Crawley delays Council Housing decision

11.15.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 29th Jun 2006

Cllr Linda Seekings ""Our tenants are intelligent enough to make up their own mind as to which way they will vote on this issue."

After a passionate debate Crawley Borough Council decided at an Extraordinary Council meeting this evening to defer the Council tenant's ballot on Council housing. The vote, as to whether Council owned housing should stay with the Borough Council or be "privatised" into a new Housing Association, will now take place in "Spring 2007". The Liberal Democrat Councillors argued that the vote should not be delayed.

Northgate Lib Dem Councillor Linda Seekings reminded Council that a deferment of the decision was like keeping an axe hanging over the tenants. "It has to be removed. Why are we putting off to tomorrow what we can decide today - and spend an extra £90,000 for the privilege of doing so?"

Continuing Linda said "Our tenants are intelligent enough to make up their own mind as to which way they will vote on this issue. The Council's present policy, of remaining neutral on the issue and allowing the tenants of the Borough Council to decide in October, is the sensible one. To defer the decision till next year and for the Borough Council to campaign for a Housing Association solution is an insult to their intelligence,"