Waltham Forest Council – Shaline Manhertz

Issue: This clinical consultancy Waltham Forest Council were in the process of applying for their second designation for Private Sector Licensing scheme. The council were concerned about the success of this application due to other boroughs’ failure to gain second designation status due to improper consultation and evidence. The licensing scheme is essential for several reasons including recovering lost council tax at a time when budgets are reducing, demonstrating that the borough has a thriving private rental sector and most importantly to protect vulnerable residents from substandard housing.

Solution: We worked with Waltham Forest Council to publicise their consultation among their target audiences by ensuring the correct messaging and collateral were shared at the key times during the consultation period. We developed a robust lobbying campaign to increase media and political interest in the application. We did this by working with the public affairs team to gain ministerial support and to raise the council’s profile. In addition, we gathered support from a range of MPs, GLA, the Mayor of London and other notable stakeholders to provide endorsement.

Result: By garnering the support of prominent stakeholders and ensuring a continuous stream of media coverage around the application, we were able to generate 2500 responses to the consultation. Furthermore, having contacted over 500 stakeholders we secured letters of support from the Greater London Authority, Mayor of London, Deputy Mayor for Housing, The London Assembly, London Councils, London Fire Brigade, local and national MPs, the neighbouring boroughs of Enfield, Hackney, Haringey, Newham and Tower Hamlets along with national organisations such as Crisis, Shelter and the Peabody Trust. Media coverage was achieved across national media outlets including the BBC and The Guardian as well as numerous trade press. The application was successful and the designation will now be in place until 2025.

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