Completely ignoring the press release we sent them yesterday, the Brighton Argus instead published a “sensational” piece called ‘Squatters use law to find empty homes’ in which it is alleged that because squatters are using FOI requests to search for empty properties the Council will not release a list.
This is not a good article on a number of levels:
1 Jason Kitcat, owner of a great name and also a Green councillor is quoted as saying: “They are trying to get a list of empty properties to use as a list to squat.” We spoke to him about that and he said to us:
“Unfortunately what I said to The Argus is not what they printed! I categorically said there was NO suggestion this list was about squatting, but that’s what some people on twitter were suggesting.”
2 Also misrepresented was someone from SNOB who spoke to the dashing Ben Parsons from the Argus and said he wasn’t sure where the FOI requests are available.
3 ANYONE can access FOI requests! Many people are interested in the scandal of empty properties, such as academics, housing rights campaigners, journalists and the people who have to live near blighted houses, to name just four examples. Most squatters we know go out and look around for empties. On a quick google we found the request in question, in amongst requests to many other councils by the same person.
4 There isn’t actually any evidence to support the claim in the title!
5 Doesn’t the journalist find it interesting that Brighton Council refused the request but Worthing and Lewes complied? Is that not the real story here?
Unfortunately, unlike Jason Kitcat who responded quickly, the Argus is currently ignoring our requets to either pull the article or give us a right to reply.