Asylum housing firm avoids prosecution for breaches

A company providing homes for asylum seekers which was accused of repeatedly breaching housing law has avoided prosecution.

Clearsprings Ready Homes Ltd avoided a scheduled five-day trial by paying £140,000 in fines to Swindon Borough Council.

The council told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that it issued five financial penalties totalling £140,000 to the firm, which were not contested and have all been paid in full. Clearsprings Ready Homes has been approached for comment.

There have been several allegations that asylum-seekers housed in Clearsprings-operated accommodations have suffered sub-standard treatment.

Clearsprings houses about 30,000 asylum seekers across southern England, London and Wales.

The company leased houses in Swindon as part of its contract with the Home Office to provide housing for asylum seekers.

Swindon Borough Council alleged Clearsprings "failed to comply with regulations in respect of management of housing in multiple occupation" 27 times between May and October 2022.

Before the firm paid the fines, the council said it was prepared to take the matter to court.

Specific allegations included failing to ensure fire doors closed properly, failing to ensure a bedroom could be opened from inside the room and failure to ensure that smoke alarms and other safety measures were working at five different properties across Swindon.

There were four charges that an employee of the company "knowingly or recklessly supplied false or misleading information to a housing authority" when they did not disclose to the council that they had been convicted of a previous housing offence.

In October last year, the BBC reported it had been contacted by people living in Clearsprings accommodation who said they were being provided with inedible food and that toilet paper and sanitary products were being rationed.

The projected Home Office payment to Clearspings over a 10-year contract is £7bn.

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