Eastern Landlords Association threatens judicial review and demands Great Yarmouth Council delays April launch while the legality of the scheme is contested.
13th Feb 20260 507 1 minute read Simon Cairnes
Great Yarmouth’s selective licensing scheme is facing a formal legal challenge after the Eastern Landlords Association (ELA) issued a pre-action notice warning it will seek a judicial review unless the council halts the rollout.
The letter was sent on 11 February and was passed to The Negotiator by ELA Chair Paul Cunningham (pictured).
The scheme, which was approved in December and due to start on 1 April, covers around 5,000 privately rented homes in Nelson, Central and Northgate, Southtown and Cobholm wards and parts of North Ward.
Assessment failuresThe letter before claim (the final legal step before court action) argues that the council failed to properly assess alternatives to licensing and relied on outdated modelling when judging the areas’ housing conditions.
The ELA says the authority did not clearly demonstrate how the designation would reduce deprivation or improve standards when combined with other measures, and is calling for the scheme to be withdrawn or delayed while the dispute is resolved. The group has also requested detailed inspection data, financial modelling behind the licence fee and analysis of previous licensing results in Nelson Ward.
Rupert Lowe, MP, Independent
Local Independent MP Rupert Lowe has backed the ELA’s campaign, with a Facebook post saying landlords would: “Simply sell their houses, driving up rent and even opening the door to HMOs being bought up. The council’s scheme is poorly thought out. It won’t work, and it won’t deliver for tenants or landlords.”
A council spokesperson, however, says: “Selective licensing schemes already operate successfully across wide parts of the country, and no one should lose sight of the fact that the only purpose of introducing a scheme is to improve the quality of housing for some of the most vulnerable people in our communities.
Good landlords have nothing to fear from a scheme, wherever they operate.”
“Good landlords have nothing to fear from a scheme, wherever they operate, and the council is confident its proposal meets all the necessary legal requirements for its introduction.”
Tagsselective licensing 13th Feb 20260 507 1 minute read Simon Cairnes Share Facebook X LinkedIn Share via Email