Latest news with #HomelessnessReductionAct2017
The Irish Sun
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Unassuming tower block was seen by millions on beloved noughties sitcom – but do YOU recognise it now?
THIS seemingly plain tower block appeared in a hit noughties sitcom - but could you recognise it now? The flats featured in a much-loved British TV show, although it might look a little different to how you remember it. 8 Do you recognise this unassuming tower block? Credit: Deadline 8 Zodiac House has been renovated and now boasts 73 modern flats Credit: © Infinite 3D and shedkm Zodiac House, located in London, They have been taken on by the local authority and are set to be used as temporary accommodation for those facing homelessness. But one of the flats was once home to Mark and Jeremy, in The duo, played by Read More New tenants could retrace Jez and Mark's steps through the two-bedroom home and share conversations in the living room while overlooking "majestic views". One flat hit the market last year, and it boasted an integrated, modern kitchen - a step up from the iconic dingy blue one the Peep Show roommates burnt toast in. The family bathroom was similarly been renovated and a long way from the bathtub Jeremy found himself sleeping in many times. The listing, posted by estate agents Black + Blanc, Bromley on Rightmove read: "This an excellent opportunity to purchase a recently fully refurbished and renovated two-bedroom apartment in the iconic Zodiac Court. Most read in The Sun "The property is an ideal purchase for an individual looking to get onto the property ladder as a first time buyer or a buy to let investor looking to obtain an attractive rental yield." "The owners have been able to refurbish and polish the original parquet flooring, which adds to the character of the property. "The décor is light and airy and will allow a buyer to use their imagination to put their stamp on it." Measuring 792 square feet, the property has two generously sized bedrooms with ample storage in the master and integrated storage in the second. "The apartment is installed with central gas heating, and each room has large gas central heating radiators. "The apartment is integrated with double-glazed windows," the listing added. It was on offer for £300,000 and properties in Croydon had an overall average price of £438,561 over the last year according to Rightmove. 8 It was once home to Mark and Jeremy in Peep Show Credit: Handout 8 The beloved sitcom was filmed inside one of the flats Credit: handout 8 They are now going to be used as temporary accommodation by Croydon Council Credit: Deadline Now, the council have since snapped up Zodiac House as part of their initiative to combat homelessness. The flats will provide a safe space for those waiting for long-term housing. It will also see Croydon Council hit its targets for Homelessness Duty under the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017. There's a mix of two and three-bedroom flats, like the one described above, available. They will all come furnished with the essentials, and there's a 24-hour concierge. Funds are being sourced from the Right to Buy scheme, Local Authority Housing Grants, and borrowing. Jason Perry, Executive Mayor of Croydon, said: 'This is another step in addressing the significant homelessness challenges we face. "The increased demand for services and shortage of accommodation means we have to look at doing things differently, and the purchase of Zodiac House is a good example of this. 'The scheme will give us 73 residential units to support residents facing homelessness. "This will improve the Council's supply of accommodation and reduce spending on expensive temporary arrangements, as well as providing safe and secure homes for our residents.' This comes As a clue, the main character's catchphrase was 'I don't believe it.' The property seen in the classic British comedy The exterior of the terraced property in Christchurch, Dorset, featured heavily in the 1990s show. Meanwhile, Rightmove has revealed the most viewed homes so far in 2025 - including a £59 million townhouse, and an 'historic gem'. The popular property site has something for everyone, whether you're looking for your next home, or simply want to have a bit of a snoop. 8 One of the flats previously hit the market for £300,000 Credit: Deadline 8 There's a mix of two and three-bedroom apartments available 8 They will all come furnished with the essentials, and there's a 24-hour concierge Credit: Peep Show/YouTube
The Independent
28-03-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
MPs back plans giving councils more time to house those at risk of homelessness
Proposals to give local authorities more time to find accommodation for those at risk of homelessness have been supported in the Commons. Conservative MP Bob Blackman said his Homelessness Prevention Bill aims to reduce the risk of people in 'highly vulnerable positions' being forced to sleep rough. Under current rules, local authorities must take reasonable steps to help secure accommodation for any eligible person who is homeless or at risk of homelessness within 56 days. Mr Blackman's private member's Bill proposes to increase the prevention duty timeframe to six months, in addition to placing a requirement on local authorities to keep a record of the steps taken to prevent homelessness. Speaking to the PA news agency, the MP for Harrow East said he was 'delighted' the Bill had passed its second reading, adding: 'I applaud the wisdom of the House in allowing this to get through to being considered further in committee. 'The whole idea is to extend the prevention duties on local authorities from 56 days to six months, so… we don't end up with more people sleeping rough on our streets. 'There's still a long way to go before it comes into law, but I had a meeting with the minister last week where we discussed this in some detail and hopefully, eventually, we will get this on the statute books and ensure that people in highly vulnerable positions that are potentially being forced to sleep rough will be assisted by local authorities instead.' Mr Blackman said the Bill would build on the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017, which he introduced to Parliament in June 2016 to place duties on housing authorities to prevent homelessness. He said 1.4 million people had been assisted as a result of the Act, adding: 'The Homelessness Reduction Act was to reduce the number of people becoming homeless, this is the natural follow-on that says that local authorities basically will have a statutory duty to prevent anyone from becoming homeless.' Elsewhere in the Commons, a Bill which sought to ensure children entering the care system are only placed out of their local areas in exceptional circumstances failed to get Government support. The Looked After Children (Distance Placements) Bill by Labour MP Jake Richards ran out of time on Friday. It would have required councils to collect more information about children who have been placed in distance placements. Local authorities would also have to put together plans to assess the capacity for them to look after children. The Government would need to write a national plan along the same lines. Mr Richards, Rother Valley MP, said he wanted to ensure 'there is good, safe care places in every locality across the country, so that children are not placed miles and miles away from their communities, their families, their schools and their friends'. Mr Richards said freedom of information request data showed nearly 10% of children in care in England are living more than 50 miles from home, and 4% are living more than 100 miles away, with some being placed across national borders in Wales or Scotland. He said: 'These are not decisions taken through incompetence. 