The surprise result, released this afternoon, came despite the council's victory yesterday in a High Court judicial review brought by anti-ALMO campaigners who alleged that publicity for the ballot had been biased.
The council cannot go ahead with the ALMO in the face of such clear public opposition and tenants are unlikely to support the more radical option of stock transfer. As the council is already using the private finance initiative, under current government rules it has been left with no other option to raise the £283m it needs to bring its 33,000 homes up to the decent homes standard by 2010.
Neil Litherland, the council's director of housing, said: "The ALMO in Camden is dead. But our desire to achieve decent homes is not. Our priority now will be to work with the ODPM to find a way out of this dilemma."
Its quandary could force ministers to rethink housing investment policy and allow councils to invest in their own stock without transferring to a housing association, setting up an ALMO or using PFI.
Council leader Jane Roberts is to meet housing minister Keith Hill next week and has promised to "strongly press" Camden's case.
She said: "The ballot result is unambiguous and we will be respecting the decision of those who voted."
A spokeswoman for anti-ALMO pressure group Defend Council Housing, which has run a vigorous campaign in Camden, said: "We're absolutely thrilled."
Source
Housing Today
