Why is Edward Meakin being treated this way? (From Times Series)

Edward Meakins has for me become symbolic of the lack of empathy by Barnet council for the ordinary, hard working resident. This council seems to hate residents and to my view does nothing to help local communities and individuals. Mr Meakins is a victim of an uncaring undemocratic group of Cllrs and their bureaucracy. In fact this Council are responsible for the ebbing away of the very community spirit that Helen Burdett talks of in the character of Mr Meakins e.g. their lack of implementation of speed restrictions in residential areas of the Borough is destroying our Community.

It is very sad that Mr Meakins has to be put through the grinder and a range of emotions that I cannot comprehend at his time of life. And it is also very sad that Barnet have such an uncaring and unsympathetic group of Cllrs.

It is a tricky one tho isn't it...

Maximising the number of affordable homes at social rent levels (which are well below the market rents which the rest of us mere mortals have to pay,) to those in need, is quite rightly, a top priority for all local authorities - hundreds, thousands of ordinary people in housing need and not enough affordable homes to go round.

Underoccupation of family sized homes is not efficient use of the social housing stock that we, as tax payers, all pay for. Offering Mr Meakin a secure tenancy of an alternative property to suit his housing need - of one bedroom, so that the family sized property he continues to occupy, of which are not enough, can be let to a family on the housing register, does not seem totally unfair to be honest.

That tenancy has probably been in his family for nearly a hundred years - he probably has the right to succeed his sister even tho his parents will have been the tenants before the succession rules were brought in by the 1980 housing Act..... but that doesnot bequeath the family the right to occupy that property when others need it more.... He will probably need sheltered housing eventually anyway - maybe now would have been a good time to make that transition as he is probably going to need more support now that his sister is not there.....

I can understand that Edward feels he would prefer to stay where he has grown up but if he had thought about it carefully, and been sensitively advised by those close to him, before getting whipped up in the 'outrage' and the facebook petition (many of whom will be adequately housed or not yet having to take on that responsibility for themselves yet) there might have been a better outcome all round?

I am surprised that Barnet Council have felt under pressure to give in on this one - are you going to do this everytime someone challenges your perfectly well established and sensible succession procedure?

I quess it is a good thing tho that Mr Meakin and his family never excercised the right to buy this property or the home would be lost to those in housing need in Barnet for ever - tax payers money giving subsidy to the 'lucky few' to get well built housing at a heafty discount....I was never quite sure what council tenants did to deserve it? .... it doesn't add up really.....