Selective Licensing Scheme Evaluation, re-designated Area Central Bensham

The re-designated area covers a redefined area within an expired licensing scheme within Central Bensham. This area was re-designated to allow continued close working with landlords, residents and tenants where there was a potential likelihood that without the ongoing regulation of licensing, standards are likely to return to pre-licensing practices.

(Figure 10 Map of SLL Area Central Bensham re-designated area)

The licensing area is defined within the red lined area in the figure above. The area consists of 314 dwellings in total. 62% of these properties are privately rented.

Of the remaining tenure, 23% of the properties are owner occupied and 11% of the properties were exempt from the licensing scheme. The remaining 4% were split between empty properties and properties where the licence had been revoked.

Property type

The properties are primarily traditional pre 1919 terraced blocks consisting of ground and first floor flats commonly known as Tyneside Flats. The majority of the properties have rear off-shoot extensions to provide kitchen and bathrooms and small rear yards giving access to rear lanes.

Tenure

The tenure in the area is a mixture of privately rented properties, owner occupiers, and a small proportion of registered housing providers and charitable housing providers. 

Tenure split of properties in re-designation of Central Bensham 

Levels of deprivation 

Central Benham is ranked within the top 30% deprived areas in the country based on the Multiple Index of Deprivation which is a combination of a number of indices that provides an overall score for the relative level of multiple deprivation experienced in every neighbourhood within England. The Selective Landlord Licensing area was ranked in the top 10% most deprived areas in the country, and it is ranked 54th in 2019 out of 317 local authorities. 

Legislative Framework

The Housing Act 2004 (part 3) provides the Council with the enforcement powers to introduce Selective Licensing. The re-designation of Central Bensham was designated under the following criteria:

• low housing demand (or is likely to become such an area) and a significant and persistent problem caused by anti-social behaviour.

Selective Licensing requires that any person wishing to rent out a property in a designated licensing area must first obtain a licence from the Council (subject to a number of exemptions). If order for a licence to be granted the Council must be satisfied that the proposed Licence Holder is a "fit and proper person" and that there are satisfactory management arrangements in place and the property meets all the required standards. 

Selective Licensing is intended to be just one tool available to the Council and it is not a stand-alone solution for every issue affecting a neighbourhood. Therefore, the The Housing Act 2004 (opens new window) requires the Council to identify how Selective Landlord Licensing will work alongside other measures that forms part of an overall strategic approach. 

Alternative courses of action considered

Under Section 81 of the Housing Act 2004 (opens new window) the Council must consider whether there are any other courses of action available to them (of whatever nature) that might provide an effective method of achieving the objectives that the designation of the Selective Licensing Scheme is intended to achieve and must consider that making the designation will significantly assist the Council in achieving the objectives of the scheme.

The overall aim of the designation of a Selective Licensing Scheme is to improve the management of the private rented sector (PRS) to reduce low housing demand and reduce the levels of ASB associated with privately rented properties.

The Private Sector Housing Team have been at the forefront of improving the housing stock across the Borough. The team have been involved in many different interventions to drive up standards and help the neighbourhoods around Bensham thrive. The Council have also worked in partnership with other agencies both internal and external to tackle issues within the area.