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Friday 17 June 2016

Public bodies' collusion with 'property guardian' companies furthers social cleansing

By Dude Swheatie of Kwug

Various tiers of government's dealings with 'property guardian' companies over what is effectively subletting of voids [empty, or rather emptied, council properties] furthers social cleansing and props up property prices beyond ordinary people's ability to pay rent.

The CNJ (Camden New Journal) has already demonstrated Camden Council's collusion with one such company that exploits pundits for the private rented sector (PRS) in LB Camden. http://www.camdennewjournal.com/news/2016/apr/empty-home-schemes-costs-go-property-guardians-ask-where-are-our-rights

The effective privatisation of emptied properties by public bodies to such exploitative 'agents' keeps market rents artificially high and gives added weight to the argument that central, regional and local government conspire toward the social cleansing of London — at least as far as the PRS is concerned. (At the same time, council waiting lists are being downsized.) 

Another such company is called Global Guardians. Global Guardians website is http://www.global-guardians.co.uk
Currently listed at http://www.global-guardians.co.uk/property-owners/ are 'a former medical campus' at Archway, 'a former police station in Leytonstone' and former sheltered housing blocks. 

My previous investigation of 'available places' on that website before Global Guardians changed the formatting of that section so that it became user-input oriented — showed properties listed as former fire stations. Yet a cachéd [stored] page obtained via a Yahoo search reveals this page that was previously published on the Global Guardians site and that Global Guardians removed from their official site:

Why become a property guardian? ... of the vacant properties we manage a property guardian could protect a very unusual building such as a fire station, ...

An investigation of that cachéd pages contents reveals: 

Being a property guardian means you can look after buildings that are interesting in areas that they would not normally be able to live.

Certain parts of cities are now off limits to all but the very rich. However, property guardians can protect living space in these areas. Due to the vast diversity of the vacant properties we manage a property guardian could protect a very unusual building such as a fire station, stately home, office building, library or school.

The separate matters of 'office buildings' being let as residential properties and the moth-balling of fire stations came to a head in a major blaze in Finchley Road, North London as reported in the CNJ:

29 Oct 2015 - The Finchley Road fire ripped through a language school converted into ... the third and fourth floors were written off as vacant office space.
5 Nov 2015 - The homes of 25 people were gutted in Finchley Road, with 10 fire engines and ... The mayor's office did not respond this week when asked to ...
So, it strikes me that London regional government's and councils' dealings with such companies conspires against the public interest while the right wing news media would rather demonise 'migrants' who cross international borders at mortal risk to themselves while laundered money floods the London property market with impunity regularly.

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