THE transfer of Fenland District Council s 3,833 homes to Roddons Housing Association has gone through without a hitch. This week, 101 council staff also transferred to Roddons to ensure the transition was seamless and service to customers was not interru

THE transfer of Fenland District Council's 3,833 homes to Roddons Housing Association has gone through without a hitch.

This week, 101 council staff also transferred to Roddons to ensure the transition was seamless and service to customers was not interrupted.

They joined other Roddons staff at a Fenland Council office in Melbourne Avenue, March, which will be the housing association's headquarters for the foreseeable future.

The transfer plan was floated by the council in December 2006, with plans to transfer ownership of the council's housing stock to Roddons Housing Association, supported by Circle Anglia.

Following approval in principal for the transfer plan from the Government and from council tenants, who voted in favour of the plan, the council and Roddons moved steadily through the four-stage process necessary to achieve full consent for the transfer from the Department for Communities and Local Government.

The complex final agreement will give the council the right to nominate 75 per cent of tenants as properties become vacant.

Under the agreement, the council is seeking to retain ownership and management of the 19 sewage treatment works that will continue to service the transferred homes.

The homes transfer will lead to improved living conditions and communities for tenants because Roddons is not subject to the same financial restrictions as the council when it comes to reinvesting revenues from the properties.

Improvements to properties will lead to lower carbon emissions from properties and lower fuel costs for tenants. It is also envisaged that the general improvements to communities and their local environments will help to reduce incidents of damage to property and of anti-social behaviour.

The improvements to housing as well as better security measures such as security fencing and lighting, mean properties will be significantly above the national decent homes standard.

Councillor Kit Owen, portfolio holder with responsibility for housing, said: "The transfer of council homes to Roddons went smoothly, which is a tribute to all those involved in the long and complex process of transferring more than 3,800 homes and more than 100 staff."

Homes switched over: Completing the legal transfer process are, left to right, Brenda Reynolds, chairman of Roddons; Pauline Ford, managing director of Roddons, and Cllr Kit Owen, the council's portfolio holder with responsibility for housing.