A letter to the Swindon Advertiser

Swindon Tenants are drowning under the deluge of “neutral information” from the Council. So far we have had four editions Of Housing Matters,drop in sessions, meetings in sheltered housing complexes, doorstep visits and home phone calls from Council Staff, a forty eight page Offer Document, a DVD featuring selected shadow board members masquerading as “ordinary tenants” and now text messages. The Council has also contracted a private company to telephone canvass tenants. There are noticed large billboard posters in Fleming Way. All we need now are loudspeaker vans touring the estates and we will have seen it all.

What we haven’t seen however is any attempt to put both sides of the question. All we hear is that transfer ( sell-off) is the Councils preferred option. No information about the downsides of being an Assured rather than a Secure tenant for example.Nothing about the £199 million debt the Housing Association would have at start up.

This campaign, for that is what it is, rather than a consultation, has been a disgraceful example of an overbearing authority attempting to pressure its tenants into agreeing to a sell-off.

All those involved in this shabby exercise should be ashamed.

Eileen George