + cross rail       Housing Crisis”
    + CTLR                              •   High crime, ASB and disorder
                                            rates
                                        •   50% non decent and 2-3K
                                            rogue/criminal landlords

                                                  Slide 2

Deprivation

              Slide 3

Crime

        Slide 4

Re-think

•   Not making progress with old
    approach – Notice serving and
    complaints (1300) - Major re-think!!

•   Resulted in a shift from standards
    to behaviour change

•   Criminal landlords are generally
    non compliant across the spectrum,
    part 1, overcrowding, planning
    breaches etc

•   Pilot - 75% of landlords who fail to
    license also require a statutory
    notice

•   Al Capone approach

•   Focus on seeking criminal
    convictions where we detect
    housing crimes
                                           Slide 5

Where it fits in
                         HMOs

                                   Multi-Agency
             Licensing
                                   Enforcement

                         Sheds
                          with
                         Beds

                                 Slide 6

Shift

•   Intelligence led interventions and
    inspections to detect housing
    crimes and gather evidence

•   Failure to licence, HMO
    Management Regulations and
    breach of Licensing Conditions –
    simplest crimes to prosecute +
    biggest bang per £££

•   Opens the door to RROs, POCA,
    and “fit and proper” evidence

•   Only possible with the support
    enforcement partners, Police

•   Push with as much publicity as
    possible – BBC, ITV etc

                                         Slide 7

Multi Agency Enforcement

•   Working together to become
    greater than the some of our parts

•   Powers are used to compliment
    each other – powers of entry +

•   Used across all enforcement
    services in Newham

•   Meaningfully support from the very
    top - cultural change at the
    practitioner level

•   Still some bumps in the road!

•   Grown organically over a 2/3 year
    period

                                         Slide 8

The Team

•   L.B. Newham
     – Licensing Team
     – Planning Enforcement
     – Environmental Health
     – Trading Standards
     – Fraud
     – CTax/Benefits
     – ASB Teams

•   Met Police
•   CID
•   UKBA
•   Fire Brigade
•   HMRC
     – Inland Revenue
     – Hidden Economy Team

                              Slide 9

What we actually do together

•   Carry out inspection/operation
    together, commercial or residential
    based on intelligence

•   Target properties where crime is
    being generated

•   Target individuals &.business who
    generate crime

•   Share intelligence and design
    interventions

•   Develop the a communications
    strategy together

                                          Slide 10

Mechanics

•   Regularly meet with partners to
    build trust and understanding

•   Knowledge who, how, what, when,
    why is important

•   Important to establish who has
    what powers

•   Most operations are carried
    between 7-9am or 6-9pm

•   Prepare intelligence packs before
    we head out

                                        Slide 11

Benefits

•   Holistic approach to deal with a
    wide range of criminality

•   Al Capone approach – focus down
    on particular individuals – drive
    them out of Newham

•   Access to partner resources (PCN,
    car checks etc)

•   Provides consistent access into
    HMO ( unannounced nearly every
    time)

•   Learn new approach
    enforcement/investigations (CID)

•   Show the community that housing
    crimes and other crimes will not be
    tolerated

                                          Slide 12

Challenges

•   Requires a significant investment of
    time and effort

•   A cultural shift is required to bring
    different professionals together

•   MA is based on trust - trust is divest
    in individuals - not the service as a
    whole, therefore is trust is broken
    so is MA

•   1/2 officers responsible for all MA
    coordination –leave/sick etc

•   Those leading the MA liaison must
    be a people person – if not expect
    some problems!

•   Mutual benefit – e.g. HMOs and
    illegal immigration

                                             Slide 13

Sheds with Beds

•   Families living in sheds – outrageous

•   Criminals are also hiding out in sheds

•   Landlords knowingly renting shed

•   Political pressure (local and national) and
    public general outcry for action (rightly)

•   Major issue – but scale of issue not
    known –1000?

•   Limited powers available to LA, either
    Town & Country Planning Act or Housing
    Act

•   Not an “offence” for landlord to put tenant
    in shed (unless prohibition notice in
    place)

•   Beginning to pioneer the use Demolition
    Orders – 6 served, 2 appealed

Case Study 1
•   The real thing, a bed in a shed:

All mod cons, rustic atmosphere

Reliable power supply …

MACA

•   Enforcement guidance referred to as well as liaison with
    Planning Enforcement Officer.
•   Joint visit was undertaken, enforcement action coordinated; 1
    set of searches carried out, 1 visit carried out, complete
    reduction in amount of officer time taken to assess and reach
    agreement of how to deal with.
•   Planning enforcement notice served, shed is 2 years old.
•   Demolition Order decided as MACA as risk of being re-
    occupied if Prohibition Order chosen.

Case study 2

Guess the Hazard

Questions?

             Slide 21

Time for a break,
refreshments outside.