Liverpool Council were considering delaying the tenant ballot on its proposed stock transfer to Liverpool Mutual Homes. The proposed September ballot will probably be postponed because of delay in receiving a decision from the Government on the Council's bid for £135 million gap funding needed to make its business plan viable. The Council are hoping to include the decision on gap funding in its pre-ballot literature.
South Northamptonshire Council selected Aragon Housing Association to set up a subsidiary to take over its housing stock. A tenant ballot on the stock transfer option was scheduled for late 2006, but a survey of tenants suggested more time will be needed and it is now likely to be held in the summer of 2007.
Tenants on three Sheffield Council estates voted in favour of transferring to Pennine Housing 2000. The transfer of the 650 homes, scheduled for later this year, will open the way for £15 million to be made available for improvement programmes.
Following last December's rejection of the stock transfer option by tenants, Edinburgh Council was reported to be considering a rent rise of 3% above inflation over the next six years. The first rise was in April this year and it is expected to be a formula for the next five years, in a bid to fund works needed to bring the stock up to the Scottish housing quality standard. Had a tenant YES vote been achieved on stock transfer, the Scottish Executive would have written off the Council's £310 million housing debt and rents would have been pegged to inflation.
Conwy Council opted to follow the stock transfer route and will embark on a six-month consultation exercise with its tenants. The Council's internal stock option task force has recommended setting up a new organisation to take ownership of its homes and bring them up to Welsh housing quality standard by 2012.