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London council takes back homes leased to Mears following ‘historical issues’
Newham Council has announced it will transfer back into council control a number of temporary accommodation homes that are being leased to the contractor Mears, following “historical issues” of management.
Around 250 properties in Custom House and Canning Town will be affected by the change. The homes form part of a wider regeneration area and will eventually be demolished and replaced.
Newham mayor Rokhsana Fiaz described the relationship between the council and Mears as “difficult” and said residents have had “historical issues” with the contractor.
Mears was first appointed to manage the homes as temporary accommodation in 2011. A spokesperson for the organisation said “it was never intended that these homes scheduled for demolition should be used for such a period of time”.
Residents of the blocks have previously reported issues including brown water running from the taps, asbestos, and roof and window leaks.
Mears said that some of these issues were caused by the “poor fabric of the building” and that Newham Council had responsibility for some of the repairs as the buildings’ freeholder.
Every current Mears tenant will now receive a homelessness assessment from Newham Council. Those who the council determines it has a duty to house will be allowed to either stay in their current home, or will be offered alternative temporary accommodation.
The council said it will carry out the handback of properties in batches and will prioritise cases where the property condition is poor.
Work will be carried out by the council to ensure the properties are in good condition once all the blocks in which the homes are situated are surveyed.
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Residents who live in temporary accommodation managed by Newham Council have their rent set at social rent levels. This is cheaper than the sub-market rent being charged by Mears, which was set at Local Housing Allowance rates.
A Mears representative said the rent levels in the block were set by Newham Council.
Newham Council aims to deliver 3,500 homes, of which 50% will be for social rent, on council-owned land in Canning Town and Custom House over the next 15 years.
Ms Fiaz said: “This marks a real victory for the residents who have had historical issues with the management of the property by Mears, which I have been committed to address from the time I was a councillor in Custom House.
“Since becoming the mayor of Newham in May 2018, officers have worked tremendously hard with residents to address these issues, by challenging Mears to meet their responsibilities and now we’ve come up with an acceptable solution which causes minimum disruption for tenants.
“It has been an extremely complicated deal to secure, and I am grateful to the residents who have shown such patience as we worked towards this outcome, which I believe meets our agenda of acceptable housing management provision that meets our standards.”
Alan Long, executive director at Mears, said: “I am deeply saddened that the residents of Custom House have been the victims of political indecision and electoral promises which could not have been delivered.
“I hope that Newham will now be able to start the much-needed regeneration of the area to develop the homes needed in their borough.”
