Facts are there to be seen (From Gazette Series)

Facts are there to be seen

SIR - One must assume that residents who cast the 4,996 votes in the housing transfer ballot were aware of all the facts. I certainly expect few of the other 102,902 Stroud district residents were not, assuming there was little relevance to them. Unfortunately that is not true and it might be useful if the basic facts were aired again.

The council receives annually over £14 million in rent. Of that half is paid out in housing benefit, leaving just over £7 million available for repairs, renewals and administration costs. Under the proposed housing transfer a new local housing association was to be set up, all council housing employees would transfer their jobs there, tenants' rights would remain unchanged, rents would stay the same, but the big difference was that the housing association would get to keep all £14 million rent. Housing benefit would still be paid out by the council, but now this would be repaid by central government.

To my mind this makes an open and shut case commercially, with a tremendous opportunity to upgrade the housing stock and further improve the quality of life for tenants.

Cllr Jeffries introduced this measure (which ironically is central government policy) on this basis, ie that it was not a political matter at all, just in the best interests of all tenants.

Unfortunately Stroud Labour seized on this as an opportunity to both cause trouble and promote their own Luddite agenda, with total disregard for the best interests for both tenants and the wider community. Stroud Labour managed to scupper the move to transfer and for what?

Certainly nothing positive. The whole process will have to be gone through again, probably within two years at a cost of over £500,000. It is quite likely that in the future the option of a locally based housing association will not be available to us. The exciting opportunity for an affordable homes scheme has been lost. Tenants will not get their homes upgraded, indeed, cuts of £2.5 million per annum will have to be made.

I believe this is quite outrageous and all residents should be in no doubt who is to blame. Those of us who honestly believe in government for the people need to constantly challenge those who crave power simply to push their own personal agendas.

Cllr Nigel Cooper, Buckholt Road, Cranham