Dear Sir Steve and Councillors, I know there are many ways in which the the London Borough of Lewisham is trying to respond to the Housing Crisis e.g. with the Landlord Register which I believe has been underway for some time, the use of temporary housing units such as “The Place”, etc and in the past I have written to Officers to ask: 1. Does Lewisham Council plan to set up its own Housing Company in order to borrow money to build more social housing? (http://www.insidehousing.co.uk/fifty-councils-look-to-housing-companies/7011130.article) to which I would be very interested in receiving an answer along with the following related questions all of which have direct relevance to taking action against the current housing crisis: 2. Isn’t it time to change the Planning rules in order to stop new properties being bought by investors and left empty – simply to accumulate profit. As you may know, the London Borough of Islington became the first council in Britain to impose rules to stop flats being left empty. This new planning guidance approved by Islington means that anyone who buys a new-build unit in a development of 20 or more dwellings must be able to prove that the apartment is … Continue reading Time to change planning laws to fine landlords of empty new ‘investor’ homes