Agenda item

Report of the Corporate Director of Regeneration and Economic Development.

The Chairman thanked the Housing Directions Manager, Marie Roe who was in attendance to give an update presentation in relation to the Housing Stock Transfer Project (for copy see file of minutes).

The Stock Transfer Project Manager noted that the application to Government had been submitted in December 2013, taking into account the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) guidance that had been published 12 November 2013.  It was noted that the Council received notification on 24 March 2014 that the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) had approved the application for stock transfer and Government would inform the Council as regards the formal consultation stage involving all tenants.  It was added that this would be a two stage process, firstly to issue an “offer document” to tenants, then to conduct a ballot of all tenants.  Councillors noted that the timescale for completing the transfer was challenging, by the end of March 2015.  It was explained the offer document was being developed with the Parent Board for the new group of landlords being established in shadow form, named the County Durham Housing Group, and the formal consultation would commence Summer 2014. 

Resolved:   

That the report be noted.