Landlords in Scunthorpe (pictured) have called for judicial reform after their bid to challenge an upcoming selective licensing scheme failed.
Scunthorpe Landlords Association (SLA) had succeeded in halting the town’s scheme - covering 1,230 private rented homes in parts of Crosby and Park, and Town wards – in March. It called for North Lincolnshire Council to work more collaboratively with landlords instead.
SLA argued the scheme was approved without meaningful consultation, robust data, and in direct contradiction to legal standards based on the Provision of Services Regulations 2009. However, its application for a judicial review was rejected by the High Court on procedural rules grounds, which included the timing of document submission.
The court also ordered the association to pay £10,000 in legal costs. SLA had previously launched an appeal to fund the legal fight and raised £15,000 from members.
Chairman Gurch Singh says the size of these costs would deter most landlords from pursuing judicial review.
He tells LandlordZONE: “The costs order was made despite the case being dismissed on procedural grounds rather than after full consideration of the merits.
"This suggests courts are using financial penalties not just to compensate defendants for legal costs, but as a broader deterrent against challenging council decisions.”
SLA had hoped a win in the courts would set a landmark precedent and could lead to fairer licensing schemes across the UK. Singh believes the courts’ decisions are weighted to benefit councils, making it extremely difficult to bring any meaningful challenge to proposed schemes.
“Our case serves as a stark warning: unless procedural rules are reformed and costs deterrents reduced, property owners will find themselves effectively excluded from challenging council decisions, regardless of their merit. This erosion of access to justice threatens not just landlords, but the broader principle that all citizens should be able to challenge government decisions that affect their livelihoods.”
Licences are set to cost £955 for the five-year scheme, which the council insists is necessary to combat “significant and persistent issues”. There is no update on when this will launch.
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