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Fifteen councils transferred a total of 145,000 homes to housing associations during the year from April 2002 to March 2003 – despite the uncertainty created by a failed attempt to transfer 81,250 council homes in Birmingham last April (HT 11 April 2002, page 1).

The previous high was in 2000/01, when 17 authorities transferred 131,300 homes.

The figures emerged as the National Housing Federation published the latest edition of Transfers Today this week.

As the table below shows, after a relatively quiet period either side of the Communities Plan in February, the months from April to July will be fairly frenetic. Five councils on the 2002 programme will be balloting tenants on a total of 33,232 homes during this time.

There are 21 councils on the 2002 programme and indications that 19 will form the 2003 batch.

They are expected to be: Warwick; South Tyneside; Peterborough; Blackpool; Chorley; Corby; Eastbourne; Ellesmere Port & Neston; Gloucester; Hartlepool; Hyndburn; Macclesfield; Purbeck; Stroud; Swindon; Trafford; Kingston upon Thames; Wakefield and West Lancashire. The total number of homes will be 169,332.

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister would usually have confirmed this list by now but it has been delayed by a number of recent housing policy announcements. A statement will be made in June.

Nigel Minto, projects director at the NHF, said he felt the high number of transfers last year masked a likely dip later on this year, as delays and general uncertainty over whether transfer is the best route for many authorities takes effect.

He said: "The big thing with transfers this year is probably going to be partial transfers. I would expect to see a few."