ECJ EUROPEAN Cleaning Journal

Cleaners in Kent in the south of England may be given "essential worker" status meaning they would rank alongside teachers and soldiers for priority affordable housing.

The new definition is being discussed by members of Sevenoaks District Council's housing advisory committee as a result of a shortage of cleaners in the area.

Other private sector workers set to be included are kitchen workers, shop staff and hairdressers. The current definition of "essential workers" lists NHS and front line staff only,

A council spokesman said: "The Government's ‘essential workers' definition is largely focused on public sector workers. We are proposing to extend the definition locally to include some low-income staff employed in the private sector who perform important local jobs and who are often priced out of the area due to high housing costs."

Cleaning boss Neil Peacock has been running his business, Affinity, from Kemsing for 10 years and says it is increasingly difficult to attract staff to meet the area's growing demand.

Of the nine staff he employs, six of them lived outside the Sevenoaks district with the other three sharing multi-occupancy housing. "It is tough to find staff and it is tough to find staff who will stay," he said.

"We have about 170 regular customers and we clean about 100 houses in a week. It is often difficult to find cleaners for new customers because they cannot afford to live in this area."