Council claims errors in 'vote no' leaflets

THE battle over the transfer of homes on a north Hull estate to a new landlord has taken a new twist – with campaigners accused of producing “erroneous and misleading statements”.

Labour councillors and trade unionists from Unite, Unison and the GMB are urging people living on North Bransholme to vote “no” in a ballot over the transfer of more than 1,000 council homes to Liverpool-based Riverside housing association. The poll which continues until the end of the month.

But Hull Council has written to one of the councillors involved John Black, urging him to publish corrections in leaflets posted to tenants last Friday.

It said they will have to put out their own statement in response at a “significant cost” to the taxpayer.

The letter from council strategic director of housing investment and renewal Pauline Davies said Labour’s leaflet could “only serve to confuse the tenants of north Bransholme”, adding: “I trust that you will now liaise with your colleagues in the “no campaign” to ensure that the errors in the recently published material are corrected without delay”.

But Coun Black was unrepentant – saying the council was spending 300,000 of public money on consultants and publicity.

Yet in spite of the efforts of the pro-lobby, only 36 per cent of tenants had voted so far.

Coun Black said: “That doesn’t demonstrate to me that there’s a groundswell of opinion for stock transfer. What we want to do is continue to give the alternative view.

“At the moment all they have done is put out extremely one-sided literature and they have given Riverside planning permission to put banners on all the greens across the estate.

“We don’t believe stock transfer is the answer to Hull’s housing, particularly at a time when banks and financial institutions are in turmoil and this organisation is totally reliant on borrowing money to finance the improvements over the next five years.”

However those in favour of the move including Independent councillor Anita Harrison, a founder member of Urban, which first received a grant in 2003 to explore stock transfer, say the estate has been neglected too long.

They claim transfer will lead to improvements to housing beyond what the council can afford. Riverside also aims to create more jobs and training opportunities.

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