Sponsored by
Council housing takeover plan
SHEFFIELD’S 42,000 council houses could be taken back into public ownership from 2014 if tenants give the go-ahead in a secret ballot.
Sheffield Homes took control of housing in 2004 with the job of carrying out a £600m upgrade of every property in the city under the Decent Homes programme.
The contract runs out in three years. Labour councillors will next week say they favour the city council regaining control.
Coun Harry Harpham, Cabinet member for homes and regeneration, said the council had two main options: “One is to take on a new arms-length organisation like Sheffield Homes but after looking at the situation in depth we think the best option is to bring the housing stock back into council control,” he said.
Tenants would be consulted in the next few weeks with an independent ballot by the Electoral Reform Society in February.
“We will take close notice of what the tenants tell us and if they so choose a new arms-length organisation will be set up. But legally the final decision must be taken by the council itself.”
Changes to funding rules mean Sheffield will suffer an estimated shortfall of £217m over the next 30 years. Officers believe it will be easier to bridge the gap through in-house cost-cutting measures.
Coun Harpham said Labour felt taking back control would be more democratic:“We will build upon what Sheffield Homes has been doing well, and it has 5,000 homes still to upgrade.”
Lib Dem shadow Cabinet member Coun Alison Brelsford said her party favoured not recommending a specific option but letting tenants decide instead.
Hazel Deakin, of the Lindsey Tenants and Residents’ Association in Parson Cross, said: “Sheffield Homes have their good and bad points and the same goes for the council.
“There needs to be less red tape. A fresh start may be just the thing we need.”
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Sheffield
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: East
Comments
There are 21 comments to this article
Page 1 of 2
jilly12345
Friday, October 14, 2011 at 09:56 PMIT WOULD BE THE BEST THING THAT AS EVER HAPPENED GOING BACK TO A PROPER COUNCIL RATHER THAN ALL THESE CONTRACTORS RUNNING THE THE SHOW IE[ KIER] AS THEIR ONLY IN IT FOR THE MONEY AND WHEN WORKERS HAVE BEEN IN MY PROPERTY TO HERE HOW THESE MEN ARE TREATED SO BADLY COMPARED TO WHEN IT WAS SHEFFIELD COUNCIL ITS DISGUSTING,ONE WORKER WAS TELLING ME HOW HE CAN OWE KIER SOME OF HIS WAGES BACK AT THE END OF THE YEAR THROUGH NOT GETTING INTO PROPERTIES TO DO THE WORK AT NO FAULT OF HIS OWN,WHAT A SET UP THIS IS NOT RIGHT AND HAS TO BE SORTED OUT AND PUT BACK IN GOOD HONEST HANDS
MartyMcFly
Friday, October 14, 2011 at 12:55 PMWaywoodwind are you for real? You obviously are racist by the comments you made after you said you aren't: "Since when did foreigners ever pay for anything", bit of a sweeping statement that isn't it?. I'd also say your ignorant and lack intelligence. Why don't you just admit you are, at least people might appreciate your honesty rather than thinking your a plank.
waywoodwind
Friday, October 14, 2011 at 11:36 AMI'm not a racist bigot ,,,,, just don’t like e'm ,,,,, and when did foreigners pay rent ,,,, or when do foreigners pay for anything
Woodseats Sammy
Thursday, October 13, 2011 at 09:12 AMOff topic - but it was interesting to read online today (Daily Telegraph) that Sheffield was the centre of the UK's biggest-ever VAT fraud case, all run by an ex-cop. Nothing in The Star though (and not surprised).
coaxingstar71
Wednesday, October 12, 2011 at 08:58 PMNo 15 is correct right up to the last paragraph. Although S Homes may have been providing an excellent services, let's not forget the real reason why the ALMO was set up. Chiefly so that SCC had a mechanism to bid for the £700m of ALMO Borrowing to comply with the Labour Govt introduced Decent Homes scheme. And yes, by borrowing, that means that SCC has to eventually pay off that debt. Now some of that debt may get written off by Govt under the self financing agreement that SCC are entering into - good news for Sheffield because it means that the Govt won't take a hefty slice of all the rents paid through the current pooling and subsidy system. Therefore the reason to now take back those services is because, firstly, the ALMO has done what it was set up to do and now there is no need to continue with it and secondly, SCC will make savings on the management fees it pays annually to Sheffield Homes but unfortunately at the expense of more staffing reductions and there will be no cash bonanza's of any kind. This is a business decision, nothing more, nothing less.
