Tenants urged to use your vote

Tenants urged to use your vote

Release date: 30.10.07
Ref: BBC/PR/ENV/38/07

Tenants urged to use your vote - that’s the message from all three party leaders to Berwick-upon-Tweed Borough Council’s 2,000 tenants as the ballot to decide whether their homes transfer to a new landlord gets underway.

Independent ballot specialists Electoral Reform Services have issued voting packs to tenants across the Borough and they have until noon on Friday, 23 November to cast their postal votes.

In a joint statement, Council Leader Isabel Hunter (Liberal Democrats), Councillor Flora Simpson, (Leader of the Conservative Group) and Councillor Hazel Bettison, (Leader of the Independent Group) said:

“We have given tenants the facts and now it is up to them to decide the future they want to see. Transfer to Berwick Borough Housing and benefit from a multi-million pound investment programme, or stick with the Council and the deteriorating financial position we face. Whatever views they hold we would urge all tenants to have their say and use their vote.”

If a majority of tenants who vote in the ballot vote yes, homes are expected to transfer in the early summer of next year to Berwick Borough Housing. This is a brand new, not for profit housing organisation that the Council has helped to set up that would form a new group with existing housing provider Three Rivers Housing Association.

Berwick Borough Housing would not face the same financial restrictions as the Council and would be able to finance an investment programme of around £27 million in the first five years alone – around £15 million more than the Council could deliver. Page 1/ more….
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This is mainly due to the fact that Berwick Borough Housing would get to keep all the rent money it collects to spend on tenants homes and services - unlike the Council who have to send some of the rent money it collects back to central Government to help subsidise other councils. This amounted to around £1.3m this year alone.

If tenants have any questions about the transfer proposal they can ring the Council’s freephone information line on 0800 298 8869 or the Independent Tenants’ Advisor, TPAS, on 0800 731 1315.