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Mayor Anna Berent |
Council letter on housing list could spark fury, warns mayor
ISLINGTON’S mayor Anna Berent has clashed with her own officials who are threatening to take people off the housing list if they don’t reply to a planned letter within three weeks.
The letter is likely to cause “fury and dismay” says the mayor who wants to see the final version before it is sent.
She fired off her fears in an email to all councillors. The letter, which has not been seen by councillors, is due to be posted soon to everyone on the 13,000-strong housing list.
The wording on the council’s own consultation webpage already warns “anyone that has not responded by (July 1) will be removed from the housing register”.
This has provoked fury from residents and Labour councillor James Murray, who is demanding an assurance that no one will be wiped off the list if they fail to reply in time.
He added that such an important letter should have been signed off by an executive member.”
But council leader Terry Stacy, who has ordered the reply deadline to be extended, said: “I employ a corporate director of housing and adult social services and I’ve every trust in him being able to sign off a letter to our residents. I’ve already asked the director to extend the reply date.” Anyone wiped off the register would be kept on a parallel list for a year, he added.
In her email Mayor Berent warned: “There is, unfortunately, something of a history of letters being received that appear to the recipients to have an accusatory one, and these are liable to cause both fury and dismay.”
Mayor Berent said yesterday (Thursday) it would be “ludicrous” for every single letter to be signed off by councillors but added: “What’s necessary is a slightly greater awareness on the part of officers. The intention is not to threaten, it’s to inform.”
But others fear the move is a cynical ploy to cull the list.
Mo Mes, who has been on the list since 2003, said: “They’re doing this to cut down the numbers. Some people will be away or on holiday, others might not get the letter at all and many don’t read English. It’s unfair.” |
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