'Greedy landlords are cashing in and forcing us out of town'

The construction of the Sizewell C nuclear power plant on the Suffolk coast is a key part of the government's growth programme. But some locals fear being forced out, accusing landlords of cashing in on a jobs boom by evicting tenants and raising rents to unaffordable levels.

Construction is due to be completed in 2031 and although a final investment decision has not yet been made, groundwork is already well under way.

The construction project will require a predicted workforce of 7,900, of which about two-thirds will be from outside the area.

About 2,400 workers will be based on site with 500 others living at the former Pontins holiday park at Pakefield, near Lowestoft.

The remaining contractors, however, will have to move into properties in or around the town of Leiston - population 5,508 - where some rents have doubled to more than £3,000 a month.

The government hopes to ban evictions without a reason as part of its new Renters' Rights Bill, but this will not be in place until summer at the earliest.

Until then, John Stevens, who rents in Leiston, believes some landlords will look to move current tenants on in order to make use of East Suffolk Council's Sizewell C housing grants scheme.

Aiming to provide an additional 1,200 beds, it offers property owners up to £7,000 if they agree to turn their spare rooms or spaces into suitable accommodation.

The council told the BBC it had so far "received significant interest" and expected to "see a significant uptake in awards" over the coming months.

Mr Stevens, 72, says: "[The landlords] are thinking, 'Let's evict these people and get the money, plus bigger rents', so why wouldn't landlords take advantage of it":[]}