Overview
- The Home Office has ended a pause on procurement and instructed Mears to recommence sourcing properties in County Durham after a review identified a need for about 100 to 150 additional bed spaces.
- The review concluded that earlier forecasts of available accommodation did not materialise and that several properties had been handed back by Mears, which reduced local capacity and left pressure on placements.
- The department told Mears to factor expected property hand‑backs into planning and to adopt a more controlled, slower pace for bringing new properties into use so procurement is more accurate and forward looking.
- Durham County Council’s Reform-led leadership opposes renewed sourcing and will introduce an Article 4 Direction taking effect on 17 August to require planning permission for some HMO conversions, a move the council says will restrict rapid repurposing of private homes.
- The Home Office has apologised for earlier wording that implied MPs attended a June meeting, MP Mary Kelly Foy says she was not given advance sight of the final decision and will write to new Home Office ministers to raise constituents’ concerns.