Housing stock deal is sealed

District council bosses have signed a deal worth more than £10 million to sell off nearly 2,500 homes in north Shropshire.

The transfer of North Shropshire District Council's housing stock to the Meres and Mosses Housing Association was finally completed on Tuesday afternoon.

The deal will pave the way for £100 million worth of repairs.

These are repairs that the council was unable to do.

The housing association will invest heavily to bring the houses up to a standard specified by the tenants themselves.

At the same time the district council stands to make more than £10 million from the sale, which will be invested in a trust to benefit all residents.

North Shropshire District Council assistant chief executive, Joanne Lancaster, said the deal was a good one for residents.

She said: "North Shropshire District Council is looking forward to a constructive, long-term relationship with Meres and Mosses Housing Association to provide residents of the district with a high quality of housing and more housing for local residents that is appropriate to their needs.

"Tenants have been fundamental in the creation of their new tenancies and they will continue to have their say in the future developments of the association."

North Shropshire tenants were keen to see the deal go through after voting in a postal ballot in favour of selling their homes to a social landlord.

Transferring staff from the council to the housing association also helped to prevent any job losses.

Martin Holland, chief executive of Shropshire Housing Group, which will be an umbrella group covering Meres and Mosses and South Shropshire Housing Association, said: "I am really excited about the opportunities that this agreement presents for north Shropshire tenants.

"The new housing association will transfer housing staff currently working for North Shropshire District Council and I know that they are excited about the future too."

By Andy Rogers