Estate walk marks housing transfer

Local authority housing in Sheffield had been in the hands of a so-called Arms Length Management Organisation (ALMO) for nine years.

But on Monday, Sheffield Homes was officially scrapped, and Sheffield Council took back responsibility for 42,000 city-owned dwellings.

The authority’s housing spokesman Coun Harry Harpham visited people on the Gleadless Valley estate to celebrate the move, and said work would begin immediately to improve services for tenants.

Gleadless Valley was recently the scene of a broad daylight stabbing in which a woman died, and Tesco has refused to deliver to the area because of repeated attacks on van drivers.

Coun Harpham said: “Following a consultation and ballot with all council housing tenants 88 per cent of voters opted for their home to be managed by the council.

“Housing services are currently rated as excellent by government auditors and it is our intention to build on this and continue to deliver first class housing services.”