Rotherham faces judicial review over selective licensing scheme

A group of landlords in Rotherham have threatened the embattled council with judicial review proceedings over its decision to introduce selective licensing in four designated areas from 1 May this year.

Earlier this month the Communities Secretary, Eric Pickles, announced plans to send in a team of five commissioners to run Rotherham MBC as part of an intervention package put together after a damning inspection by Louise Casey.

The council’s Leader resigned immediately after the Secretary of State’s announcement, while the members of its Cabinet said they intended to resign once transitional arrangements were put in place.

The National Landlords Association wrote to Pickles earlier this month (6 February) calling for Rotherham’s decision in December 2014 to implement selective licensing to be overturned.

The Association said there should be an evidence-based review and further consultation with key stakeholders and local residents.

Any final decision could then be taken by a new council in 2016, it argued. That will be when an all-out election will be held in Rotherham under Pickles' intervention package.

The NLA is to hold a meeting of landlords in Rotherham today (23 February) to update them on the judicial review.

Carl Agar, NLA representative, said: “These are uncertain times for landlords in Rotherham. With the council in special measures, its decision making must be called into question.

“As such, the local landlord community has decided to take the matter to judicial review, so we strongly recommend attending this meeting to get a sense of what the future of the private rented sector in Rotherham will look like and how landlords will be affected.”

Rotherham's director of housing and neighbourhoods, Dave Richmond, said: "The authority has received the initial documentation notifying us of a potential legal challenge from the Rotherham Action Group and this is now being considered by our legal department."