Kingston Conservatives have been criticised for dropping out of a cross-party group on housing investment in protest at “lack of progress” on transfer to a housing association.
In 2004, 68 per cent of tenants rejected council stock transfer proposals in a formal vote, despite being told it was the only realistic way of funding repairs to lifts, stairwells and out-dated kitchens.
Council tenants were told recently to join Facebook groups and text their views on the future of the borough’s dilapidated housing stock for a chance to win shopping vouchers in the most recent informal PR consultation.
But the views again came back against stock transfer, leading opposition Councillor Ian George to quit the group looking into housing alternatives.
Coun Penny Shelton, executive member for housing, said: “Coun George’s behaviour is an insult to tenants who don’t want to be bullied into stock transfer.
“Tenants living in Kingston’s council properties have made it perfectly clear that they want the council to remain as their landlord for the time being.”
But Coun George said: “They have done nothing over the past four or five years to tell people what the options are. Of course people are going to be worried about change. They have a right to be.
It is their house.”
Council tenants in the Federation of Residents have announced plans to plough ahead with a tenant-led organisation where a panel of residents decide where money is spent themselves.
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