Council loses ballot over homes

RESIDENTS on a Hull estate have made an historic decision – by a close margin – to transfer to a new landlord.

Pro-transfer group Urban celebrated with champagne as details of the ballot result spread around North Bransholme.

Of the 797 residents who took part, 451 – 56.6 per cent – voted for the measure while 346 – 43.4 per cent – opposed the move.

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The decision means more than 1,000 council homes will be transferred to Liverpool-based Riverside Housing Association.

Nearly 65 per cent of the residents took part in the vote over the last month, while Labour activists and trade unionists fought to convince them that they should stay with the local authority.

Complaints have been made on both sides – union reps alleging harassment by Independent councillors who have backed the move, while Labour has been accused of using scare tactics and sending out misleading leaflets.

Chairman of Urban, and Independent Councillor, Nadine Burton said the majority had "seen through" the anti-lobby's claims, adding: "I am over the moon, I am absolutely buzzing. I think it's a healthy majority – I know councillors who have been elected on a smaller majority."

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Urban claims the transfer will lead to improvements to housing beyond those that the Council can afford. Riverside also says it intends to create more jobs and training opportunities.

Labour Group leader Steve Brady said they would be keeping a close eye on Riverside to ensure they delivered on their promises.

"I think in this day and age it will be very hard to borrow the money needed on the open markets and I personally don't believe they will deliver."

Councillor Brady criticised the amount of taxpayers' money spent on the pro-transfer campaign.

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Hull Council has had to find 5.5m in land and cash from its housing revenue account to subsidise the move.

He said: "I think they have spent something in the order of 500,000. We spent approximately 1,500.

"The odds were stacked against us from the off - there was a huge amount of publicity on every street corner.

"I just hope the people of North Bransholme have made the right choice."

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The stock transfer is the seventh won by the Riverside Group in the last decade. It owns 48,000 homes between Carlisle and London, including many former council properties.

Director Paul Anson insisted "every single promise" would be delivered. He said they'd agreed with Urban that employment was an "absolute priority", and would be offering training and jobs in construction. And he said they wouldn't have made the commitments if they were unaffordable.

He said: "A lot of concerns of people have come through, worries about rights and responsibilities and what will happen to tenants agreements but we are absolutely crystal clear - their rights will be maintained and they will get the level of stock investment that we are committed to and the estate overall will get the regeneration it has been seeking for a number of years."

Council leader Carl Minns said: "A 64 per cent turnout shows there's been a healthy debate.

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"They have made their decision and it is now the job of the council to support that."

Coun Minns said the situation would have never arisen if council housing had been properly funded by the Government.

"About 2m of rent money "goes out of local rents and into Government pockets," he said.

"The Government has rigged the system against retaining council houses and that's at the bottom of this. That's the hidden scandal of this Government," he added.

If ratified by the Secretary of State, the official handover should take place in November.

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