Opponents of stock transfer in Macclesfield have formed a lobbying group to boost their campaign, writes Mark Lupton.
Macclesfield Against Transfer has received the backing of Andrew Bennett MP, a stock transfer critic and chairman of the Commons select committee on housing.

The town's six Labour councillors also oppose the Conservative-controlled council's plan for the voluntary transfer of 6000 homes to a registered social landlord, which has not yet been set up.

The ODPM is set to decide whether Macclesfield can proceed with a transfer in the next few months. If approval is given, tenants are expected to vote before the end of the year.

The plans are expected to net the council £19m or £3600 per property. But critics say the stock is already in good condition – 74% of homes meet the decent homes standard – and a change of landlord is unnecessary.

Bennett, who is MP for Denton and Reddish, said: "My own experience of stock transfer in Tameside is that tenants have seen little or no improvement and in some cases things have got worse.

"The council should be using the new rules on prudential borrowing in order to modernise their council housing without tenants being asked to choose between the loss of democratic control, secure tenancies and local accountability in order to have a decent home."

But Macclesfield council insisted stock transfer was essential if homes are to be improved beyond the decent homes standard.

Peter Burns, the Conservative council leader, said: "We looked at all the other options and we came to the conclusion that large-scale voluntary transfer was the best option, not for ourselves but for our tenants.

"It allows us to invest in the properties in a way that, under the present rules, is beyond our capability.

"Over the next 30 years, we are going to need £200m-£300m to maintain our properties and there is no way – based on the financial horizons for district councils – that retention is at all sustainable."

Source

Housing Today