A SHROPSHIRE councillor from Oswestry says meeting a 'distressed' young woman in town led to her successfully tabling a motion calling for extended time for clearing out homes of former tenants.

Councillor Joyce Barrow represents the St Oswald ward, and this week had a motion unaminously supported by her fellow councillors calling for more time for families who have lost loved ones to clear their social housing.

According to Cllr Barrow, families can have 'as little' as two weeks to clear their belongings and said the chance meeting with a young woman whose father died unexpectedly in his early 50s, and her own experiences too, leaves her hoping Shropshire Council will lead the rest of the UK in providing more time.

She said: "Having recently lost my father in law, I understand how distressing it can be to empty a house.

"It is impossible in two weeks.

"This young woman was outside the undertakers in Salop Road and I spoke to her while we were waiting to speak to the undertaker.

"I hadn’t realised that the timescale for emptying an association or council house was so short.

"I felt real empathy for the situation she found herself in.the good news is that action has already started to be taken as Cllr Rob Gittens, portfolio holder for housing, has already spoken to one of our housing associations, who have agreed to extend the time allowed, in this situation.

"My greatest hope is that the government take note and introduce this across the country."

Cllr Barrow's motion called for STAR Housing – the council's association – to immediately review its policy to consider a four-week minimum period for vacating a premises.

She also called on the leader Cllr Lezley Picton to co-author a letter with chief executive Andy Begley to all registered social landlords operating in the Shropshire Council area to also consider a four-week period for their own properties.

And finally, she also called on Cllr Picton and Mr Begley to write to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to ask them to consider legislating or updating guidance to the sector on this subject to consider a minimum four-week period.

She added: "Having such little time to empty a property with a lifetime of memories into that period can push people who are already fragile into serious distress.

"While we appreciate the urgent need to bring social and affordable properties back into use as quickly as possible, we also believe that the current arrangements are unreasonable and lack regard for the recently bereaved."