Sex offenders face living-in-a-council home ban

Convicted sex offenders will be banned from a council home under new plans set for consideration in Warwickshire.

The Reform UK-run cabinet at Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council has approved an update to the eligibility criteria for those applying for a house in the area, although it needs to be ratified by full council.

An update to its Housing Allocation Policy that says anyone convicted of a serious sexual offence would be automatically barred from being considered.

However, the authority - which manages more than 5,600 homes in the borough - said claims foreign nationals were also banned from council accommodation were incorrect, though eligibility has been tightened up.

The policy was altered at a meeting of the Nuneaton and Bedworth cabinet on 9 September.

In full, the wording states: "Persons convicted of serious sexual offences or subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), Sexual Risk Order (SRO), Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO), or successor legislation, where the Council determines the behaviour renders them unsuitable to be a tenant."

Among the changes is also an update to restrict foreign nationals from joining the housing register in Nuneaton and Bedworth.

The council said this was to "reflect existing statutory requirements" under current national legislation, which restricts people who are ineligible under the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996, and is not a blanket ban on foreign nationals getting a house.

In a statement James Bartlett, portfolio holder for housing, said "The residents of Nuneaton and Bedworth who rely on council housing and those that are patiently waiting on the council housing register have been let down and ignored for far too long.

"These proposed amendments are intended to ensure that our Housing Allocations Policy remains fair, transparent and legally compliant.

"The changes provide greater clarity for applicants and strengthen our ability to make balanced decisions that take account of individual circumstances, community safety and our statutory responsibilities to those in housing need."

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