HOUSING chiefs in York are to be asked to approve controversial new plans to remove the right of troublesome council tenants to an internal appeal.

The issue was pushed forward by Labour councillors before the local elections and now looks set to be taken up by the ruling Liberal Democrat group.

It will be discussed at Monday's meeting of the Housing Scrutiny Board, chaired by the former Lib Dem housing spokesman, Councillor David Livesley.

The scrutiny board has been advised to recommend that the council's executive member for housing, Sue Sunderland, asks the council to quash the right to an appeal.

Coun Livesley said: "Eviction has been an area of some concern. Removing a right of appeal is not something that can be done lightly and casually, and I do not believe it has been brought to this stage lightly and casually.

"I have every hope that after discussion a just and fair settlement of the issue will be arrived at."

If approved, the plans would apply to tenants served with a Notice of Seeking Possession (NOSP) for nuisance or antisocial behaviour.

The NOSP opens up the way for the council to seek a tenant's eviction at court.

Currently the tenant can apply for an internal council appeal, heard by a panel of councillors, which may have to be attended by witnesses against the tenant, often their neighbours.

It has been stressed that the tenants' right to make their case in court would not be affected.

The former chairman of the scrutiny board, David Evans, has said removing the internal appeals would speed up a slow process and make it "a less stressful" experience for people giving evidence against the tenant facing eviction.

Coun Evans remains a scrutiny board member.

Since 1999 only one internal appeal from 12 has been successful. That was from a mother of a young child whose partner had been dealing drugs from the property.

Holding an appeal causes about a six-week delay - a delay which councillors and officers believe puts witnesses off giving evidence in an eviction case.

Senior council solicitor Susan Matthews said: "There is a real risk that (witnesses) having agreed to engage with the court process may not follow that through and turn up in court on the day."

The scrutiny board is due to meet at The Guildhall on Monday, at 6pm.

richard.edwards@ycp.co.uk

Updated: 10:27 Wednesday, May 28, 2003