Wansbeck Homes?

[Guest missvic]

The council offices has gone green. Well it has a green sign on the front now. And one on the verge in front of it too! "Wansbeck homes" it reads.

I doubt I would have noticed it if there hadn't been a fella pointing an outdated TV camera at it earlier on... perhaps something exciting is happening?

[Pete]

The council offices has gone green. Well it has a green sign on the front now. And one on the verge in front of it too! "Wansbeck homes" it reads.

I doubt I would have noticed it if there hadn't been a fella pointing an outdated TV camera at it earlier on... perhaps something exciting is happening?

TV camera, excitement, I will be watching Look North on the BBC tonight. Is it the same green colour that they used on the rubbish bins and seats?

[Symptoms]

"outdated TV camera" could mean 'in-house' corporate promotional video. Or the sign is a sponsor's (we've got roundabouts on roads sponsored by local firms here). Or it could be a variation on that old trick of 'no film in the camera' dodge to tap-up women.

[Pete]

"outdated TV camera" could mean 'in-house' corporate promotional video. Or the sign is a sponsor's (we've got roundabouts on roads sponsored by local firms here). Or it could be a variation on that old trick of 'no film in the camera' dodge to tap-up women.

I never knew they did that.

We have what I can only describe as imitation Christmas trees on some of the traffic islands where I live. Sometimes wonder if they have got hidden cameras in them.

[Malcolm Robinson]

The council offices has gone green. Well it has a green sign on the front now. And one on the verge in front of it too! "Wansbeck homes" it reads.

I doubt I would have noticed it if there hadn't been a fella pointing an outdated TV camera at it earlier on... perhaps something exciting is happening?

Something is certainly happening but I won't put my two penneth worth in on an open forum! Perchance someone might want to look at the board and managment of said Wansbeck Homes!!!!!!

[Guest missvic]

Something is certainly happening but I won't put my two penneth worth in on an open forum! Perchance someone might want to look at the board and managment of said Wansbeck Homes!!!!!!

Hmmm....

This is all so very curious...

On one of my few trips up to the council offices a year or so ago I was subjected to watching the most contrived, awful piece of film starring Jack Charlton... if I remember rightly he was trying to convince the residents of Wanbeck that the council houses were in a bit of a state and needed rebuilding, and there was an £80m shortfall. (am I correct?) He seemed to promise the world, but I found it all a bit unachieveable myself. I also found it a bit odd that this 'celebrity' endorsed film didn't appear to be shown on the telly, and only seemed to be aimed at the folk who have nowt better to do than sit about the council offices all day... I wondered who they were trying to convince? And why?

Perhaps I'm a bit over-suspicious, or I'm reading it the wrong way? But I'm actually finding it hard to read about at all, as I can't seem to find any direct information about it, only mentions in passing about it's greatness.

And whatever the cheap camera was doing there yesterday, it wasn't on Look North!

Can anyone tell me what is going on?

[Malcolm Robinson]

When council tenents were asked if they wanted a private company to take over the ownership and running of them what was the reply?

[Guest missvic]

When council tenents were asked if they wanted a private company to take over the ownership and running of them what was the reply?

The Journal report says 'yes'... but I'm still unsure exactly what is 'Wansbeck Homes'? Is it the exciting new venture set to enhance the homes and lives of present tenants, or another PFI-type initiative? Pardon my ignorance!

[ex Bedlingtonian]

http://www.wansbeckwelcome.co.uk/index.htm

http://www.wansbeckonline.com/index.cfm?pa....cfm&id=579

http://www.wansbeckwelcome.co.uk/about.htm

http://jobs.guardian.co.uk/employer/wansbeck-homes/

Must be going upmarket - advertising in the Guardian for employees

[threegee]

... but I'm still unsure exactly what is 'Wansbeck Homes'? Is it the exciting new venture set to enhance the homes and lives of present tenants...

It rather looks like a lot of expensive spin on p-p-p-p-privatisation. Now remind me here, but when Maggie told WDC that they had to sell council houses to their tenants wasn't there an almighty stink from our local labourites, and opposition at every turn?

So, in the ruling (New) Labour Party book it's not OK to let people own their own homes, but it's OK to let a private company own them.

The argument then was it would reduce the stock of public sector housing to the needy, now it appears to be that it will release huge amounts of money to spend on much needed maintenance. Being able to stand on your head - and claim that it's everyone else that is seeing things upside-down - seems to be a particular requisite of Wansbeck politics!

