ALMOs call for exemption from deregulatory plan

There are nine ALMOs that also hold registered provider status with the Homes and Communities Agency and therefore could be affected by a government amendment to the Housing and Planning Bill.

The amendment seeks to limit the influence of councils over registered providers by allowing the secretary of state to remove council voting rights from registered provider boards. It is intended to add to the package of measures the government is taking to try to ensure housing associations are reclassified as private bodies for national accounting purposes.

ALMOs are concerned that the removal of council members from their boards would significantly alter their board structures. Councils have agreed contracts with ALMOs to manage housing and their boards have council representatives as well as tenants and independent members.

A spokesperson for Derby Homes said the structure of its board allows council representatives to gather the views of tenants to decide upon an approach to managing council housing. She said: “Our structure enables the council, as owner, to discuss strategy with tenants and our independent board members to arrive at a consensus approach in managing council housing.

“We believe that the government has overlooked ALMO registered providers in its approach and hope that they will exclude council-owned companies from any blanket approach on this issue.”

Eamonn McGoldrick, managing director of the National Federation of ALMOs, said: “We are aware of this issue and are in conversation with the Department for Communities and Local Government [DCLG].”

He said: “Unlike the housing association sector, ALMOs are not positively looking to be reclassified back into the private sector.” The Local Government Association has also voiced concerns about the move.

A DCLG spokesperson said: “We are determined to return housing associations to the private sector, so they can get on and build the homes this country needs.

“This amendment is key to achieving that and we will continue to work with partners from across the sector as we draw up the regulations.”