Salford council abandoned its £53m bid for round two arm's-length management funding after housing minister Keith Hill told the struggling organisation it was unlikely to get the money.
Salford has decided instead to declare its interest in the fourth round of ALMO money, a £340m pot for which the deadline is today.

Head of housing Bob Osborne said the first bid was withdrawn because it was unlikely the no-star ALMO would get the two stars needed to obtain government funds. "The pace of change has just not been quick enough," he said. "After speaking to Hill, it seemed the best idea was to cut our losses for this round."

The move comes after a survey by BRE for Salford council found that the cost of bringing its crumbling tower blocks up to the decent homes standard would be 30-50% more than originally estimated.

In July the council asked the board of New Prospect – the name of the Salford ALMO – for the resignation of its chief executive John Townsend, following the organisation's poor performance.

Colin Mayhead, director of Tribal Group-owned consultant Austin Mayhead, replaced Townsend in the interim, but no long-term replacement has been found.

Source

Housing Today