Councillors have backed plans to transfer Oswestry Borough Council’s housing stock to a registered social landlord.

Oswestry Housing Association plans to spend £25 million on tenants’ homes within five years of transfer, while keeping rents at affordable levels, if tenants vote in favour of the move. The formal draft offer document was put before borough councillors yesterday.

It gives details of the council’s plan to transfer its housing stock to Oswestry Housing Association, a not-for-profit group set up for the purpose.

Councillors voted to approve the document, subject to minor amendments, and it will now go out to all council tenants to have their say.

However council chief executive Paul Shevlin said this was not the formal ballot, rather a consultation of tenants.

The council would then consider the issues raised from any feedback received in order to potentially amend the document before the final ballot.

A date for the ballot has yet to be confirmed.

Nigel Page, the council’s lead consultant on the scheme, said: “The document sets out clearly what tenants should expect if they support transfer.”

The draft offer includes what is being offered in terms of improvements and services, as well as tenants’ rights and rents.

Councillor Owen Jones raised concerns about the right-to-buy scheme, which gives council tenants the right to buy their rented home.

Mr Page said the transfer would not affect existing council tenants, although new housing association tenants would be unable to take advantage of it.

After the meeting, Mr Shevlin said: “Existing council tenants will carry through their right to buy – it is a protected right – but new housing association tenants will not have the right.”

Proposals to transfer Oswestry’s Council house stock to a registered social landlord have been put forward by the borough council, following significant tenant consultation, as it says it does not have the money to sustain the Decent Homes Standards set by the Government in the long term.

By Suzanne Roberts