Council house tenants in Oswestry will soon be a step closure to learning if they are to get a vote on whether to transfer their homes to a new organisation.
Borough councillors are being recommended tomorrow to proceed with a ballot.
South Shropshire Housing Association’s partner body Oswestry Housing Association has teamed up with the council to propose taking on ownership and management of council homes if tenants vote yes.
Waiting times for repairs and adaptations for tenants in the properties South Shropshire Housing Association already runs across the Shropshire border have been cut over the last year, its annual meeting heard.
The association manages more than 5,000 homes across the region.
The annual meeting was told the association was building on a ‘good’ Audit Commission report.
Managing director Sue Rowley said: “Waiting times for disabled adaptations work have been cut down to as little as three days and new repairs software has been introduced to cut times for common repairs to be completed.
“A hi-tech appointment system has been brought in for routine maintenance tests to improve efficiency and convenience, and cut waiting times.”
Borough councillors will discuss whether to hold the ballot on the proposed transfer when they meet tomorrow at 6.45pm.
One Comment
Today (Thursday 4th Oct) I received the ballot paper.
I only found out through last nights Shropshire Star, that the council had decided to hold a ballot.
I don’t know of anywhere in the world where they begin voting the day after the pole was announced.
As founder of the Oswestry Tenants Working Group,and chair for its first five years. I am well aware of the worries people have about this proposed housing free give away.
I asked the the council when they first learned that they would get no money from this murky deal: ‘Why don’t you offer to give these homes to the Tenants?’
They refused to consider this option and instead bombarded the tenants with expensive propaganda and unwanted door stepping.
So much so that dozens of tenants have complained to me that they fell intimidated and bullied into voting the way the council wishes.
For some years now the council has been planning to use the currant Housing Unit site for other other purposes and a no vote would ruin these plans.
But a no vote now would ensure tenants security, as well as giving us the time to allow our new Prime Minister to deliver on his promise to improve the local housing situation.A no vote would also allow the tenants to keep their security and permit future generations to access the only real social housing this nation has ever had.
A yes vote removes tenants security
and would make it impossible for new tenants to buy their own homes
or have any real power over rent rises and many other issues forever.
Please tenants vote wisely!