'They are a result of a system that lacks capacity, co-ordination and meaningful planning, and the impact on children's lives, their education, their mental health, their relationships is profound. 'This Bill does not ban distant placements, as I've already touched upon there will always be cases where a child must be moved. But what it does say, and says firmly, is that distance should never be the default. It should never be driven by gaps in provision, lack of planning, or market dysfunction.' Responding on behalf of the Government, education minister Janet Daby said: 'I'm clear that a child should only ever be placed far away from their home where it is in their best interest. 'But in the current system we know that the lack of availability and suitable placements in their local area is too often the deciding factor for far too many children being placed in care too far away from their home and their community.' She added that local authorities already have 'an existing duty on them to collect data on out-of-area placements'. She said: 'Since being the minister I've come to realise this data is actually published every year, therefore the proposals in this Bill (are) unlikely to tell us anything new about local authorities sufficiency that will help. 'This data tells us that, on the 31st of March 2024, more than two-thirds of children were placed less than 20 miles from their home, but that 45% of children are placed outside of their local authority boundary. 'This is not good enough, but there are also many situations within these statistics where a placement further away is in the child's best interest, and is part of their care plan.'
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
MPs back plans giving councils more time to house those at risk of homelessness
Proposals to give local authorities more time to find accommodation for those at risk of homelessness have been supported in the Commons. Conservative MP Bob Blackman said his Homelessness Prevention Bill aims to reduce the risk of people in 'highly vulnerable positions' being forced to sleep rough. Under current rules, local authorities must take reasonable steps to help secure accommodation for any eligible person who is homeless or at risk of homelessness within 56 days. Mr Blackman's private member's Bill proposes to increase the prevention duty timeframe to six months, in addition to placing a requirement on local authorities to keep a record of the steps taken to prevent homelessness. Speaking to the PA news agency, the MP for Harrow East said he was 'delighted' the Bill had passed its second reading, adding: 'I applaud the wisdom of the House in allowing this to get through to being considered further in committee. 'The whole idea is to extend the prevention duties on local authorities from 56 days to six months, so… we don't end up with more people sleeping rough on our streets. 'There's still a long way to go before it comes into law, but I had a meeting with the minister last week where we discussed this in some detail and hopefully, eventually, we will get this on the statute books and ensure that people in highly vulnerable positions that are potentially being forced to sleep rough will be assisted by local authorities instead.' Mr Blackman said the Bill would build on the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017, which he introduced to Parliament in June 2016 to place duties on housing authorities to prevent homelessness. He said 1.4 million people had been assisted as a result of the Act, adding: 'The Homelessness Reduction Act was to reduce the number of people becoming homeless, this is the natural follow-on that says that local authorities basically will have a statutory duty to prevent anyone from becoming homeless.' Elsewhere in the Commons, a Bill which sought to ensure children entering the care system are only placed out of their local areas in exceptional circumstances failed to get Government support. The Looked After Children (Distance Placements) Bill by Labour MP Jake Richards ran out of time on Friday. It would have required councils to collect more information about children who have been placed in distance placements. Local authorities would also have to put together plans to assess the capacity for them to look after children. The Government would need to write a national plan along the same lines. Mr Richards, Rother Valley MP, said he wanted to ensure 'there is good, safe care places in every locality across the country, so that children are not placed miles and miles away from their communities, their families, their schools and their friends'. Mr Richards said freedom of information request data showed nearly 10% of children in care in England are living more than 50 miles from home, and 4% are living more than 100 miles away, with some being placed across national borders in Wales or Scotland. He said: 'These are not decisions taken through incompetence. 'They are a result of a system that lacks capacity, co-ordination and meaningful planning, and the impact on children's lives, their education, their mental health, their relationships is profound. 'This Bill does not ban distant placements, as I've already touched upon there will always be cases where a child must be moved. But what it does say, and says firmly, is that distance should never be the default. It should never be driven by gaps in provision, lack of planning, or market dysfunction.' Responding on behalf of the Government, education minister Janet Daby said: 'I'm clear that a child should only ever be placed far away from their home where it is in their best interest. 'But in the current system we know that the lack of availability and suitable placements in their local area is too often the deciding factor for far too many children being placed in care too far away from their home and their community.' She added that local authorities already have 'an existing duty on them to collect data on out-of-area placements'. She said: 'Since being the minister I've come to realise this data is actually published every year, therefore the proposals in this Bill (are) unlikely to tell us anything new about local authorities sufficiency that will help. 'This data tells us that, on the 31st of March 2024, more than two-thirds of children were placed less than 20 miles from their home, but that 45% of children are placed outside of their local authority boundary. 'This is not good enough, but there are also many situations within these statistics where a placement further away is in the child's best interest, and is part of their care plan.'
