Swindon Tenants Campaign Group

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Contact us at stcg@btinternet.com or ring 07786394593

23 thoughts on “Contact us”

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  1. I’m against the Transfer as I believe the rents will increase, meaning that mine along with other houses will not represent affordable housing, as it is I feel that my rent is too high for the house I live in, also who would monitor the houses after the transfer? would it be easy to get repairs done?
    I think that it’s just a way of the Council selling off their problems for a massive cash injection of which none of us would see the benefits of! Fat cat beaurocrats looking out for their own pockets as usual, typical Swindle Borough Council

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    1. Very True Kevin, Brannen has opted to stay with the council. The real beneficiaries of a transfer will be The Banks. The houses are security – tennants count for nothing.Just a meal ticket for those already on the gravy train. A BIG NO is imperative.

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  2. what a joke i wrote to the council and local mp over a year ago how this could be a golden moment in cutting dole que/helping the old folk and what came back? nothing they (council) get their two plus grand a week for bringing our town to a halt. sack the council now

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  3. I was interested in the first reference to the TPAS member briefing – Local Decisions: a fairer future for social housing and I have just downloaded the Local Decisions…… Response by TPAS which makes interesting reading. I certainly feel your group should be afforded an opportunity to put an opposing view – any chance that the Adver would print it?

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    1. We have been trying to get the Adver to give us the opportunity to write something putting the case against selling our homes. Whilst they have been OK printing letters from opponents they have yet to give us space to respond to the propaganda, for instance, which Rod Bluh has put in his column. They have printed a number of letters which call on them to allow us to challenge the Council’s position but as yet they have not responded. Feel free to email the editor at editor@swindonadvertiser.co.uk pressing the paper to let us write an article on why we are campaigning for a No vote.

      Martin Wicks

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  4. I accept that their are Pros and Cons in selling off council homes, advantages and disadvantages.
    Thousands of pounds being spent in promoting a yes vote, DWP have produced nothing other than Swindon Council propaganda, Council employees door knocking, etc, etc.
    For a fair ballot to take place ALL tenants need to know about the very real disadvantages, that promises made by Swindon Council can be ignored by an HA. HA’s can be the subject of mergers and acqisitions, at this stage an HA would have to borrow millions to purchase Council Houses and further Millions to repair upgrade etc. Many examples of HA’s getting into major difficulties with The Banks[Council Houses are ‘Security’ for the Bank]. What about Service Charges? What happens to rents in 2016/17?
    High time DWP and SBC devoted newsletters to fully inform tennants of the downsides to voting yes. No reasonable person could make a decision to vote yes, given current level of information. At this stage I go with ‘Better the Devil you know than the one you do not’. Iwould rather stay in the frying pan than jump in the fire!

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  5. October 23: letter to the editor of the Advertiser which has not been printed – As a council house tenant, I have been following information and comments concerning possible transfer of council homes to a housing association closely. As I have just received a very heavy envalope with yet more from the council (how much did all the mailing cost, let alone all the printing?) I feel very strongly that there should now be an opportunity for opposing views to be heard. There have been occasional letters, but nothing that could offer tenants balanced information concerning the alternative view. It seems that tenants are in danger of being over-whelmed by the ‘for’ information without seeing any joined-up information for any other option. An article, as opposed to letters, would be a step towards providing a balanced picture enabling tenants to understand both sides of the argument. I feel this article is essential before this transfer seems to be a ‘done deal’, and hope that such an article could appear in the Advertiser as soon as possible. Ann Eavis, 1-B Rivers Way, Highworth, SN6 7EL.

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  6. I agree with Ann Eavis that we definately need both sides of the story asap. Will the Adver help the tenants? I don’t know? I thought if enough people said No there wouldn’t even be a ballot and we would just stay with the Council. (which was what I wanted to save some money because like you say they have already spent hundreds of thousands of pounds.) They are railroading us into this by not giving us enough time to put both sides across. I believe the council will sell anyway if indeed sell is the right word because I have been told it will be members of SBC who will be the Swindon Housing Association it was put to me as it will be an ‘arms reach company’ I’m not quite sure of the politics of it but from my experience with SBC they will lie and cheat their way into what they want anyway, I believe they will even say it was a yes even though we all know it will be a no because they are as corrupt as you like!! Any Council that will pay a barrister with tax payers money to defend the death of a teenager, through their own stupidity, well I cannot even find the words to describe them but I would not trust them as far as I can throw them. All the information has been one sided and aimed at elderly vulnerable residents who will be frightened into voting Yes to the Housing Association. They have been going round to the sheltered accommodation and giving coffee mornings telling them how much better off they will be.