If only one single Labour councillor had the guts to come on here and explain what they really believed in these days. They won't because the new politics requires them to be heavily insulated from the public by spin doctors. And, in a brief moment of honesty and clear thinking, they may say something that the big-brother party machine won't forgive them for!

[charlie]

Hmmm....

This is all so very curious...

On one of my few trips up to the council offices a year or so ago I was subjected to watching the most contrived, awful piece of film starring Jack Charlton... if I remember rightly he was trying to convince the residents of Wanbeck that the council houses were in a bit of a state and needed rebuilding, and there was an £80m shortfall. (am I correct?) He seemed to promise the world, but I found it all a bit unachieveable myself. I also found it a bit odd that this 'celebrity' endorsed film didn't appear to be shown on the telly, and only seemed to be aimed at the folk who have nowt better to do than sit about the council offices all day... I wondered who they were trying to convince? And why?

Perhaps I'm a bit over-suspicious, or I'm reading it the wrong way? But I'm actually finding it hard to read about at all, as I can't seem to find any direct information about it, only mentions in passing about it's greatness.

And whatever the cheap camera was doing there yesterday, it wasn't on Look North!

Can anyone tell me what is going on?

All council tenants in Wansbeck were balloted in March last year to see if they were for or against a large scale stock transfer to Wansbeck homes a new registerd social landlord ( housing association) governed by the housing corporation. Wansbeck Homes will be working in partenership with Cheviot Homes. The tenants voted for the transfer which will release money that would not otherwise be available to the council to modernise and bring their homes up to a high standard.

The tenants of the properties over the past couple of years have been invited to roadshows and been kept up to date with regular newsletters. The council also refurbished 3 empty in properties, 1 in Bedlington 1 in Ashington and 1 in Newbiggin to give tenants the chance to see what kind of improvements could be made to their properties.

The film played in the council offices was not shown on the t.v as it only affected Wansbeck Councils Tenants, who were all sent a copy of dvd.

Monday was the launch day of Wansbeck homes and all housing staff and tradesmen from Wansbeck Council transferred over to Wansbeck Homes, they are no longer employed by Wansbeck Council, Bedlington is the head office for Wansbeck Homes, although there are two small offices for tenants in Ashington and Newbiggin.

Hope this helps.

[Symptoms]

Good summary Charlie.

I wonder if the existing workforce will get their existing Conditions of Employment safeguarded beyond the Tupe limit, or will they get stiffed like 1000's of others before them. Of course the new Company, in the shape of their hired mouthpieces, will bleat-on about how they'll value the workforce, whilst working-out ways to cut costs (sackings, hiring agency folk with no employment protection, etc.) Then we'll see a 'get rich quick' management buy-out resulting in lots of lovely loot for the few. A bit like NR really - a Mutual, owned by the members who voted to 'cash-in', then it went t*ts-up. A pound-to-a-pinch-of !*!@# the majority of the tenants won't see any improvements.

So it looks like the 'in-house' corporate promotional video was pretty near the mark - "outdated TV camera".

[Malcolm Robinson]

Charlie,

As you seem to be in the loop on this one maybe you can answer a couple of questions which bother me and I will only use your last reply as reference.

Is Wansbeck Homes a private company, a limited company, a partnership or a co-operative and who is on the board? As a company now in the private sector, depending on their make up, they might well say it’s none of my business but seeing as they have taken over what is a valuable public asset and as a new venture I think we have the right to know everything about them. I would also like to know why they thought it necessary to go into partnership with another housing association; surely that increases the cost base even if they get the expertise they need it has to be paid for? And conversely what is Cheviot getting out of the deal? Why didn’t Cheviot just do the deal?

Another question, if Wansbeck Homes is made up from sections of WDC does that mean they negotiated with themselves when we consider the lease, rent and use of the council offices in Bedlington? I would still like to know who owns the building now and once WDC is no more! Councils charged with getting ‘best value’ for any publicly owned asset normally get around this by putting out to tender, did WDC put this building and its lease out to tender before handing it over to a ‘private’ company or was an independent third party brought into the negotiations to make the whole process legit?

Next considering the 3 ‘done up’ properties, who actually paid for their modernisation, WDC or Wansbeck Homes? It would be a bit strange if WDC had paid out public money to show what a private company may be capable of in the future. Also how come 3 empty houses were found, are there no waiting lists for council houses these days or were they uninhabitable?

Lastly was it really necessary to produce a DVD for tenants? I will take a wild guess but I think these tenants, now customers, would prefer better service rather than promotional gizmos!

[threegee]

Some more questions:

Was the opposing case put to the people they asked to legitimise the process? And if so, and by way of balance, were equal public funds spent on the process?

