Licensing scheme dropped after 'Tory revolt'...

A proposed selective landlord licensing scheme has been pulled after Conservative councillors could not agree on how it could move forward.

Plans for the scheme in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, were shelved earlier this month when a vote in favour of the scheme was lost at a private councillors' meeting.

The Ely Standard reports that the Fenland Council cabinet - which has a considerable Conservative majority - felt it had no option but to abandon the original recommendation for a licensing scheme.

Instead it was agreed at a Fenland District Council meet last week that a 'task force' will now be set up to explore different ways of clamping down on rental sector problems in Wisbech.

The proposed scheme would have seen approximately 2,400 rental properties across seven Wisbech districts brought under licensing.

Landlords would have been required to purchase five-year licences for £575 and pass a fit and proper persons test.

A consultation last summer received 438 survey responses and 67 emails, while there were 14 community events held about selective licensing.

Just shy of 50% of respondents were in favour of the proposed scheme, with 43% against and 32 respondents (7.5%) saying they didn't know.

Some 85% of landlords taking part in the consultation survey were against a selective licensing scheme being introduced.

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