1st March 2010

Public Consultation - Park Home Sites and Private Sector Housing Enforcement Policy

Public Consultations

Park Home Sites and Private Sector Housing Enforcement Policy

Have Your Say on two important housing issues:

- Park Home Sites

- Private Sector Housing Enforcement Policy

The Council is responsible for ensuring standards are maintained in Bournemouth’s Private Sector Housing. We want to know what you think of some new documents that set out what the Council expects landlords, tenants and owners to do, and what service you can expect from us.

Model Standards 2008 for Caravan Sites in England

The Council is responsible for licensing the nine mobile home parks in Bournemouth to ensure the health, safety and welfare of residents. Standards of site operation are governed by site licence conditions that the Council attaches to the site licences. The Government produces Model Standards, setting out what is considered to be good practice and Bournemouth’s existing site licence conditions are being reviewed in line with the latest standards. We want to make sure that we get the views of all people with an interest in this issue, so that we know what they think of the Model Standards - is what they require reasonable, or unreasonable?

The Private Sector Housing Enforcement and Prosecution Policy

This explains how the Council will regulate standards in private housing in Bournemouth. Our aim is to raise standards in housing by working with owners, landlords, letting agents and tenants. However, if the law is broken then enforcement action may be necessary to protect the public and the environment. In our policy we want to be fair, give help and advice to achieve our aim but we must also be firm in taking enforcement action if appropriate. Does the draft policy do this?

Read and comment on either of these documents at: http://www.bournemouth.gov.uk/business/Public_Protection/Healthy_Homes/default.asp

The final date for comments is 19th March 2010.

If you would like any further information about this consultation, or paper copies of the documents, please contact me as below.

Yours sincerely,

Neil Short

Policy Development Manager - Environmental Health and Consumer Services