The Partial Stock Transfer process reached a major milestone last week when Councillors approved the creation of four distinct housing ‘transfer packages’ that could be transferred to interested Registered Social Landlords (RSL), subject to tenants voting in favour in an independent ballot.
Partial Stock Transfer is where a Council transfers some of its homes to registered RSLs. In West Dunbartonshire this would involve 5,000 houses, 45 per cent of its housing stock, being transferred. If successful this move would lead to improved housing standards and regenerated housing estates across West Dunbartonshire.
The decision to approve the four transfer packages for partial stock transfer in the Vale of Leven, Dumbarton, Clydebank East, and Clydebank West, was taken at the Housing, Environment and Economic Development Committee at its meeting at the Clydebank Town Hall.
The decision means that full business cases can now be prepared for each of the transfer packages. These will include costed delivery plans for the management, maintenance and improvement of housing stock, and a programme of regeneration activity. Each package also now forms a constituency of tenants who will ultimately vote on whether to agree to the partial stock transfer proposals.
The independent ballot is expected to take place by early 2012, and if tenants vote in favour of the proposal, the stock should transfer in late 2012.
Due to the complexity of the partial stock transfer process it is essential that tenants have access to independent advice to assist them make an informed choice on whether to vote for transfer or not in the ballot. The Council therefore is arranging to appoint an Independent Tenant Advisor (ITA) by December 2010.
If successful, the partial stock transfer will contribute to transforming the Council’s priority regeneration areas. Regeneration is more than just housing, its about creating great places for people to live and for communities to thrive and stock transfer will play its part in this.
Fin McElhinney, Stock Transfer Manager at the Council, said: “This is a significant step towards a partial stock transfer. The creation of four transfer packages allows us to kick-start the process of finding suitable RSLs to take over a range of Council housing across the area, should tenants vote for transfer in an independent ballot.”
