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Major housing transfer in North East

38, 000 council properties in Sunderland are to be transferred to the private sector in what will be the largest voluntary transfer ever to take place in this country. The move has been given almost unanimous backing by the council tenants in the area, with 88% of voters in favour of the transfer, on a turnout of 73%.

The properties will become the responsibility of a newly formed non-profit-making local housing company called the Sunderland Housing Group, which will have with five separate subsidiaries. These will be run by an unpaid management board of tenants, councillors and independent local advisers.

The council says the umbrella company will put in the £302 million investment needed over five years to bring the housing up to scratch. The upshot for residents is a multi-million pound makeover, with £160 million to be spent on modernising the housing stock over the next 5 years. The remainder of the cash will be used to ensure that all homes have full central heating, to upgrade fences, and to continue painting, door and window improvement programmes.

Council leader Colin Anderson said: 'We said all along that the transfer would only go ahead if that was what tenants wanted. Clearly it is what they want.' The transfer is scheduled for completion next March.