the leader of hull council has set the authority on a collision course with Whitehall by declaring that he doesn't want to pursue any of the government's three options for meeting the decent homes standard.
Colin Inglis, the council's Labour leader, is adamant that the best landlord for the city's 32,000 council residents is the council.

He said: "The vast majority of tenants want to have the council

as their social landlord, and we've got that very clear in our minds.

"The only advantage to an arm's-length management organisation is that it releases government funds. We're not keen on it – we think having the council as a direct landlord is a better option. Stock transfer is not something we're interested in – I think everybody knows that – and the Birmingham vote has, to some extent, put the kybosh on that."

Birmingham tenants voted overwhelmingly against transfer in April 2002.

Inglis added: "The government has given us three options, but that doesn't mean there are only three options."

The vast majority of tenants want to have the council as their social landlord

Colin Inglis, Hull council

Hull needs to spend £118m to get the 71% of its homes currently below the standard up to scratch by 2010. It also needs an extra £200m to make its non-standard properties – mostly high-rise and system-build – fit for the future.

While proposed changes to government management and maintenance could bring in an extra £55m by 2010, the amount needed to meet the standard has not been calculated.

Hull is now starting its options appraisal, to be completed by all councils by July 2005.

According to Inglis, the council's approach will be to consider each neighbourhood on its own merits. If some are no longer viable, they can be sold off or transferred.

The Audit Commission's Corporate Governance re-inspection report – said to be quite damning, by a council source who has seen a draft – is to be issued in the next two weeks.

Source

Housing Today