COUNCIL house tenants in Warrington who have taken the lead in helping to shape their own future are recommending the council should remain in control of its own properties, via its “arms length” organisation Golden Gates Housing.
The Housing Options Panel, created to lead a review of council’s housing stock, has recommended to the council that the stock should be transferred to a Registered Social Landlord (RSL) and for Golden Gates Housing (GGH) to become the RSL to run it.
The decision comes following a survey of tenant’s homes including feedback from tenants and GGH employees and prompted by the current GGH contract coming to an end in February 2009.
The panel, consisting of five tenants, five GGH staff and five councillors, was tasked with looking at various options
to safeguard the future and standards of all 8800 houses and flats plus 220 leasehold properties.
The panel has been meeting since April and has taken evidence on all aspects of the decision with members visiting a number of housing management organisations to assess the advantages and disadvantages of different management models.
The whole exercise is geared towards securing the best future for the housing stock, meeting tenants’ needs and making sure that all the homes at least meet the national Decent Homes Standards for the next 30 years.
The review also involved an independent survey of council homes, which included assessing the current conditions of the properties, required repairs and improvements that could be made to bathrooms, double glazing, doors, heating, fences and gutters.
Tenants also held a variety of successful conferences where they could find out more about the survey, register their
feedback and discuss the review as a whole.
All the information was then used to guide the panel’s thinking on a number of options before making their recommendation.
Doreen Moors, chair of the panel, said: “As a tenant I found this to have been a very interesting and productive exercise.
We looked at all the options, visits and most importantly the feedback we received from tenants, including the consultative panel, conferences and surveys, in a variety of ways.
“This proved invaluable in order to help the panel make the right recommendation for all council tenants, which will provide for continuous higher standards of decency to their homes.”
Coun Bob Barr, (pictured) executive member for planning, regeneration and housing, said:
“We are determined to ensure that our current and future tenants get the best housing service possible which delivers decent homes in good neighbourhoods. This recommendation is critical to make sure that that happens.
“I am very grateful to all members of the panel and in particular the tenants and the Chair, for the time, the care and the attention they have given to considering this important recommendation. It points the way for the best future for Warrington’s housing stock.”
The panel’s recommendations will now go to the council’s Executive Board in November, followed by Full Council at the end of the year.
Subject to the outcomes of these council meetings a submission of options appraisal form will go to the Government Office North West for consideration and approval.
To find out more – visit www.warrington.gov.uk/housing and click on ‘housing options appraisal’, or call the housing options appraisal team on freephone 0800 952 9942.
