Swindon Borough Council tenants will take part in a ballot in December to decide how their homes will be owned and managed in future.
The decision to go ahead with the ballot was made at a meeting of the Full Council last night (November 22).
It follows a four-week, formal consultation in which tenants gave their views on proposals to set up a new housing association to manage homes and housing services.
During this period, all Council tenants and leaseholders received a consultation document and DVD with full details of the proposals. Their comments and responses showed strong support for the idea of holding a ballot. A sample telephone survey indicated that more than 80% of tenants plan to take part in the vote, which will run between December 1 and 30.
Cllr Russell Holland, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for One Swindon, Communities and Housing, said: “The consultation period has shown that there is a desire to go to ballot and give all tenants a voice on how their homes and services are run in future.
“Every tenant’s vote is very important, because it will enable the Council to see which option the majority of tenants support for the future. The transfer can only go ahead if a majority of tenants who vote in the ballot are in favour of the proposal. The result will be announced early in January 2012.”
In the next week, tenants will receive a ballot paper from Electoral Reform Services, which will conduct the confidential vote independently of the Council and Swindon Housing Association.
Tenants should complete and return their ballot paper in the envelope provided to reach Electoral Reform Services by midday on 30 December 2011.
Tenants can also vote by:
- Text, telephone or online (using the unique codes provided with their ballot paper)
- Using the secure ballot boxes that will visit each sheltered housing scheme.
If a majority of tenants voting are in favour of the transfer, and subject to the Government’s final consent, Swindon Housing Association is expected to take on ownership and management of the Council’s homes by the end of March 2012.
If a majority of tenants taking part in the ballot vote to stay with the Council, Swindon Borough Council will continue as landlord. In this case, the new council housing finance rules will take effect in Swindon from 1 April 2012.
The independent tenants’ advisor, DWA, will continue to give tenants free, impartial advice throughout the process. Tenants can contact them on freephone 0800 0855 492, by emailing info@dwa-housingconsultants.co.uk or writing to Freepost, SWC5119, Telford, TF8 7ZA.