As mentioned in the ongoing consultation on the property-buying process (https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/653789/Home_buying_and_selling.pdf), hundreds of millions of pounds are wasted every year due to failed transactions in relation to purchasing property. But this consultation does not seek to address the fundamental problem underlying much of this waste: that potential buyers are being forced to prove aspects of the quality and value of a property that could have been proven - once and for all - by the vendor, yet, in the case of properties with issues, are unearthing issues that had been unearthed in surveys by previous potential vendors. The buyer has to prove to him or herself that the property is of sufficient quality! This should be the vendor’s responsibility to prove. This system only benefits those who charge fees to supply the services related to these surveys, i.e. conveyancers and surveyors. It takes place at the expense of buyers. It has to change and be aligned with the Australian system.

Last week was one of the coldest weeks we’ve had in a long time . Whilst out on the street we saw people sleeping in door ways with nowhere to go. Local support workers and people who work for homeless shelters told us they were completely packed and didn't have enough space to let in more people. Recently, in Bristol and London, homeless people have been dying on the streets from hyperthermia. In Brighton alone 17 people died in 2017. And last week a homeless man in Lincolnshire died in his tent. This cannot go on.

At the moment we are seeing the coldest weather ever and terrible condition. There are so many homeless and their pets with no where to go and are been left to try and survive in this awful weather. There are so many church’s that could open their doors to give people shelter and the community could help run these between them with help from professionals. Please sign this petition to get the church’s in this country to help those in need.

Introducing anti-homeless benches is not going to solve homelessness in Southampton. The council have a responsibility to support people living on the streets by providing shelters. Instead they are making it harder for those without a roof over there head to get by. Benches can provide a place to sleep that is off the ground and dryer than the floor, and sleeping in the town centre is often safer for people sleeping rough, due to CCTV. Hiding societies problems does not solve them. We want Southampton council to act now!

I grew up on Edgeside, many residents of the valley will know about its difficult history. In 2002 Rossendale Borough Council was ranked as one of the worst in the country for local authority homes after previous administrations had left the properties to decay. Recently, there have been concerns raised about regeneration schemes, empty homes, homelessness, and planning decisions made in the area. However, these have been ongoing issues for the area for decades and have been challenging for parties of all colours. Previous empty homes initiatives haven't worked, including recent attempts and earlier ones, such as the Pathfinder initiative. Several changes of Council haven't lead to these issues being fully addressed either, but I believe that a change of how the council structures their work would make a real difference. A scrutiny committee is a missing constant and there are many issues around housing which need to be looked into in depth. Over the past year, 5 out of 10 of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee meetings have considered housing issues. This takes away from the chance to discuss non-housing matters, without giving housing the focus that it warrants. I believe these challenges deserve a scrutiny committee of their own which brings together a range of services. The Government have cut funding to councils over the past few years. This leaves many councils under-funded and over-stretched. Ours is no different. While initiatives in Edgeside have seen the area transformed, this has only been possible by working in partnership with the local community (including community groups like the White Horse Project). Yet, several challenges continue in other areas of the valley and policy. A scrutiny committee, which is open to the public, would allow the council to work more closely with its residents. Together we could glean some insight into what might be the most effective changes, focus our efforts on bringing them into fruition, and solve some of the issues facing our friends and neighbors.

Renters in Edinburgh are struggling. Year in, year out rents go up far faster than wages, and it is reaching a breaking point. Edinburgh City Council has the power to designate areas as so-called ‘rent pressure zones’ and bring in rent controls, to stop landlords ripping tenants off for poor-quality housing. It’s time for them to use these powers.

The Scottish Government is currently promoting the increase of forestry by awarding huge sums of money through the Forestry Grant Scheme. But this is being abused by some landowners. Currently landlords are in a position to legally evict tenants, who are in non-secure leases through no fault of their own, and then obtain large sums of money from the Scottish public purse to plant trees on viable agricultural land. Every farm unit that closes means a loss of livelihood to the tenants, a loss of tenant farmers for Scotland, a loss of farming diversity in a country with the most concentrated pattern of land ownership in the developed world, and a loss of people, skills and trade for fragile rural economies. I first became aware of this when good friends who had farmed as managers for a previous tenant for 8 years, and a further 10 years in their own right, were abruptly told that their lease would not be renewed and their farming ground would be turned over to trees. I have witnessed at first hand how their lives have been devastated. All attempts to negotiate an extension have been handled appallingly by the landlord's estate and even the intervention of MSPs, the new Land Commission, and the local Tenants Association, have failed to halt the imminent eviction.

We were all disgusted when Gloucester City Council put up these posters in Gloucester suggesting people should not give to those sleeping rough on the streets and suggesting they have accommodation. The posters were clearly a 'prelude' to the introduction of Public Space Protection Orders in Gloucester (PSPO's). In other parts of the country, these are being used to 'socially cleanse' cities and towns of rough sleepers so that they are essentially 'banned' from certain areas. Rough sleepers can also face fines if found in these areas. PSPO's give councils the power to remove people for non criminal behavior and the latest Home office advice (December 2017) states that PSPO's should not be used to target rough sleepers. This is a cruel and ill thought out approach to solving homelessness in Gloucester . In Gloucester many vulnerable people have no accommodation and due to 'ideological' cuts to funding, they have little, if any support when they're on the streets. By introducing PSPO's, the council will only move the problem, but not solve it. What's more, the most obvious solution would be for Gloucester City Council to open more shelters and open buildings that they already own for the homeless as there is nowhere near enough accommodation available in Gloucester.

Glasgow Green is in danger of suffering through over use. Locals, residents and those who use the Green have no obvious route to obtain information or to share concerns in relation to the 33 events due to occur in 2018. At present, the choice about whether to consult with the community lies with the few. The method by which views are collated are largely dictated by event organisers. Sign here if you think that consultation should be ongoing, meaningful and reflective of the collective needs of locals, residents and The Green alike. Thank you

For several years Stratford Shopping Centre have stayed open 24hrs a day allowing for those whom are homeless to have somewhere dry and secure to shelter/sleep during the night. However as of today (29/01/2018) they have handed orders to all those currently staying in the centre, ordering them to leave with immediate effect. This means the homeless people are being forced out on to the streets in these extreme weathers, some of these people don’t even own a sleeping bag or adequate warm clothing which means they are at high risk of falling extremely ill. We are petitioning for Stratford Centre/Newham Council to rethink their decision and to continue allowing for our homeless friends to continuing using Stratford as a secure place for them to be during the night as many of them are highly vulnerable and some are also very elderly. Newham Council urgently need to support these homeless people with their housing/accommodation as these people cannot continue living on the streets.

No current facilities available in Northampton for people to use .

We are fully supportive of the initiatives that are in place to help homeless people and would welcome these being publicised in a positive way so that the public are aware as to what they can do to help the homeless. However these posters do little more than attack the individual liberty of city residents and demonise one of the most vulnerable groups in our city. Streetlink is an important organisation but its advertised in small print at the bottom of the page. The current campaign is based on negativity and not the right way to go about things.