Newark and Sherwood Homes staff brought back in-house by Newark and Sherwood District Council
Staff from a council’s arms’ length housing management company have been welcomed back in-house.
Newark and Sherwood District Council made an in-principle decision to bring the management of housing stock back in-house in April last year.
Following a tenant consultation period, the council’s policy and finance committee made the final decision on September 26 in favour of the proposal.
The move is expected to save just under £1m per year, which, after allowing for inflation, will result in an estimated £40m over the next 30 years.
These savings will be reinvested in front line housing services and new council homes to help improve the lives and homes of tenants.
The council said it was important to stress that tenancies and leases were not affected by the decision and the council remains the landlord.
District council leader David Lloyd said: “We are thrilled to have moved the management of our housing stock back in house and welcome our new colleagues with open arms.
“Tenants should be reassured there will be no disruption to service and council staff are working hard behind the scenes to ensure this is the case.”
Newark and Sherwood Homes was set up by the council 15 years ago in order to secure national funding to improve council houses.
The council said the company had delivered well over that period and it recognised that service performance was good with excellent and dedicated staff.
However, it said the need for a separate company was no longer as relevant as it was when it was set up to secure Government funding to deliver under the Decent Homes programme.
Local authorities across the country have been closing their arm’s length housing companies for a number of reasons, including to make savings to reinvest in tenants’ services.
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