THE leader of Southend Council has defended the decision to allow landlord councillors to vote on licensing scheme.

Eight councillors who are also landlords were unable to vote on whether to bring in a licensing scheme for landlords to ensure properties are kept up to a sufficient standard and to institute rent controls.

The bid to deal with rogue landlords by forcing them to pay for a licence which could be revoked if necessary, was put forward by Independent Ron Woodley and voted through to be discussed by a scrutiny committee.

But seven Conservative councillors and one Independent have since successfully had the rule against councillors voting on anything in which they have a financial interest overturned for this issue.

Without the seven Conservative votes, the Tories do not have a majority vote. Independent Martin Terry believes the Tory group will now vote to overturn the scheme.

But John Lamb, leader of the Conservative group, said the move was to enable councillors to fully represent both residents and landlords.

He said: “The Independents were trying to prevent everyone from having a say. We represent residents and landlords as well and want to be able to have a say.

“They have interests but they also represent a lot of people and want to be able to debate it.”

Council lawyers and officers advised members of the standards committee it should be their decision alone before they voted to grant dispensation to the eight councillors.

Mr Lamb added: “If they thought it was totally out of order,they should have told them it was wrong.”

Independent Shoebury councillor Nick Ward is also a landlord, but did not ask for dispensation. He said: “We were asked if we wanted dispensation. Being a landlord there was no way I was going to vote on this and thought the others would do the same, but they didn’t.

“I’m disgusted. We have a serious problem in Southend with landlords not looking after their properties and now we are not going to get a full debate without bias. I have a feeling it won’t get voted through now.

“These are eight of 51 councillors. There could have still been a proper debate.

“We often have that number of councillors absent.”

Mr Ward added: “The fact is if you take away seven Conservative councillors they no longer have a majority.

“That’s the difference. It’s to do with them having the deciding vote.

“As a landlord I would welcome it but it won’t go through as there are too many people with a vested interest.”

A Southend Council spokesman said: “The council’s standards committee considered applications from eight councillors for a dispensation to speak and vote on the possibility of introducing a compulsory licensing scheme for landlords and private sector rent controls, given that they were landlords and so had pecuniary interests.

“The law provides for such dispensations to be granted in appropriate circumstances.

“Members of the committee carefully considered the circumstances and resolved to grant the dispensations.

“Officers put the facts before the committee but did not give a recommendation.”