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    1. Debbie the Council will not be counting the ballot paper, the Electoral Reform Society will be. So they cannot fiddle the vote. The ‘arms reach company’ is nonsense. A Housing Association is a separate legal entity. You are right, of course, that the information has been one-sided. But bear this in mind. The feedback they have had shows only 661 people saying they want transfer. This is after their massive campaign of disinformation. What one tenant described to me as the biggest campaign of disinformation since the Second World War. There are many tenants who did not reply to the consultation because they don’t want the Council to know which way they are liable to vote. My judgement is that most of these will vote No. I could be proved wrong, of course, but the key thing is that the feedback shows that we have a chance of defeating them. We have to tell people to make sure they use their vote because it is not “a done deal”. If they had convinced a majority of tenants to vote Yes, how come only 661 would tick a box supporting transfer? After all nobody in favour of transfer had anything to fear from letting the Council know that that they agree with them.

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      1. Martin thank you for getting back to me. I know that the Council will not be counting the vote but after what I have been through in the past 8 years with SBC and indeed other public bodies I am afraid I have lost all trust in anything that any of them have to say. I really do hope that people will vote NO. I really hope you a right. Once again thanks for your reply.

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  7. Thurs. 24th Nov. Suddenly, through my letter box this afternoon, comes a flyer, printed both sides, from Swindon Housing Matters. Its headline is “197 Councils Reject Large Scale Voluntary Transfers!” There are a lot more statements, printed in red and black on a white background, so rather difficult to miss. I live in an obscure corner of Highworth so if I received one I hope there are lots more being delivered throughout Swindon area. It emanates from John Firmin on behalf of Swindon Labour Party. I hope everyone gets one as, as I have said, we have been rather drowning in incredibly biased comments, and unwanted heckling, from our present leaders.

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    1. Hi there I am also in Highworth but I never received one of these and I am not in an obsure part. I did receive one today from the No vote though so I was pleased with that and I hope everyone else got one. The only thing is that I hope everyone gets their ballot paper and gets the chance to vote do you know if they are being delivered by Royal Mail or the Council because I noted somewhere that they said the ballot is likely to be over the Christmas and New Year period and the post can be a bit delayed sometimes around that time of year, due to the huge amounts of post to be delivered and the bank holidays. Perhaps the Council should reconsider when to have the vote?

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      1. Debbie the ballot period is from December 1st to December 30th. I would guess that the vast majority of people who vote will probably do so in the first 2 weeks. One of the things we will chase up is the phone number people should ring if they do not receive a ballot paper. The Council’s ‘Second Stage’ notice informing tenants that they will be balloting arrived in my post today.

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  9. 26th November- Comment on Debbie – I have also received a red poster today, in the post with an address but no name. This is from Swindon Tenants Campaign Group. I really hope the word NO is now getting about. Anything else would be a disaster. Keep fighting the Yes campaign everyone.

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  10. I would like to thank you for additional information that I was not aware of, that is the difference between secured and assured tenancy. What a difference, something the council did not tell me. So I will be voting no.

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  11. I was wondering if you would like to join forces with us I am working along side people like the Black Triangle and Keith Ordinary Guy. My name is Jessica Mccarnun and I have started a page called Bedroom tax and the disabled. It is the UK’s first ever personal petition movement. We are peacefully marching thousands of ATOS and Bedroom Tax Stories to Downing Street. Our stories are appearing in newspaper across the country and we are aiming to educate Britain as everyone’s efforts are being blocked. Would you like to work with me 🙂 as we have a common aim. I will attach my link to the page I need as many stories as possible. The more we get the more the UK will listen x we want the disabled protected x Vulnerable tenants too

    Hope we can work together 🙂

    https://www.facebook.com/groups/492600724103642/

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  12. Hi Sue so sorry I have been so busy campaigning and raising the profile of our cause the response is truly fantastic. I would love to contact you that’s great, Thank you. This is such an important cause and we have changed so many peoples view so far in can only keep going. We also have something up our sleeve that is truly amazing so for all the people that don’t believe please just hold on and when you change your mind the door is always open<3 Sue I am going to email you know sorry I didn’t realise you had commented 🙂 We got contacted by The One Show the other day and it is only a matter of time before the Mainstream pick us up in the new year x

    We have also opened up a campaign page for al groups to post links clips newspaper articles and such like to help their cause we want it to be the hub for all group to touch base and exchange views and tips x

    It is only a few days old and we are just about to pay to advertise it also so it will be filling up soon enough. We also did this with the view that our main page was all about the stories for us. These people who many are now my friends have taken the time to write a piece for our petition. Its really nice actually because we all look out for each other. I also connect people with aid and support in their local area. Many are ATOS victims Low wage employed, Carers but all who have suffered cuts already of some kind. This is why they cant pay and I believe if the public knew the lengths of striving we go to everyday to survive then they would be horrified with its Government.

    We are all about empowering people and encouraging them to speak out x And do you not what its working and what’s the harm in that ❤ x x

    Solidarity x

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  13. What about service personnel serving abroad who are only home for short time . Do their families have to pay for them ? Why should they ?

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  14. Is the bedroom tax not against the law? I was of the understanding that there has to be a minimum amount the Govt. says you have to have to live on. Therefore by charging this people who are on the bare minimum will not have anywhere near enough to live on.

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