Council unveils plans to limit HMOs in city
4 years ago | 1 comments
Selective licensing? If I were a criminal…
9:24 AM, 31st August 2022, 4 years ago
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Hello everyone, If I were a criminal I would run a protection racket as a source of funds. It produces a steady income stream with little risk of being caught and requires less actual violence than, for example, robbery or drug dealing.
Local businesses would agree to pay my ‘insurance premium’ and in return I would not bother them. They’d find it cheaper to pay the charge than risk suffering the catastrophic consequences of not complying.
The majority of businesses would pay even if it reduces their viability: okay, there might be some ongoing collateral damage but that’s not my problem. Of course, ‘pour encourager les autres’, it would be necessary from time to time actually to destroy the business of those who are foolish enough to fail to pay.
However, because of the built-in incentive to fall into line, this is not a sanction one would have to apply often and therefore it is an enterprise that involves very little work. The downside is that, however well you implement it, a protection racket is always illegal.
If I were a council I would run a selective licensing scheme as a source of funds. It produces a steady income stream with little risk of generating adverse publicity or being taken to court.
Local landlords would agree to pay my ‘administrative charge’ and in return I would not bother them. They’d find it cheaper to pay the charge than risk suffering the catastrophic consequences of not complying.
The majority of landlords would pay even if it reduces their viability: okay, there might be some ongoing collateral damage but that’s not my problem. Of course, ‘pour encourager les autres’, it would be necessary from time to time actually to destroy the business of those who are foolish enough to fail to pay.
However, because of the built-in incentive to fall into line, this is not a sanction one would have to apply often and therefore it is an enterprise that involves very little work. The upside is that, so long as it is implemented properly, a selective licensing scheme is perfectly legal!
Steve
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Member Since August 2014 - Comments: 336
6:41 PM, 4th September 2022, About 4 years ago
Although the money raised by the scheme is supposed to be ringfenced, the practicalities are that it is not. In Nottingham they used some of the money to sponsor the local Caribbean carnival, claiming that they needed to ‘engage’ with this particular community as they were under represented as tenants. Also, where staff in other council depts are on long term sick, they can administratively assign them roles within Selective Licensing so that their salaries are funded, despite them not being there. They can buy office space, desks, equipment, vehicles, pay pension contributions, training courses, hospitality costs, all from the ‘ringfenced’ monies. Supposedly for the purposes of Selective Licensing, but who actually ensures that the training being delivered, or the office space being rented is solely and exclusively necessary for Licensing? It is quite possible that every member of staff who works within the council are seconded to the Licensing dept at precisely the same time that they attend their gender awareness or diversity course. Nottingham City Council syphoned off £15m which was ‘ringfenced’ for social housing and spent it elsewhere.
Selective Licensing is an additional income stream for the council, and nothing more.
Member Since September 2018 - Comments: 3538 - Articles: 5
9:21 AM, 6th September 2022, About 4 years ago
I’d love it if a SL TENENT wrote to them asking how they spent their money…..
LC’s a law unto themselves, no accountability all hiding in plain sight.
Member Since September 2018 - Comments: 3538 - Articles: 5
9:22 AM, 6th September 2022, About 4 years ago
we need a Panorama programme on SL and an investigation as to where the money goes….
Member Since August 2014 - Comments: 336
9:27 AM, 6th September 2022, About 4 years ago
Reply to the comment left by DSR at 06/09/2022 – 09:21
Anyone can make a Freedom of Information request, but you will never be able to untangle exactly how money is spent as you won’t get access to the precise activity that individual members of staff are engaged in, or which office they are sat in, or what each mile travelled was used for etc.
Member Since April 2017 - Comments: 225
9:25 PM, 18th September 2022, About 4 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Jonathan at 31/08/2022 – 15:52
Yes but that was only a projection (and on something they have never done before?) so how on earth would they know the licence applications would reduce to a dribble? If that were to happen wouldn’t that be an indication that they haven’t been doing their job properly?