Council housing in the Braintree district could be withheld from applicants guilty of anti-social behaviour.

Under the terms of a new scheme applicants can be 'fined' by suspension from the housing list for periods from six months to up to several years.

The scheme, approved by members of the council's community committee last week, will allow the council as landlords to deal firmly with anti-social and disruptive behaviour by tenants.

During the suspension period would-be tenants will not receive any offer of accommodation.

Reasons for suspension, will include

Rent arrears

Harassment - including racial and sexual

Assaults on council staff

Convictions for anti-social behaviour

Damage to council houses

Tenants could face suspension of up to six months for causing £500 worth of damage to their house, for example, up to a year for arrears of £101 and over and up to two years' suspension for harassment convictions or assaulting council staff.

Cllr Ruth Mayes expressed concern that suspensions would target applicants suffering mental health problems.

"I am very concerned that these people must be dealt with as sympathetically as possible," she said.

Supporting the scheme, lead member for housing Cllr Eileen Davidson said: "This is not designed to rule people out of council housing for £100 rent arrears and this is not a power we are expecting to use very often.

"However, we do at least have to look at the issue of difficult cases and to accept that other people have rights as well."

Cllr Barbara Buchan added: "Basically every case will be decided on its individual merits and I am quite happy that we adopt this policy."

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