Tenants in Bury, Lancashire, are being consulted over the future of the housing stock there. A month-long consultation is under way.
Although no decision has been made, the council says transfer is likely to be the only solution offering both stock investment and a chance to build new homes.

Arm’s-length management would require a sea change in performance. The council’s rent collection service gained no stars on inspection this year, though it was rated “likely to improve”.

The council says it can only keep its 9200 homes for three to five years before falling behind on investment.

A survey earlier this year said only 10% of Bury’s homes fail to reach the government’s decency standard. But that climbed to at least 40% on further analysis. Strategy service manager Gill Leng said the council currently improves its homes to a far higher standard than the decency threshold and would have to cut back if it kept its stock.

The council will make a decision next year after further consultation.