At a time of austerity and local government cuts, Croydon Council could be forgiven for welcoming any money being paid out by Westminster - no matter how small the amount.
Last week, a council press release trumpeted the news that Croydon would be one of 48 local authorities to benefit from a £5m grant intended to help crack down on dodgy landlords.
In ambitious tones, the release proclaimed that the grant money, announced by housing minister Brandon Lewis, would be used to develop a "groundbreaking" new database to track housing fraud in both private and social rented housing.
Alison Butler, cabinet member for homes, said the database would be a "valuable addition" to the council's recently introduced landlord licensing scheme, and expressed gratitude that "the Government recognises the work Croydon is doing in this field."
Croydon's share of the £5m windfall to help kickstart this ambitious project? £15,000 - the second-lowest allocation in the country.
Other London boroughs benefitting from Mr Lewis's largesse include Lewisham (£151,378) and Enfield, which will get a £360,000 share of the grant.
The amount being paid to Croydon, London's most populous borough, represents 0.3 per cent of the total grant money.
Only Derby City Council - a city with a population 100,000 fewer than Croydon - will receive less.
Croydon Council has said the new database will use a software called 'i-Latch' to allow estate agents to check whether a property has a Croydon Council landlord licence, or whether it is being sublet illegally.
The council's £750 landlord licences were pushed through by the cabinet last year a fortnight before the Government introduced legislation that would effectively ban their introduction.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel