Praise for housing campaigners
Published 16 Jul 2012 09:30
CAMPAIGNERS against the proposed stock transfer have congratulated everyone involved in getting the move scrapped.
The motion to retain all of West Dunbartonshire Council's (WDC) existing 10,500 properties was rubber stamped at June's full council meeting.
The decision means that approximately £95million will now be invested into improving the standard of homes in the area although critics have highlighted the fact that residents will see their rents go up by 40 per cent in the next five years.
But last week Councillor Jim Bollan insisted it was the right decision to take and praised everyone involved in campaigning against it.
He said: "The committee of the West Dunbartonshire campaign against housing stock transfer met recently to digest the news that WDC have scrapped the stock transfer proposals, which we warmly welcome. This is the right decision for council tenant's, council workers and the wider community in West Dunbartonshire.
"The committee believe their campaign played a part in the decision to scrap this unwanted stock transfer and want to thank the thousands of tenants and residents who supported the campaign over the last three years.
"The council trades unions played a key role in this successful campaign and have to be congratulated. The main lesson to be learned from this successful campaign is that when the whole community unite to fight for a just cause then positive change can be effected. The campaign committee was made up of tenants, trades unions, owners, councillor's and the Scottish Tenants Organisation, the umbrella group for tenants in Scotland.
"There will be huge ongoing attacks on public services in the coming years, for example the deep cuts in housing benefit next April will increase homelessness, poverty and job losses.
"Whilst this stock transfer campaign has been successful the committee intend to continue to organise to defend public services and jobs in the broader sense in West Dunbartonshire."
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