WORCESTER'S council tenants have voted overwhelmingly in favour of their homes being transferred to a "not-for-profit" landlord.

More than half the city's 5,553 tenants backed the plan, with 75.4 per cent of the 3,983 residents who voted in a secret ballot this month supporting the proposals.

It means management of 4,659 Worcester City Council homes will be transferred to the new landlord - Worcester Community Housing - for £12.64m.

But the council will not make any money from the transfer. It says a large proportion will be used to repay a £20m mortgage it has with the Government and the rest will be offset by legal and conveyancing costs.

The ballot, which closed at midday yesterday, followed an extensive programme of consultation with tenants and means a £40m cash injection to be spent on modernisation of the homes over the next six years.

It will also see rent levels kept at an affordable level, improvements to housing services, the protection of tenants' rights, and residents having a say in the running of the housing service.

"Here at the council we strongly believe transfer will bring significant benefits to both existing and future tenants," said David Wareing, chief executive of the city council. "The ballot result clearly demonstrates that city tenants also share this belief."

Councillor Francis Lankester, chairman of the city council's housing board, said tenants could look forward to a positive future.

"I believe it's a great result for the tenants as they will at last get their homes repaired to a decent standard. I think tenants can now look forward to a very positive future."

Transfer negotiations will now continue, with the transfer process expected to be complete by next March.

Anti-transfer campaigner Jon Baddeley, of Ripon Road, Ronkswood, said residents had been conned.

He feared the association would eventually sell the houses to a bigger group and rents would shoot up.

"We are losing our rights to buy our houses. People who voted for this have been extremely misguided.

"The councillors who voted for this initially have sold us down the river."

SO just why has the housing stock been transferred?

"Most of it is down to money and the lack of it with the city council," said Peter Smith, lead officer for the housing transfer with Worcester City Council.

"It's because of the inability to spend money on maintaining and improving the housing stock into the future.

"Worcester Community Housing has a totally different regime - they can spend money that the city council cannot and will fulfil all the promises made in the formal consultation document."

Timeline of events

December 11, 2001 Worcester City Council resolved to apply for a place on the Government's housing transfer programme.

April 2002 Consultations begin with tenants about the possible transfer of their homes from the city to a landlord.

August 2002 Survey carried out by the city council of its housing stock to assess what works need to be done to bring them up to scratch.

September 2002 Protesters demonstrate outside city hall against the transfer proposals.

November 2002 - Housing staff visit council tenants' homes to find out what they want from housing services in the future.

January April 2003 Potential new landlords planned the services they would give, including repairs and improvements, how services would be provided and the work they would do in local neighbourhoods.

Newsletters were also sent out to help keep everyone up to date.

May 2003 Formal consultation document sent out to every tenant, explaining what the transfer would mean for them and their local area.

June 25 2003 Councillors opt in favour of allowing tenants to vote on whether to change their homes from being council-run to control by Worcester Community Housing

July 2003 Secret postal ballot takes place, with city tenants receiving a ballot paper asking them to vote

July 30 Ballot closes, with 75.4 per cent of the 3,983 tenants who voted, supporting the proposals - 53.9 per cent of the 5,553 tenants eligible to vote.

August 2003 Transfer negotiations continue between Worcester Community Housing and the city council.

August 5, 2003 Full meeting of the city council where the ballot result will be discussed and it will be proposed to formally apply to the Government to give the transfer the go-ahead.

March 2004 Transfer set to be complete.

Houses set for a £40m revamp

THE city's council homes will benefit from a £40m package of improvement and modernisation as a result of their transfer to Worcester Community Housing.

Tenants voted on the move in a secret ballot held this month, with 75.4 per cent of the 3,983 tenants giving the proposals the thumbs-up.

It means the management of 4,659 Worcester City Council homes will be transferred to the new not-for-profit landlord, Worcester Community Housing.

As a result, it will see a £40m cash injection, which will be spent on significant modernisation works on the homes over the next six years.

For tenants it will mean a new landlord, but the same staff, with their key rights protected by contract.

Rents

There will be similar rents as with the city council, with levels kept at an affordable level.

The transfer will also result in improvements to housing services, see tenants' rights protected and residents having a say in the running of the housing service.

"It will mean that the new Worcester Community Housing will have substantial resources and manage, maintain and improve tenants' homes into the future at a time when the city council won't have resources available," said Peter Smith, lead officer for the housing transfer.

"Tenants will still see the same staff who will transfer from the city council to Worcester Community Housing as the same time as the housing stock transfers.

"This should give them confidence in the relationships they have already built up with staff."

The transfer of the housing stock is expected to be complete by the end of March 2004.