Residents of England’s cheapest town to buy a house have revealed their community is being “destroyed”. The average house price in Shildon, County Durham, was just £97,074 over the last year, according to Rightmove.
It is so cheap that terraced houses, which are the most popular properties in the area, sell for an average price of £68,864. One of them was even being advertised for £35,000 at the time of writing. While this is great for getting onto the property ladder, locals say the town has major issues. Residents say they have observed a concerning rise in the number of houses in multiple occupation (HMOs).
There are now over 1,000 HMOs in the town, which has an estimated population of just 10,054. This sparked a successful petition to curb the “unchecked and unsafe spread” of the properties, petition starter Julie-Anne Norman said. Julie isn’t the only one worried about the future of the former industrial town. Lesley Wilson, who was born in Shildon and has lived there for most of her life, witnessed the small town evolve from a “family community” to a hotbed for “absentee landlords”.
Lesley (pictured, left) explained that private landlords began buying up terraced houses that were once popular with first-time buyers, and now renters move in and out as “tenants frequently default on the rent”.
She told the Express: “Many of the terraced houses belong to private, often absentee landlords.
“In the last two years, we have seen an influx of people from other parts of the country placed by their local authority into cheap rented properties here.
“In the last year, we have also seen houses being converted to HMOs. A once-thriving family community has been, in my view, destroyed.”
(Image: Supplied)
Councillor Lyndsey Fox, Durham County Council’s Cabinet member for economy and partnerships, said: “In terms of housing, we are just beginning a consultation on proposals to control numbers of HMOs, which we know are a source of frustration for people.
“We will be reviewing HMO numbers in the coming months and reserve the right to bring forward immediate controls in specific areas if needed. Our selective licensing scheme also operates in Shildon, which seeks to drive up standards in the private rental sector.”
(Image: Craig Connor/ChronicleLive)
However, until these reforms come into effect, HMOs are still “everywhere” in Shildon, a frustrated resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said.
He called for a “stop to all HMOs” and for improvements to housing for young families, who appear to have been put off moving to the town after its only secondary school was demolished.
He added: “The town needs millions to make it habitable. There have been funding and grants, but nothing seems to be getting done.
“We need a high street. We need housing for the young families. We need a school because the powers that be demolished it. The list is endless.”
(Image: Craig Connor/ChronicleLive)
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