Stock transfer vetoed by tenant ballot
Residents have rejected a proposal to transfer thousands of council homes to a newly formed housing association.
Swindon Council had balloted 12,600 tenants in December asking them their thoughts on transferring the authority’s 10,500 homes to a housing association.
The voting closed on 30 December and almost three quarters of respondents (72 per cent) said they were against the transfer.
Turnout for the vote was at 66 per cent and the result now means that plans to create Swindon Housing Association to manage and take ownership of the council’s housing stock have been dropped.
Russell Holland, Swindon Council member for housing, said: ‘Right from the start, the council’s view was that there were benefits to transfer, but that it was up to tenants to decide how to vote.
‘We worked hard to make sure that everyone got clear, factual information about the reasons for the proposal and what it meant for them. I’m delighted that so many people took the chance to have their say, and we will respect their decision.’
The council had wanted to transfer the stock as a way of negating the impact of £139 million of debt taken on under the new self financing funding arrangements.
Officers have warned in the past that the additional debt charges would result in a £68 million capital shortfall in the first 10 years of the council landlord business plan.
Bernie Brannan, director of housing at Swindon Council, said: ‘The extra borrowing we’ll have to take on under the new housing finance system will limit the amount of money the council has to spend on improving homes and services over the next ten years.
‘But we will of course continue to do our very best to provide the highest standards possible within the resources available to us.
‘We will keep tenants informed about future plans and are committed to carrying on our partnerships and work with local residents’ and community groups.’
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Readers' comments (22)
Melvin Bone | 03/01/2012 11:42 am
I can't see these tenants getting new kitchens for a while then...
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Rick Campbell | 03/01/2012 12:26 pm
Regular posters will probably be bored by my continual "
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F451 | 03/01/2012 12:28 pm
........ use of the treacherous submit button!
Happy New Year Rick - never boring and so often apt.
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Rick Campbell | 03/01/2012 12:57 pm
Happy New Year to you too C233.
pmsl C233 -- some technical issues with my laptop operation as I am in a prone position.
Tenants have made their decision and even if they had voted YES will have to live with the consequences.
IF my memory serves me correctly, there were tenants criricising their being 'over-contacted' to encourage a YES vote.
By voting NO. they have blocked any potential transfer but can always revisit the situation at a later stage and vote for transfer -- transfer is, as things stand irreversible.
IF transfer was reversible, woud I vote to go back to council?
Not a chance!
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Sexton | 03/01/2012 12:57 pm
I am unsure what the 'Tranfer Promises' were?, if any..
By the way of voting tenants has said goodbye, to new kitchens, bathroom, boilers, front doors, windows.... The list is countless.
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tenantplus | 03/01/2012 12:57 pm
Good to see tenants voting for their rights and not for a new kitchen - (and if new kitchens are anywhere like the one I got last time they have spared themselves a lot of misery and anguish too in realizing their old kitchen is very likely better than any new one they'd have got)
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Sexton | 03/01/2012 1:05 pm
tenantsplus - Sometimes it makes sense to go around and have a look... Next trip.. Swindon?
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C'mon Sense | 03/01/2012 2:10 pm
At the end of the day the tenants made their decision based on the information they were given.
However, some are never happy eh Kass...err, sorry, tenantplus
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Rick Campbell | 03/01/2012 2:37 pm
2329 YES
6073 NO
65.6% turnout
10,500 homes
12,600 tenants
April 1st and Swindon have to pay £139,600,000 to the government as its share of the housing debt.
The tenants voted for more than their rights.
What I find most interesting out of all these figures is 12,600 tenants and 10,500 -- possibly a lot of underoccupation?
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F451 | 03/01/2012 2:42 pm
I think the difference is accounted for through the special (unannounced) Shhhapps Pilot scheme for social housing timeshare, where tenants are matched according to night-shift and day-shift so that they can maximise the use of the 'scarce' asset.
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