It's Just the Nearness of You

10.27.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 5th Apr 2007

Lambeth Council thinks one of these homes is on a council estate!

Word reaches us that in Lambeth under Labour, you now only have to live near to something to be charged extra for it.

Lambeth tenants living in street properties were alarmed to discover that they were being charged for services that they don't receive.This is all part of Labour's brilliant plan to decouple charges from people's rent bills.

So the story goes, this would enable tenants living on estates to see clearly the cost of caretaking, gardening, communal cleaning services and so on. And they would be billed accordingly. And it would be fairer. And it is a system that works elsewhere. But on Planet Lambeth, the only decoupling is to the cells in the brain.

Consequently tenants NOT living on estates have also received bills for services they don't get. Don't worry assured Labour's Housing supremo Cllr John Kazantzis, it's all a mistake. Apparently Lambeth's records were not quite up to distinguishing between a Tower Block and a terraced house. We will sort it all out, he said. And anyone affected will be reimbursed later.

One tenant affected who contacted us said when he complained he received no apology just a terse note from Lambeth Housing to say he would not be reimbursed because he lives near to estates and therefore he indirectly benefits for their services.

You heard it here first.

Maybe this is also the first signs of another stealth tax scam from Labour Lambeth. You live near to an open space? Tax surcharge. You are conveniently placed for the local shops. Tax surcharge. There's a new school nearby? Tax surcharge. You don't send your child to that school? Ah but you benefit indirectly from the education provided to other children......

What's crystal clear is that you will pay more under Labour.