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August 2005

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5 August 2005

Labour Councillor Dennis Dixon Defends Council Housing

I was amazed to see the comments of the Chase Tenants and Residents Federation and Chase Tenants Transfer Group where they are attacking Labour Councillors for not supporting the transfer of the council housing stock in Cannock Chase.  A member of the CTTG says that Labour do not appear willing to sit down with tenants and that tenants can think for themselves.

As a Labour councillor, who is also a tenant, I talk to tenants every day, I agree that tenants can think for themselves and in fact will have the vote on whether they wish to stay with Cannock Council or transfer to a housing association board which will no doubt be made up of active residents and tenants association members, people picked by the controlling Lib Dem and Tory group of the council and local business men.

If the transfer takes place who do the tenants then go to if the staff of the new housing association ignore the wishes of a tenant or someone who wants a house?  Currently they can, and do, get in touch with a councillor.

This transfer vote procedure is costing Cannock Council over £400,000  and what is not being explained by the pro transfer groups is how much money will the council tax payers lose by a transfer of the houses.

The literature being sent to tenants from the council is biased towards a transfer, it has to be otherwise the office of the deputy prime minister will not allow the transfer vote to go forward. 

The current council housing offices can not be used by the new housing association after the changeover period – where does the money come from to pay for new offices – as if we didn’t know.

Just hold the faith, even in Tony Blair’s Sedgefield constituency the tenants voted against the powers that be to retain council housing.

I am proud to be counted as being against the transfer of the council houses to an independent housing association and can assure the pro transfer groups that, as I am a council tenant, I will be voting against the transfer along with, I believe, the majority of tenants who are happy with the way the council has dealt with their housing stock.