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HOUSING BILL RATINGS ARE COSTLY AND BUREAUCRATIC SAY LANDLORDS
THE Government is planning to saddle young tenants in rented properties with compulsory safety features - designed for pensioners and tots.
They could be stuck with bars on upstairs windows - so that toddlers can't fall out. Their baths might be fitted with support handles - to stop the elderly from slipping. And staircases could be fitted with extra wall-mounted railings - to protect the unsteady and infirm.
It's another example of what the Residential Landlords Association condemns as
"gold-plated bureaucracy" in the proposed Housing Bill - which comes up for further committee debate in the House of Lords next week.
The health and safety ratings are among a raft of proposals for the Houses in Multiple Occupancy (HMO) sector. But they are based on risks that don't affect the vast majority of ordinary housing tenants.
The problem is - the Government wants to replace the current fitness standard with a strict new age-based health and safety rating system for HMOs.
So they plan to use the most vulnerable age groups to help decide how rented property should be rated for health and safety and whether or not improvement works can be required. The elderly and young become 'standard' tenants.
For example, if a tenant falls downstairs the assessment is based on an elderly person living in the property. Fire risk surveys will assume young children live there.
But the demographic bears little relation to the real rented property market. A survey of 1,000 landlords, conducted by the Residential Landlords Association, reveals that elderly tenants and kids don't even live in the huge majority of rented HMOs. It shows that only 10.4 per cent of tenants are over 60 and no more than 5.3 per cent are under 14.
The RLA, whose members are responsible for more than 100,000 properties, is now challenging the Government's thinking. "Their proposed assessment does not take account of who actually lives in the property,"
says director Mark Butterworth, "or even if there is no likelihood, at all, of a young or elderly person living there.
One size does not fit all - because most tenants are between 18 and 60. Very few young or elderly people live in HMO accommodation."
The survey puts this at 89.6% tenants under 60 years old and 94.7% over 14 - results which have now been sent to the Government as well as the official Conservative and Liberal oppositions in the House of Lords.
The RLA is pressing for changes to the Housing Bill. "We are all for raising standards,"
says Mark Butterworth, "but reform should be measured, effective and well-advised.
There are dedicated and experienced, professional landlords who are more than willing to be consulted and whose voices carry more experience and authority than many well-funded housing critics who play-up problems for their own ends."
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FROM RED RUM TO REVS: 2004 'FESTIVAL OF MOTORSPORT' AT AINTREE
THIS year's Festival of Motorsport at Aintree Racecourse, organised by marketing company CCUK Media, celebrates 50 years of 'The Liverpool Circuit' motor racing facility within the course, and raises money for three local charities. Hosted by Stirling Moss, Tony Brooks and Roy Salvadori, the event takes place on Friday 19 to Sunday 21 November.
On the Friday, a range of motorsports takes over the entire Aintree facility, including the 20,000 capacity stands, hospitality suites, and historic Grand Prix Track. On the Saturday and Sunday, motorsport meets horsepower for an afternoon of static displays combined with the traditional steeplechasing for which Aintree is renowned!
Unlike the Grand National, the Festival of Motorsport is non-competitive. However, for a small fee, guests can bring a vehicle and drive it at speed on the 3 Mile Grand Prix Circuit for the first time in 20 years - to the day! The circuit was first used in 1954 and last in Nov 1984 for The Lombard RAC International Rally.
The Festival of Motorsport offers fun for all the family. Attractions include exhibitions, competitions and displays; colourful parades; vintage, historic, and contemporary vehicles; shopping for racing enthusiasts; games, and a crèche for younger visitors.
The event also provides corporate hospitality options. Two gala dinners, hosted by Stirling Moss, celebrate the occasion and help raise funds for local charities - Liverpool Habitat for Humanity, Give a Child a Chance, and the Echo Sunrise Fund. The VIP Legends Dinner on Friday 19 features a champagne reception, a silent auction of motorsport memorabilia, and spectacular prizes. It is followed on Saturday 20 by the Enthusiast Dinner.
Gary Millar of CCUK Media comments:- "We're putting Aintree back on the map as a venue for motoring events throughout the year, rather than simply home of the Grand National. Our aim is to run the Festival annually and, ultimately, reopen the circuit for motor racing. In 1954, a journalist from the Daily Telegraph wrote, 'Aintree - a Mecca of motor sport'. To revisit this 50 years on would be a poignant and fitting achievement!"
The major names in motoring - Bentley, Mercedes, Jaguar Racing, MG, Austin Healey, TVR, Lotus, etc. - are confirmed as attending this year's Festival of Motorsport. The event will be the first of five annual Festivals, leading up to 2008.
Those who are interested in sponsorship and hospitality packages or bringing a vehicle to the event should visit www.afms.info or contact Mike Ashcroft on 07821 230961
More information
next week.
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