Parents in Dudley who fail to control their children could face eviction from their council homes under a proposed new crackdown on anti-social behaviour.
A 'Toughest in England' Approach
Council leader, Cllr Patrick Harley, made a firm commitment to the policy during a meeting of the authority's Housing and Assets Scrutiny Committee on January 15. He described the planned measures as potentially being 'one of the toughest of any council in England'.
The policy is part of the council's wider spending plans for the next financial year and will be presented to the cabinet for approval. It includes a dual approach: offering support to struggling families while taking strong action against those deemed negligent.
Support for Some, Eviction for Others
During the committee debate, Cllr Caroline Reid raised concerns about families who might be unable to control teenagers due to disability or health issues, questioning how they would be protected.
Cllr Harley acknowledged this distinction. He stated the policy would provide help for 'parents who need help because their kids are unmanageable'. However, he was unequivocal about another group, saying: 'There are also parents who don't give a damn what their children are getting up to... if you are the tenant and you don't give a damn, we will take measures against you because you are responsible for the actions of your child.'
The ultimate sanction would be taking tenants to court to seek possession of their home, a process Cllr Harley admitted would be a 'gamble' and constitute the largest cost of implementing the new rules.
Broader Crackdown and Enforcement Tools
The proposed anti-social behaviour policy extends beyond housing to include a suite of new enforcement measures aimed at tackling persistent problems across the borough.
Key elements of the crackdown include:
- Using drones to track illegal off-road bike use.
- Deploying a new surveillance vehicle and mobile cameras.
- Hiring extra enforcement officers.
These tools are intended to provide the evidence needed to support legal action, including the eviction of problem tenants from council homes.
The council's leadership argues that such a robust stance is necessary to address the impact of persistent anti-social behaviour on communities throughout the Black Country borough.
