Vale of Glamorgan Council’s Cabinet will be asked to approve the Offer Document that will go to all tenants before they are asked to vote on the future of their homes early next year.
Like all other councils in Wales, Vale of Glamorgan must bring its homes up to the Welsh Housing Quality Standard (WHQS) by 2012 or soon after.
The Vale of Glamorgan Council’s homes need an estimated £86 million investment over an initial five year period towards meeting the full requirements of the WHQS including environmental improvements and major works on estates.
While the Council currently estimates that it would have the resources to undertake most of the works to the actual homes to bring them up to the Welsh Housing Quality Standard, it would not have the financial resources to do work to the estates and the environment. It would also not have the resources to significantly improve services.
The Council agreed to consult tenants on whether they wanted their homes to stay with the Council or to transfer to a new, independent not-for-profit Registered Social Landlord, Heritage Coast Homes, which would have access to additional money needed to bring the homes up to WHQS.
Within its investment programme, Heritage Coast Homes would also have a budget of £25 million to address some of the estate design issues that affect areas such as Gibbonsdown and Buttrills in Barry and £5.7 million for environmental improvements across the Vale.
The planned internal works would include new kitchens, bathrooms, rewiring, re-roofing, heating systems and double glazing for homes that need this.
Councillor Gordon Kemp, Leader of the Council, said: “We want our tenants to fully understand the choice they are being asked to make about the future of their homes.
“The Offer Document is key to explaining exactly what staying with the Council would mean for homes and services compared with what transfer to Heritage Coast Homes could deliver.
“I would urge all tenants to read their Offer Document when they receive it early next year and, very importantly, to use their vote when the time comes.”
Full details of what staying with the Council and what transferring to Heritage Coast Homes would mean are included in the Offer Document which tenants helped to shape, and which will be sent to tenants early next year before they are asked to vote.
If tenants vote in favour of transfer, and it goes ahead, Heritage Coast Homes would be legally committed to deliver the promises made in the Offer Document.
