by Adam Williams
awilliams@thekmgroup.co.uk

Julian Brazier hopes changes to government policy will make it easier to evict “neighbours from hell”.

The Canterbury and Whitstable MP has lobbied housing minister Grant Shapps and justice minister Kenneth Clarke for greater powers to curb anti-social behaviour among tenants.

Mr Brazier drew particular attention to the achievements of East Kent Housing, the body set up earlier this year to manage local housing stock in Canterbury, Dover, Shepway and Thanet.

He said: “We need to make it much easier for homes to be repossessed.

“This will not, I believe, lead to a large number of evictions, as all the evidence is that a single well-publicised eviction makes a huge difference to the behaviour of troublemakers in a whole community.

“Anti-social behaviour is wrecking the lives of decent families and is sadly on the increase, despite the best efforts of housing associations and local councils.”

One proposal would be handing courts less discretion in stopping an eviction following a breach of a previous measure to prevent anti-social behaviour.

Brendan Ryan, chief executive of East Kent Housing, revealed 29 evictions, including five in Canterbury, have been carried out since they took control in April.

He said: “The level of proof required by courts places an unreasonable burden on neighbours required to give evidence.

“Delays in the court system mean people who are prepared to stick their heads above the parapet suffer the risk of intimidation.

“We believe the courts should be able to accept greater reliance on evidence from third parties, such as housing officers and police community support officers.

"Currently courts insist on first-hand accounts from neighbours.”

East Kent Housing stress they view eviction as a last resort and look first at other measures to mediate, including injunctions and demoted tenancies.

Mr Ryan added: “It’s only the more serious cases that proceed to court and such cases are usually so extreme, they have far-reaching effects on a whole neighbourhood.

“Very often there are two sides to the story. We need to be very careful there is genuine anti-social behaviour going on and not just a dispute between two neighbours.”

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