The York Council has decided to spend £200,000 surveying views on whether to ditch its Council house management  responsibilities.

Some Councillors want to transfer management of the homes to an independent company as was done in Leeds.

We think that they are wrong.

When polled 15 years ago on a similar proposal tenants voted overwhelmingly to retain the York Council as a landlord.

More recently, when asked whether they were satisfied with the Council as a landlord 89% said that they were.

The housing account currently shows a surplus although government policies could change this in the medium term. Central government sets rent levels (which they are reducing as a way of controlling benefit claims).

They also plan to sell off some Council houses, when they become vacant, to the highest bidder as a way of balancing their books. The Liberal Democrats have started a petition opposing this “sell off”. Click here

They also intend to charge “commercial rents” to tenants that they regard as “wealthy”. This plan, at least, wasn’t taken into account in a gloomy and selective officer report which prompted the outsourcing plot.

The plan was opposed by Andrew Waller and a Green Party Councillor when debated by the Council’s Executive but slipped through anyway.

The resulting turmoil and indecision will be exacerbated by the resignation of the Head of Housing Services. His post will be filled on a temporary basis via an internal appointment.

All in all, we think that the Council has more pressing issues to address.

They should abandon this plan which is a waste of time and money