Protests fail to halt transfer plan

Protesters took to the streets of the Welsh town to oppose the stock transfer and plans for three ‘super’ residential care homes.

But the council have now released the results of the transfer ballot, which ended on Tuesday last week, and 56.6 per cent of tenants supported the plans to transfer 9,300 homes to new housing association NPT Homes while 43.4 per cent did not. Just under 70 per cent of tenants voted.

The transfer will release £152 million of funding over the next six years for repairs and improvements working towards the Welsh housing quality standard and £694 million over the next 30 years.

Council leader Ali Thomas said: ‘The ballot result is a vote for better homes for existing tenants and future generations of tenants.

‘Tenants have clearly recognised the very difficult financial position facing the council.

‘While the council has always worked hard to provide good homes and services for its tenants, a lack of resources meant we simply could not afford to bring homes up to the Welsh housing quality standard.’

The Welsh Assembly Government has given some landlords extensions to the 2012 deadline to meet the quality standard. Swansea and Wrexham, which have seen tenants vote against transfer in the past few years, said they would struggle to hit the standard in time because of lack of funds.

Campaigners in Neath Port Talbot also fought against plans to close seven existing council care homes and one respite home to built three replacement centres. They suggested NPT Homes was in line to run the new care homes, although the council denied this. The consultation for that plan runs until 30 April.

Have your say

You must sign in to make a comment