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Transfer aims to breathe new life into old homes
LIVERPOOL could
soon be sharing control of all its 19,000 council homes with
tenants. In consultation with tenants, the city's housing chiefs
have come up with pioneering plans which could see them taking an
active role in all aspects of the management and maintenance of
their homes. The ground-breaking scheme, which is unique for a city
of this size, will see tenants trained to become board members of a
new landlord organisation.
The new landlord would be registered as a housing association and
would be able to raise the cash to modernise council homes.
Thousands of tenants could have their windows replaced, kitchens
replaced and modern central heating systems installed. Following
months of high-level talks, government officials have agreed that
Liverpool's planned 'mutual' housing organisation meets their
stringent requirements and have given approval for further talks
about funding.
Tenants will be asked next year to vote on whether to transfer their
home to the new 'mutual' landlord. If a majority of those voting
support the transfer, the new organisation will be able to borrow
money to bring the homes up to scratch.
Councillor Flo Clucas, Liverpool's executive member for housing,
said:- "Getting this idea approved is a fantastic achievement
and testament to the hard work of the council officers and tenant
representatives who've worked together to make this happen. We want
to improve our tenants' homes and this gives us the opportunity to
do so. At the same time it keeps tenants in control and it means
that the rent they pay will be spent looking after their housing
stock. We want to give control of our housing stock to the people
best able to look after it - the tenants who have in many cases
lived in their homes for years. But the final decision on whether or
not to transfer will lie with tenants."
Government financial support and restrictions in setting council
house rents, means the city is unable to afford the £182 million
needed to bring its properties up to the government's Decent Homes
Standard by 2010. Tenants are currently being recruited to train as
board members so they can step into the role if the stock transfer
goes ahead. The council is being asked to approve the appointment of
consultants Price Waterhouse Coopers to assist with the transfer of
council homes at a meeting of the city's executive board on Friday
19 August.
Independent Tenant Advisors DWA can give advice to council tenants
on a free phone number:- 0800 0855 492.
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Mo Mowlam
THE Mayor of Warrington,
Cllr Hans Mundry, said:- "Warrington has great affection for Mo Mowlam and we were very
saddened to hear of her death. Our thoughts and prayers are with her
husband Jon and family.
She was a great ambassador for peace and Warrington will always be
indebted to her for her active support for the campaign for the
town's peace centre.
Her energy and commitment were an enormous boost towards the
ultimate
success of the project. She has a special place in the hearts of the
people of Warrington."
NESTLÉ CEREALS FEEDS
HUNGER FOR KNOWLEDGE
AS 3,758,690 6 to 11 year olds in England prepare to head back to
school, armed with their new school bag and an apple for their
teacher, Mums can give them a head start to the year by creating
their very own reference library, for free, courtesy of Nestlé
Cereals. Until the end of September, mums and children will be able
to choose from a collection of Dorling Kindersley encyclopedias and
Explorer range CD ROMS (rrp £9.99) free in special packs of
Shreddies and Cheerios packed full of facts - did you know we have
eyebrows to stop sweat dripping into our eyes?
Not only will they create an ultimate source of knowledge that will
be handy for home work all year round, but the interactive CD ROMS
will keep them engaged and entertained during rainy days over the
rest of the summer holidays. The 2 encyclopedia and 3 'Explorer'
titles are all taken from the hugely popular Dorling Kindersley
collection which support the national curriculum. The free on pack
offer includes a range of CD ROMs from 'Become a human body
explorer' to the 'Children's encyclopedia - the essential reference
for home and school.'
The interactive 'Explorer' CD ROMS for kids aged 6 to 10 years old, are
packed with information for young minds. They guide youngsters
around topics such as the human body, and include games, did you
know facts and play areas on the subjects. The 'Encylcopedia'
titles, designed by educational experts for 7 to 11 year olds,
stimulate a child's natural curiosity and create an impressive
multimedia package making learning both interesting and fun.
Mums will be able to see the CD ROMS through a window on the front
of special packs of Nestlé Cereals allowing them to pick and choose
which titles they want to build their very own home reference
library to help their little genius stay top of the class!
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