I was living in council accommodation 10 years ago with my ex-wife and were in a 3 bedroom flat on the glorious, (not), Ibscott close and waiting for a 4 bedroom house to be 'found' by this council. This went on for 3 years until my situation got so bad and depressing that it caused a breakdown of my marriage. Time went on and i met a new woman, we set up home together and i made sure i kept full contact with my 2 boys and 2 girls from my marriage. After a few years me and my new wife went on to have 2 children (a boy and a girl)in our 2 bedroom house. One day my ex-wife decided to send the children to school and MOVE HOME abandoning the 4 children at school.It goes without saying on the day they were 'dumped' by their mother they moved in with myself, my wife and 2 young children. We are now a family of 6 children that have been 'squeezed into a 3 bedroom maisonette. We have 2 boys aged 16 and 11 in one bedroom / 2 girls aged 15 and 12 in another bedroom and in the 3rd bedroom there is myself, my wife and our 2 other children ages 5 years and 2 years. I am non - stop onto the local authority about our application for bigger accommodation but all i am told is there are not 'physically the properties available' to give families like mine as there is a major and severe problem with elderly couples under-occupying what large accommodation there is. Don't get me wrong i have no problem with people that want to stay in the home they have lived in for years but i feel the local authority should have more powers to move people into smaller accommodation when the situation gets to the stage it has with the lack of suitable property. Let's be fair there are a lot of young and older people in properties much too big for their needs but most of these people have bought the property and have the right to be under- occupied. What frustrates myself and many other people i have spoken to is where someone has been given a property by the council when they had a family, never bought it and will not 'move over' and give someone else a chance. They are 'nursed' by the council, given suitable accommodation for their family size then refuse to move out when their family have all left home. I strongly believe that if a person relies on the council to accommodate them they should be decent enough to move to smaller accommodation when they severely under- occupy the same property, ie have 3 bedrooms too many as i have been informed about in respect of an elderly couple within this borough.
It is time the law was change in respect of the 'secure of tenure' to allow the larger families within the borough to live in suitable accommodation and not be left like sardines in a tin.
I am told by this borough that there is a new 'initiative scheme' being introduced whereby the coucil will offer under- occupied tenants a cash incentive to move into smaller accommodation.
It appears it is going to be an uphill struggle for this borough because although they are aware of the tenants that under- occupy, they are NOT allowed by law to write to them with there incentive ideas under the 'secure of tenure' laws and regulations.

My final thought is : Perhaps one day my family will be assisted by this borough, until then it's good to have a dream !!!

Ian

Over crowding is one of the main concerns and i am in total agreement with your views and hopefully giving these people a cash incentive will hurry the process along.

My main issue however is the LACK of 3 bedroom plus properties. There have been and still is several new housing developements within the Barking and Dagenham area, but none are aimed at people with more than 3 bedrooms required.

Take a look at all new housing developements and see how many advertise 1 & 2 Bedroom properties, somewhere you may see 3 bedrooms, but you will be lucky to see any four bedroom properties.

Barking and Dagenham Council will not invest in any type of refurbishment to increase property size, ( i know i have asked and they replied that they do not entertain such programs).

Why does the council or people responsible for planning permission and building these new homes add a few four bedroom places.

Simple, Barking and Dagenham is looking towards the future when this area becomes more upmarket, and as you all know , 1 and 2 apartments are more economical to build, rent and lease, and hey , who wants to live next door to six screaming kids.

I dont believe for one minute that this Council has any plans to increase the number of four bedroom properties, and people like you and i Ian are destined to be over crowded and have our kids lack in the fundamental developing skills ( like adolescence )for all to see.