The stock transfer programme suffered two high profile casualties this week- including the highest "no" vote in 12 years.
Tenants of South Bedfordshire council delivered a resounding no to transfer of their 5,970 homes to a new community landlord as 72.4 per cent voted to stay with the council.

In a second setback to the programme, Wycombe district council tenants have also rejected transfer plans. Wycombe had hoped to offer a 10-year rent guarantee as part of the transfer, but this was rebuffed by government (Housing Today, 25 May).

Experts said the uncertainties introduced by the Green Paper, and concerted anti transfer campaigning had played their part.

Roger Colomb, chair of the shadow board of the housing company that would have received the stock, admitted the loss of the 10 year guarantee had an adverse effect. He said: "But if you think about it logically tenants are going to get a far worse deal now."

South Bedfordshire council chief executive Jon Ruddick said the council had expected to get the go ahead from tenants and warned there was still a £20m repairs backlog. Rents would have to increase by as much as 14 per cent if the housing revenue account was to be sustained.

Both areas saw active "no" campaigns. Mark Weeks, a steering committee member of Defend Council Housing, said: "People are going to continue voting against transfers. This is a national movement now, it is not about people fighting in their own back yards."

However, two other councils received the go ahead. East Northamptonshire council will now transfer its stock to a member of the group that has managed its stock for the last four years. 92 per cent of tenants voted in favour of the 3,540 unit transfer to East Northamptonshire Housing, part of the Longhurst Group.

And East Staffordshire council will also transfer 5,800 units to Trent & Dove housing after 77.5 per cent of tenants in favour.

The highest previous "no" ballot was in 1988, when 93 per cent of Rochford council tenants voted against transfer.

Chapman Hendy Associates director Richard Beal said: "The decision making process for tenants has been made more difficult by the potential implications of the introduction of Resource Accounting and the uncertainty caused by some of the proposals in the housing Green Paper."