PROPOSALS to transfer Warrington’s 8,600 council homes to a registered social landlord have been reported to the Office of Fair Trading on the grounds that procedures were anti-competitive.
Local campaigner John Mulhall, from Whitecross, Warrington, himself a Golden Gates tenant, has made the anti-competitive complaint.
In a letter to the Office of Fair Trading he complains that the council has set aside £700,000 to consult tenants via “very expensive advisers.”
Mr Mulhall previously reported that a growing number of tenants would not vote for the transfer and would refuse to sign new tenancy agreements and wanted the council to defer consultation pending a review.
He said: “The council’s housing stock is managed by an arms length management organisation that belongs to the council.
“The council, the government etc have allowed this to be a one horse race – no others can bid or tender to manage the future of the housing stock.”
He asks the Office to consider whether this is “unfair” given the Government’s policy on competitive tendering.
A spokesperson for the council said: “Throughout the process of consulting residents and presenting options for the future of the council’s housing stock, we have followed government guidelines at every stage. We have worked closely with the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) and the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG).
At no stage have we been notified of any concerns about the procedures we have followed and we have received no information to suggest that the Office of Fair Trading is aware of, or investigating, the stock transfer process in Warrington.”
PROPOSALS to transfer Warrington's 8,600 council homes to a registered
social landlord have been reported to the Office of Fair Trading on the
grounds that procedures were anti-competitive.
Housing stock transfer unfair claim
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Gary Skentelbery
Experienced journalist for more than 40 years. Managing Director of magazine publishing group with three in-house titles and on-line daily newspaper for Warrington. Experienced writer, photographer, PR consultant and media expert having written for local, regional and national newspapers. Specialties: PR, media, social networking, photographer, networking, advertising, sales, media crisis management. Chair of Warrington Healthwatch Director Warrington Chamber of Commerce Patron Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace. Trustee Warrington Disability Partnership. Former Chairman of Warrington Town FC.