Were the long suffering Bedlington council tax payers asked for an opinion? After all it was they who in large part funded the houses in the first place. What - if anything at all - do they, and the Town get out of this?

How much did the local council taxpayer get stung for in the "professional" and other fees associated with the whole exercise?

I fear yet another instance of "politics on the rates"!

Some answers from our local politicians, please!

[charlie]

Good summary Charlie.

I wonder if the existing workforce will get their existing Conditions of Employment safeguarded beyond the Tupe limit, or will they get stiffed like 1000's of others before them. Of course the new Company, in the shape of their hired mouthpieces, will bleat-on about how they'll value the workforce, whilst working-out ways to cut costs (sackings, hiring agency folk with no employment protection, etc.) Then we'll see a 'get rich quick' management buy-out resulting in lots of lovely loot for the few. A bit like NR really - a Mutual, owned by the members who voted to 'cash-in', then it went t*ts-up. A pound-to-a-pinch-of !*!@# the majority of the tenants won't see any improvements.

So it looks like the 'in-house' corporate promotional video was pretty near the mark - "outdated TV camera".

Symptoms

Apparently there is no limit to Tupe protection so hopefully the terms and conditions of service stay with them till they retire or leave.

There will be an uproar if tenants don't see any of the improvements as they were all sent an offer document informing them what was to be done to their properties, i'm led to believe this booklet is a promise to the tenants and that the promise must be kept, improvements include new kitchens, bathrooms, heating systems, double glazing to every door and window and improved services ie better appointment system for repairs, more ways to pay rent than is available now.

[charlie]

Charlie,

As you seem to be in the loop on this one maybe you can answer a couple of questions which bother me and I will only use your last reply as reference.

Is Wansbeck Homes a private company, a limited company, a partnership or a co-operative and who is on the board? As a company now in the private sector, depending on their make up, they might well say it’s none of my business but seeing as they have taken over what is a valuable public asset and as a new venture I think we have the right to know everything about them. I would also like to know why they thought it necessary to go into partnership with another housing association; surely that increases the cost base even if they get the expertise they need it has to be paid for? And conversely what is Cheviot getting out of the deal? Why didn’t Cheviot just do the deal?

Another question, if Wansbeck Homes is made up from sections of WDC does that mean they negotiated with themselves when we consider the lease, rent and use of the council offices in Bedlington? I would still like to know who owns the building now and once WDC is no more! Councils charged with getting ‘best value’ for any publicly owned asset normally get around this by putting out to tender, did WDC put this building and its lease out to tender before handing it over to a ‘private’ company or was an independent third party brought into the negotiations to make the whole process legit?

Next considering the 3 ‘done up’ properties, who actually paid for their modernisation, WDC or Wansbeck Homes? It would be a bit strange if WDC had paid out public money to show what a private company may be capable of in the future. Also how come 3 empty houses were found, are there no waiting lists for council houses these days or were they uninhabitable?

Lastly was it really necessary to produce a DVD for tenants? I will take a wild guess but I think these tenants, now customers, would prefer better service rather than promotional gizmos!

Malcolm

Wansbeck Homes is an RSL Registered Social Lanlord and i believe they are a Limited Company. I'm not sure of the names of the board members but the board is made up in equal parts of tenants, councillors and independants.

The tenants were chosen by an invitation from the council to all tenants to consider applying to be a board member, they then had interview with independant consultants.

The councillors were selected by other elected members based on the current political make up of the council at time of selection.

The independant board members are not connected with the council and were chosen for expertise in different areas eg finance, business, housing, rengeneration etc

Wansbeck Homes is leasing/renting the office space from the council until new premises can be found.

Not sure who paid for doing properties up, properties have since been re let to tenants.

I'm not on the board of Wansbeck Homes so am not privvy to a lot of questions being asked ! However most of what i've said can be found in the booklet/offer document that was sent to all tenants. I read my dad's.

The booklet is yellow and purple in colour say's "change for the better" at top of booklet, it also shows a picture of a young council tenant family on the cover.

Maybe if any of you know a council ( wansbeck homes tenant) you could get to read the booklet.

[Malcolm Robinson]

Maybe if any of you know a council ( wansbeck homes tenant) you could get to read the booklet.

Thanks for the reply charlie, any tenants online with a scanner?

[stu]

Just done a job for a local councillor(labour)and I pointed him the direction of this forum,seeing him again on Monday,while I'm there I'll try and get him on the forum to give his views,and maybe an insight to what is going on.No promises though!