The future of Brighton & Hove council鈥檚 housing stock took another twist this week as the council鈥檚 new cabinet member for housing said there would be no more tenant consultation.

Don Turner was elected cabinet member for housing following the resignation of Jack Hazelgrove and his deputy last month, after the council withdrew its bid for an arm鈥檚-length management organisation.

Council leader Ken Bodfish withdrew the bid to allow for more consultation after the ODPM promised extra funding for negative-value stock transfers (HT 28 January, page 11).

But now Turner has said: 鈥淲e are waiting for clarification from the ODPM and will be talking to the tenant board, but there will be no other tenant consultation.

鈥淐ouncillors will have the opportunity to vote again on the future of the housing stock.鈥�

Brighton needs between 拢80m and 拢100m to plug its stock transfer funding gap. The initial negative value transfer pot of 拢180m looked set to be swallowed up by a handful of transfers and leave many others unfunded. However the government has said it will increase the pot to 拢1bn (HT 11 February, page 8).

Francis Tonks, Turner鈥檚 deputy, is a supporter of Defend Council Housing and has said he would only vote to keep the stock in the hands of the council.

Adding fuel to the fire, Hazelgrove has now requested a scrutiny committee to review Bodfish鈥檚 decision to withdraw the ALMO bid.

Source

Housing Today