AS we enter a new year, Worcester City Council can at last offer its tenants hope that every one of their homes will be properly repaired.

Councillors of all parties voted overwhelmingly to ask the Government for a place on the housing transfer list. This means transferring Worcester's council homes to a new not-for-profit landlord.

The fact is that the Government gives the council less and less money each year to repair council houses. This year, the council had to cut nearly £600,000 from the estate management and repair budgets. Tenants can see for themselves that broken fences are not fixed, rubbish piles up, trees are not trimmed, and home repairs not done.

6 Two thousand homes need new windows. The city council has money for none.

6 Two thousand homes need new roofs, but the council can replace only 200.

6 Three thousand homes need electrical refits, but only 300 can be done.

This cannot go on. Homes are just deteriorating. There is a huge £53m backlog in repairs that the council can not solve.

The only way forward is to set up a new not-for-profit landlord that will be able to raise and keep all the money necessary to repair tenants' homes decently. It is the only way to keep the valued neighbourhood offices and the sheltered housing warden service.

All this will be in tenant's hands. We will learn if the Government has agreed to put Worcester housing on the list in March. I know that tenants will have many concerns and questions.

Tenants will receive lots of information from an independent adviser appointed by tenants. I hope that this will show how great the advantage of transfer is - that every tenant's home will be repaired to a decent standard.

It will then be up to all tenants to decide in a secret ballot.

COUNCILLOR FRANCIS LANKESTER,

Chairman of Housing Board,

All Saints Ward.