The Liverpool Echo newspaper has slammed the government’s decision not to allow Liverpool City Council to renew its licensing scheme.

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Last month Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick flatly refused to allow the city council’s bid to extend the scheme by a further five years.

Following the decision the Liverpool Mayor, Joe Anderson, sent a letter to the Secretary of State expressing ‘grave concern’ over the decision and that: “This decision is not only ill-thought through and short-sighted, it also puts the lives of some of our most vulnerable tenants at risk. This decision flies in the face of the government’s tough talk on housing standards, particularly around fire safety in rented properties.”

The Liverpool Echo is also confident of the government eventually agreeing to the extension when it reported that, “the government could be forced to reverse its hugely controversial decision to scrap a successful scheme” and Mayor Anderson is quoted as saying: "We are keeping the pressure up and have met with government officials. While we are still looking at the possibility of a legal challenge I am now confident that we will be able to retain a landlord licensing scheme in the city.

"We have had an encouraging dialogue with government that suggests to me that we will be able to retain this scheme that is protecting people in their homes in this city.

"Government officials will be coming to Liverpool to discuss this and I'm confident we will find a solution."

Apparently since 2015 the city’s inspectors of rental properties found that 7 out of 10 were not compliant with the licence conditions.

The council carried out 37,000 compliance actions; it had also issued over 2,500 legal and fixed penalty notices and taken just under 250 landlords to court.