Housing Transfer
Overview
This is a formal consultation setting out the Council’s proposals for the transfer of all its homes to South Lakes Housing, which currently manages the homes.
To transfer all Council homes to South Lakes Housing, it would become a Registered Provider of Social Housing and a not-for-profit charitable organisation. As now, both tenant and Council representatives would serve on the Board.
The formal consultation: 'Offer Document' explains all the details tenants and leaseholders need to know about the proposed transfer, the new-style South Lakes Housing and what it means for homes and services.
The Council is following the Government guidelines on this statutory consultation.
Why we are consulting
Around £188 million needs to be spent on council homes, estates and services over 30 years to bring them up to the standard tenants want.
Last year, over 800 tenants took part in a survey about the future of their homes and services – and told us they want their homes, estates and services improved.
Tenants were told about the Government’s new plan for dividing up the national housing debt to each Council – for SLDC this would mean inheriting £77m debt .
This debt would mean the Council and SLH will be unable to deliver the improvements tenants want and maintain homes without substantial delays.
On the 29 March 2011, SLDC agreed to consult tenants on transferring homes to a new style South Lakes Housing. South Lakes Housing already manages the homes.
If tenants vote for Transfer later this year then homes would transfer by 31March 2012.
Tenants’ Committee have been at the forefront of decision making and given their backing to transfer.
What happens next
The Council want to give tenants the opportunity to consider the proposals for themselves. The Council will then consider carefully what tenants have said and will write to all tenants letting then know of any resulting changes to the proposal. The Council will then let tenants know if they decide to go ahead with a ballot in which tenants will be able to vote on the proposal.
The transfer could only go ahead if more than half of tenants who vote, vote in favour of the transfer.
Tenant views are important to the Council. Tenants will find a pre-paid reply form at the back of the 'Offer Document' for comments by midday on Friday 23rd September 2011.
This is not the ballot.
At this stage the Council simply wants to hear your views. We will carefully consider your views and send you a letter explaining any changes that we make to the proposal as a result. We will then let you know whether the Council decides to go ahead with the ballot.
Over the next few weeks the Council will try to contact you in person at home to explain these proposals. If you wish to contact us, please call the Council’s Housing Transfer Team on Freephone 0800 014 7518. Or you can call Open Communities (your Independent Tenant Adviser) on Freephone 0800 073 1051.
We look forward to hearing from you.
