Tenants living in homes owned Caerphilly County Borough Council have been invited to a series of events to explain its proposal to transfer the properties to a new social landlord.
The council wants to transfer its 10,980 council houses to new housing association Castell Mynydd to unlock funding to bring them up to the Welsh Housing Quality Standard.
Residents had been due to vote this year, but a financial revelation has delayed the vote until February or March 2012.
In October, the council revealed that it could match the £173 million needed to upgrade and maintain its properties to the Welsh Housing Quality Standard if tenants voted no to the transfer.
The council issued the Formal Consultation Document (also known as the Offer Document) to tenants at the end of September.
Because of the new financial revelation, the council extended its housing transfer consultation to allow time for tenants to consider the new information.
Tenants have been sent a document detailing the council’s new position and a series of information events have been arranged to give tenants the opportunity to ask any questions they may have on the transfer proposal and the additional information.
Information from the events will form part of the council’s formal consultation process.
Wednesday January 4
10am to 12pm – Oasis Life Centre, Bryn Road, Cefn Fforest, NP12 3LY
2.15pm to 4.15pm – Salvation Army Hall Risca, Commercial Street, Risca, NP11 6BA
Thursday January 5
10am to 12pm – Rhymney Community Centre, High Street, Rhymney NP22 5NB
Friday January 6
10am to 12pm – Penyrheol Community Centre, Aneurin Terrace, Penyrheol CF83 2AP
2.15pm to 4.15pm – Van Community Centre, Clos Guto, Caerphilly CF83 1RS
Saturday January 7
10am to 12pm – St Margaret’s Park, Pengam Road, Aberbargoed CF81 9FW
These will be followed by further, informal ‘drop ins’ which do not form part of the council’s formal consultation.
These will be held on:
Monday January 9
10am to 11.30am – Graig Y Rhacca Community centre, Addison Way, Graig Y Rhacca CF83 8WW
2pm to 3.30pm – Phillipstown Community Centre, Fernhill Terrace Phillipstown, New Tredegar NP24 6BQ
Tuesday January 10
12pm to 1.30pm – Gelligaer Community Hall, Church Road, Gelligaer
3.15pm to 5.15pm – Bargoed Community Centre, Park View, Gilfach, Bargoed CF81 8QD
Wednesday January 11
10am to 11.30am – Nelson Community Centre, Bryncelyn, Nelson CF46 6HN
2pm to 3.30pm – Trinant Community Hall,Trinant Terrace, Trinant, Crumlin, Newport, NP11 4QB
Thursday January 12
9.30am to 11.30am – Cefn Hengoed Youth Centre, Gelligaer Road, Cefn Hengoed CF82 7HH
3.30pm to 5pm – Pantside School, Old Pant Road, Pantside, Newbridge NP11 5DE
Friday January 13
10am to 12pm – Rhymney Ael y Bryn Community Centre,, Aneurin Terrace, Rhymney NP22 5DS
2pm to 3.30pm – Penllwyn Millenium Centre, Penllwyn Lane, Pontllanfraith, Blackwood NP12 2EQ
Tenants can also have their questions answered by the Housing Choices Team by calling the Council freephone on 0800 141 2834 or the Independent Tenant Advisor, PS Consultants, on freephone 0800 088 4194. The Independent Tenant Adviser will attend the formal consultation and informal drop in events.
Depending how sensible the current tenants of Council Housing are in this ballot will depend on whether or not the Caerphilly Council`s housing stock is turned over to an undemocratic, `PRIVATE` social? landlord, and the asset current held in trust by the Council for all future users of Council housing will be lost forever.
This would be the most retrograde step in the field of social housing which could possibly happen since the facility was established many many years ago.
Housing associations are these days more interested in other issues other than providing housing to those in most need, they tend to dabble in areas which are questionable in respect to the use they make of public money and which has nothing at all to do with housing, they take huge salaries and expenses for senior staff, and you are not allowed to find out what they are because they are `currently` exempt from the Freedom of Information Act, so they hide these figures.
If you are old and infirm or otherwise disabled you can expect no special treatment in respect to your housing needs, this is an appalling situation which only now, as people in thier properties grow older and infirm is coming to light.
Finally, how many Council staff, currently working in the Caerphilly Council housing department will be losing their jobs once the need for them disappears? could be hundreds I suspect. Or does onyone know different?.