Fenland ITA Freephone		0800-028-3365

To progress with the transfer proposal is a corporate priority for Fenland District Council, and to ensure that the process is managed in accordance with good practice a Transfer Option Development Group has been established. The group consists of senior councillors as well as tenants and members of staff. Underneath an Officer Project Board is established along with an operational officer group. The outputs from the groups are twin focused, to ensure the process continues to be tenant led and delivering a final offer to tenants that is attractive to the broad tenant base whilst maximising the capital receipt for the council to assist in the development of the Councils 4 key priorities along with the 20 year vision of the Fenland Strategic Partnership. Tenant representatives are particularly interested in ensuring that the need for additional affordable housing is appropriately prioritised within those considerations.

The Council has had a 'STATUS' report carried out that identifies the level of tenant satisfaction in Fenland. This will help the Transfer Options Development Group to see what improvements tenants want to see. A copy can be downloaded from here:

Status Report Indicating Tenant Satisfaction

The first thing that has been done by the Transfer Options Development Group is to carry out a survey of a 10% sample of tenants to find out more about their needs and aspirations. The results of this survey can be downloaded from here:

Results of Tenant Survey

We have also made avalable the project plan outlining our involvement as the ITA which can be downloaded below:

Project Plan for the ITA for Fenland

Focus Group meetings were held with tenants on 16th and 19th January 2006. These were designed to find out what different groups of tenants thought about Options Fenland and the future of their homes. A report on these focus groups can be downloaded from here:

Focus Group Findings

A Shadow Board is being appointed. It is intended that the Shadow Board will help to decide how the stock transfer would take place and would then become the Board of the Housing Association. Five Fenland tenants have been appointed to the Shadow Board and it is intended that five Fenland Councillors and five independent people will also be appointed. The Fenland tenants who have been appointed are:

Colin Greenwood
Rob Butcher
Keith Haylett
Jean Key
Brenda Reynolds

Reports to Transfer Options Development Group - April 21^st 2006

Our activities as Independent Tenants’ Adviser were reported to the Transfer Options Development Group on 20th April 2006. Our reports can be downloaded by clicking on the links below:

Report
Notes

Tenants Information and Consultation Events

Fenland District Council and the Options Fenland Working Group believe that the best way to make sure that its tenants have good homes is to transfer them to a Housing Association. Before this can happen, though, tenants must decide if they want to support the move in a ballot that will probably be held in November. The final decision will be made by the tenants in this ballot. The Fenland Tenants’ Forum has appointed Adrian Waite to act as Independent Tenants’ Advisor. His role is to give tenants independent advice so that they understand what the transfer of their homes would mean and can make their own minds up whether it is a good idea. As part of this, Adrian will be in Fenland during the fortnight over Easter to give tenants information, answer their questions and listen to their points of view.

Village Visits
On Tuesday 11th April 2006, Adrian will visit villages in North Fenland to speak to tenants and will be doing the same in South Fenland on Wednesday 26th April 2006.

Tenants' Meetings
Joint meetings of the Tenants’ Forum and the Independent Tenants’ Adviser will be held throughout Fenland. All tenants are invited to these meetings.

• MARCH – 10th April 2006 at Morton Avenue at 7.00pm
• WISBECH – 11th April 2006 at Queen’s School at 7.30pm.
• WHITTLESEY – 12th April 2006 at St. Mary’s House at 7.30pm.
• CHATTERIS – 18th April 2006 at the Council Centre at 7.00pm
• THORNEY TOLL – 20th April 2006 at the Village Hall at 7.30pm.

Download Presentations

Itinerary
March
Wisbech
Whittlesey
Chatteris
Thorney Toll

Results on the tenants information and consultation events can be downloaded from here.

Open Days
The Council has organised ‘Open Days’ when tenants can meet with representatives of the three Housing Associations that are being considered as possible new landlords. These are Circle Anglia, Hereward and Nene Housing Associations. All tenants are being invited to these open days and Adrian Waite will also be there to offer independent advice.

• Whittlesey – 12th April 2006 from 8.15am to 1pm at Manor Leisure Centre
• Wisbech – 12th April 2006 from 3.00pm to 7.30pm at the Village Community Centre
• March – 13th April 2006 from 8.15am to 1pm at Fenland Hall
• Chatteris – 13th April 2006 from 3.00pm to 7.30pm at South Fens Business Park

If you need transport to any of these events that can be arranged by calling Sally Taylor at Fenland Council on 01354 602150 or the Council’s freephone 0800 1690655.

Open Day at March

Presentations by Housing Associations
On the 20th April 2006 the three short listed Housing Associations made presentations to representatives of Tenants and other stakeholders. There was also an oppotunity for tenants to ask question. Notes of these presentations can be downloaded below.

Circle Angila
Hereward
Nene