freedom
Wednesday, October 12, 2011 at 07:27 PMNo. 15 - I'm not racist I'm merely pointing out that immigration places additional demands on housing resources. I'm more wound up about the loss of through Right To Buy, privatisation (park hill) and demolition of housing across the city. 10's of 1000s of homes have been lost. Sheffield homes started out with a lot more than 42000 properties. Check out the figures. Your just worried about your job. Sheffield homes could afford to get rid off a lot more staff. Well over a 13 of the housing has gone. They might aswell get rid off the surplus staff too!
Reason
Wednesday, October 12, 2011 at 02:23 PMSame old clap trap from #1,2,3,4 and 8. Get your facts right before speaking about things you know nothing about. First and foremost, the properties have always been owned by the council, second - Sheffield Homes is owned entirely by the council, third - the staff received no money for being taken out of the old housing department and switched to Sheffield Homes - nor will they receive anything for going back, fourth - the staff had no say in either the formation of Sheffield Homes nor any imput in it going back to the council, fifth - the organisation has already lost over 300 staff in the past 3 years due to cut backs. For you information Sheffield Homes was the first organisation of its kind to receive 3 star rating from the audit commisson 3 years in a row for their excellent work in providing a service to the public - why?...because they are a dedicated organisation supplying a high quality service to their tenants (something the old housing department couldn't acheive) Don't kid yourself, Harry, Julie and their cohorts only want the organisation back because it is so successfull...and the so called 4 million reserve that they have is because of good housekeeping by the staff acheiving value for money, and in the end these political nothings only want to get their paws on it. Not surprised by the way that some of these entries are from our usual racist bigots !!!
Charlie Farleigh
Wednesday, October 12, 2011 at 02:18 PM@12 - thanks! But where's the kickback... the corruption? It seems odd that SCC may do something that's benficial! Can we have SIV back too?
confidential.informant52
Wednesday, October 12, 2011 at 02:12 PMTo be honest, the 42,000 housing stock never left SCC. For those of you who do not know, Sheffield Homes is a wholly owned subsidary of Sheffield City Council. SCC is the 1 and only shareholder of Sheffield Homes. It was just another Labour scam to get more of your money and take the heat off them as a local council as everyone thought that the council no longer owned the properties.
ThinkPositive
Wednesday, October 12, 2011 at 01:05 PMResponse to @3. No - either the staff who work for S Homes will be transferred back to SCC employment (maybe via TUPE) or they will be made redundant by S Homes.
MartyMcFly
Wednesday, October 12, 2011 at 11:49 AMThere will be no cash bonanza, just job losses. Sheffield Homes performed much better than the Council if you look at the facts and performance figures. Sheffield Homes only found out themselves in the last couple of days hence not being able to put it in the magazine.
Sir Taxedalot
Wednesday, October 12, 2011 at 11:44 AMCllr Harpham talks out of both sides of his mouth. "We'll ask the people but we have the final say and if we decide to take it back to the council that is the most democratic thing to do". Guess what the outcome will be from that doublespeak? Will Sir Bob be invited back to the council on a massive salary if the council take over?
dromedary
Wednesday, October 12, 2011 at 11:10 AMIts about time too. . . . Now lets do the same for the other departments contracted out such as Council Tax and bin collections.
freedom
Wednesday, October 12, 2011 at 10:41 AMNo new council houses built for 30 years. 20% of stock demolished or privatised in the past 5 years. Over 50% of stock lost over the past 10. Population growth - few deaths, plenty briths + immigration City of sanctuary (giving council houses to refugess before our own) Highest waiting list in the country... Welcome to Sheffield's social breakdown.
Zap
Wednesday, October 12, 2011 at 10:41 AM@3 cynic ;) but you're probably right - didn't this happen when SH was set up too? @4 sadly it'll be the same people - its so dubious @5 you are right its down to the council to decide and since when did the council ever listen to what people told it @6 sadly correct
Page 1 of 2
Your view
Please sign in to be able to comment on this story.