50 landlords join licence battle

LANDLORDS in Hathershaw have stepped up their campaign against a new licensing scheme being introduced to the area.

Over 50 landlords and 100 residents have signed a petition against the scheme following the first meeting of the Hathershaw Landlords Association on Sunday.

Local landlord and agent Saghira Hussain has been elected as the chair of the association with over 40 people attending the inaugural meeting.

The Chronicle reported on Friday how the group branded the new Selective Licensing Scheme, being brought into place to raise standards and cut down anti-social behaviour, as a stealth tax on property leasers. Under the scheme landlords will be charged up to £441 for their first property and up to £391 for all subsequent properties.

This then rises to over £500 and up to £641 in fees and penalties if not paid within three and six months. If landlords refuse to get a licence they could then face a fine of up to £20,000.

Councillor Dave Hibbert has robustly defended the scheme, being piloted in the Hathershaw area. He said a well-publicised and detailed consultation was carried out with positive feedback.