These households were moved more than the distance of Folkestone to Moscow.
Add in the 16 households sent to Durham and that makes 258 households sent elsewhere; and as such flouted the guidance. Together these 258 households have been moved a total of around 7,278 miles away from their local areas, the equivalent of a train journey from Folkestone to Vladivostok in Siberia.
This issue of households being moved in and out of the Folkestone & Hythe District, was first raised by former District Cllr Mary Lawes (pictured). All to frequently she asked former Cabinet Member for Housing, Cllr Alan Ewart James about the numbers of households being placed into our district, and sent away from our district.
Cllr Lawes was told the council never recorded these figures and that other authorities didn’t always notify the council. We now understand why they never recorded them. Her persistence and tenaciousness in wanting to know the figures paid off and the council began collecting and recording the data because of her.
By Sept 2019 the Council had spent close to £55 million on acquiring properties in our district and beyond, yet moved 258 households.
It is clear to us the Council are more intent in looking after their property portfolio than the people who live in the district.
A documentary about these issues will be aired tomorrow on ITV: Ross Kemp: Living With ‘Forced Out’ Families, Thursday 2 July at 7.30pm.
In my time at FHDC in the Housing Department we did NOT inform Local Authorities we were sending our homeless people into their districts or counties. I worked there long enough to know what the Shepwayvox Team is saying is 100% true. Thanks for highlighting this.
As one of those 16 households sent to Durham, the local council did NOT know we were coming.
At the time we were sent I understand there were in excess of 20 empty East Kent Housing properties in the Folkestone district. I only discovered this after we were sent.
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In my time at FHDC in the Housing Department we did NOT inform Local Authorities we were sending our homeless people into their districts or counties. I worked there long enough to know what the Shepwayvox Team is saying is 100% true. Thanks for highlighting this.
As one of those 16 households sent to Durham, the local council did NOT know we were coming.
At the time we were sent I understand there were in excess of 20 empty East Kent Housing properties in the Folkestone district. I only discovered this after we were sent.