Housing Stock Option Appraisal

Your homes – Your Future

The Government requires all local housing authorities to achieve a new Decent Homes Standard by 2010 and to consult with tenants, leaseholders and other stakeholders about how best to achieve this and other wishes for service improvements.

Stock Options Appraisal

March 2005 update

Tenants have been asked key questions about the future of their homes through questionnaires, road shows and meetings over the past months by an independent firm, PS Consultants, who were appointed by a panel of tenants and Councillors.

The two options were:

1. To retain homes as council ‘stock’ and improve them to the ‘Decent Homes Standard’, or
2. To transfer homes to a Registered Social Landlord (also known as a housing association) and improve them to the ‘Gedling Standard’ which incorporates improvements beyond the Decent Homes Standard. Click here for an explanation of the two options Decent Homes and Gedling Tenants Standard.

Of those tenants who expressed an opinion, 53.8% wanted to consider the issue of a transfer of the homes to a Registered Social landlord, while 46.2% were in favour of the Council retaining its stock.

In January 2005, the Council’s Cabinet agreed that a working group should be set up to oversee the further investigations into these options. The working group included a Councillor from the Conservative, Labour and Liberal democratic parties; members of the tenant’s consultation panel; a leaseholder; union representatives and officers in an advisory capacity.

The Council had to demonstrate to the Government that it had asked tenants about the future of their homes, and be able to show that tenants have been able to get independent advice from a tenant’s advisor.

The Tenants’ Consultation Panel has said that they believe that the Council’s proposal to carry out further consultation with tenants about a transfer of homes to a registered social landlord is the best way of giving tenants a choice about the level of improvements they are prepared to accept.

If you would like to find out more information, contact:

• The Stock Transfer Team on Free phone 0800 015 0988
• Or PS Consultants, Your Independent Tenants Advisor on Free phone 0800 085 2207
• Or email housingservices@gedling.gov.uk

The department’s key aims is to ensure Decent Homes for All.

As part of meeting this aim the Council has carryied out an important piece of work that will help guide decisions on the future of Council owned homes in Gedling.

This is called a Housing Stock Option Appraisal and will be the basis for decisions that affect the way your homes will be managed and maintained over the next 30 years.

To ensure that the Appraisal is fair and balanced, it is subject to government guidance. It was fully completed by July 2005.

Please click here for more information on the Stock Options Appraisal

About the Stock Option Appraisal:

To help you understand what a Housing Stock Option Appraisal involves we have outlined its key aims and objectives.

The key Aims of the Stock Option Appraisal were:

• To ensure all homes meet the Decent Homes Standard by 2010
• To provide safe and secure homes, which are sustainable with regard to ability to let, condition of the property and the local environment
• To ensure tenants continue to receive a high standard of service which will improve, give Value for Money and has a strong future
• To provide well maintained homes, with modern facilities in line with tenant’s views  
• To ensure as much Affordable Housing as possible is available within the Borough
• To ensure tenants choice with regard to the future management and maintenance of their homes
• To make as many resources as possible available to the Council to invest in its housing