HARLOW MP Robert Halfon is urging a range of measures to urgently address the “cramped conditions” and anti-social behaviour at Harlow’s office-block conversions, including Terminus House and Templefields.

In his latest strongly-worded letter to the Housing Minister, he has highlighted the spike in anti-social behaviour and social harm caused by out-of-area placements of vulnerable individuals by certain London Labour Councils into Harlow says the MP.

Further to his letter, Mr Halfon also took this to the Secretary of State for Housing, holding an urgent meeting with Robert Jenrick MP, during which he voiced his concerns and made a number of proposals to tackle the issues.

In addition to campaigning for tougher powers for local authorities to address these problems, he has called for enforceable minimum space standards for properties and measures to prevent overcrowding, as well as an independent adjudicator to assess that any new office-to-residential conversion is in a suitable location and with access to amenities, transport links and schools.

Mr Halfon has also noted that a number of London Labour Councils have been placing vulnerable individuals out-of-area into “temporary” social housing in Harlow, in what he has described as an act of “social cleansing”.

He has proposed an obligation be placed on local authorities “to consider the social and mental well-being of tenants when placing individuals or families in social housing” and “penalties” for those that place tenants in “inappropriate homes”.

Mr Halfon has been working with a Harlow resident and planning consultant, Ms Rebekah Paczek, to make representations to the Government about permitted development rights, used by developers to convert office buildings into residential dwellings.

Following the meeting with the Housing Secretary, Mr Halfon said: “I’ve been working hard in Parliament and locally to address the concerns of residents about the converted office blocks in the town centre and on industrial estates Harlow.

“Last week, I had a very long meeting with the Housing Secretary of State, who came to Harlow late last year, to discuss permitted development rights, poor quality housing and anti-social behaviour in Harlow.

“These are not ‘homes’. Vulnerable individuals are housed by predominantly London authorities next door to families – families who live in tiny rooms with their bathroom just metres away from where they sleep. Many of these buildings are completely isolated, with no proper transport links, shops or amenities. Our local resources, schools, police and social services in Harlow are put under enormous pressure.

“I have called on the Government for urgent action, stronger powers to address the anti-social behaviour and hostile environments at some of these converted office blocks, proper space standards for homes and a requirement that local authorities consider the mental and physical well-being of tenants before placing individuals in social housing.

“During our meeting, I received assurances from the Secretary of State that these proposals will be looked at with urgency.”

We have invited the leader of Harlow Council, Mark Ingall to respond.