Southwark Council Wasted £111k in a Year on Security for Empty Block

Southwark Council wasted £111k on security for its Maydew House block, which has been largely empty for over six years, the Liberal Democrats revealed on Wednesday.

The Southwark Liberal Democrats discovered through internal correspondence that the authority has splashed £111,604 on security for the council block since October 2021.

The council emptied the building in 2015 and has plans to redevelop it, but the block has remained mostly vacant since.

Southwark Council’s Empty Homes Action Plan from October 2021 stated that there were 135 empty homes in Maydew House.

Official government data showed that the borough of Southwark had around 5,000 empty homes in 2021, which was the most in the capital.

Southwark Council owned 1,211 vacant properties, according to the same figures.

Commenting, Cllr Emily Tester, Southwark Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader and North Bermondsey councillor said:

“An empty Maydew House stands as testament, over the years, to the social housing failure of this Labour party in a borough where 16,000 households are waiting for council homes. It is an insult to our residents that they have to walk past this block and remember that they are paying a council that is adding to the thousands of empty homes in Southwark. What is an absolute disgrace is that taxpayer money is also being spent guarding a vacant building, while Labour are twiddling their thumbs waiting for something to happen at Maydew House.”