Plan to move London families to Walsall halted

A controversial drive to find houses in Walsall for people outside the capital has been suspended, it was revealed today. But families in the London area of Waltham Forest will still be given the chance to move to the borough.

Bosses at the London council today said they would use a more "rigorous review process" before offering people the chance to move to Walsall.

It comes after families in the London borough opposed plans to move them 130 miles to the West Midlands in a bid to ease its 21,000-strong waiting lists.

Twenty-seven Walsall properties owned by a private landlord were being offered to people in Waltham Forest. Now, these will be offered mainly to people who have little or no connections with Waltham Forest after people complained they did not want to move away from jobs, schools and relatives.

Marie Pye, Waltham Forest Council's housing chief, today admitted housing people outside the borough was not ideal. "The council recognises that looking to relocate people to places far removed from the borough and without direct travel links is problematic."

Walsall Council had expressed its concern over the expense of providing services to residents who had relocated from London.