CITY councillors have agreed to release consultants appointed by the council, in a bid to give a possible transfer of tenants' homes 'a flying start.'

At a housing board meeting last night councillors voted unanimously in favour of releasing lead consultants BWN Ltd and legal consultants Trowers and Hamlins from a clause in their contract to allow them to work for Worcester Community Housing.

The agreement comes as part of a proposed transfer of tenants' homes from the council to Worcester Community Housing, a not-for-profit-landlord.

Tenants will be asked to vote in a secret postal ballot this month as to whether or not the transfer should go ahead.

The idea is that if the majority of tenants vote 'yes' the consultants will work with Worcester Community Housing in the legal and administrative matters of the transfer in the post-ballot phase.

The council would look for new consultants to assist them in the transfer process at the start of August.

"It is very important that not only do we safeguard the council's position post-transfer assuming tenants vote 'yes', it's equally important we help the new association we are creating with sufficient assistance to get them off to a flying start," said city council chief executive David Wareing.

Councillor Francis Lankester, chairman of the housing board, said even if the transfer did go ahead, the council would still have a residual housing service, dealing with matters such as private housing grants and the homeless.

"On the one hand there is the very important issue of giving Worcester Community Housing the best possible start so it's in the best interest of the tenants.

"On the other hand we want to make sure the interests of the council in setting up a residual housing service is safeguarded," he added.

At an earlier meeting of the housing board last month, councillors opted in favour of letting tenants vote on whether to change their homes from being council-run to under the control of Worcester Community Housing.

The transfer, which would lead to significant modernisation works on council properties, will only happen if the majority of people vote in favour of it.

Tenants were consulted about the affect of any possible change of a transfer at the beginning of May.