Local connection referrals

Mr Sareen applied as homeless to Hackney council. The council accepted that it had a duty to accommodate him. But Sareen wanted to live in Ealing, where he had relatives and where there was a Sikh community. He asked Hackney to refer the housing duty to Ealing under the local connection provisions. But Hackney refused and declined to review its decision on the basis that there was no right to such a review.

Sareen took his case to the local county court and won.

Hackney successfully appealed. The Court of Appeal decided that there was no obligation to consider local connection when dealing with the homeless.

If a council wished to look into the matter and then decided to refer an applicant to another council, the applicant would have a right of review and of appeal.

But if a council declined to consider local connection or, having done so, decided not to refer, then there was neither a right to review nor appeal. The local judge had been wrong and Hackney had been entitled to refuse a review.