ST HELENS Council is strongly rebutting claims by Trade Union representatives concerning 'proposals to sell off' its housing stock.

St Helens TUC has organised a public meeting at St Helens Town Hall next Wednesday, November 29 to discuss what it claims is the council's decision to privatise its 16,000 council house next year. It has called on tenants to oppose any such measure. But the council says that these proposals are the only way to ensure money for modernisation of properties will come into town.

Speakers at the meeting, starting at 7.30pm, will include Roger Bannister, a member of UNISON's National Executive Committee, and George Waring, chair of the Fairbrothers Tenants and Residents Association, Newton-le-Willows.

A spokesman for the TUC said: "Our aim is to kick-start a joint tenant/trade union campaign to resist the transfers. Council housing originated last century because of slums, poverty and profiteering landlords. The proposed new housing company will effectively be controlled by the banks that are only interested in profit similar to the bad old days, which must be opposed.

"We have seen how privatisation has affected the railways through lack of safety, extortionate fares and a poorer service. We don't want the same to happen to public housing."

However, a council spokesperson said that the suggestion that the council is to privatise its housing stock was "totally misleading."

The spokesperson added:" The proposal, subject to full tenant consultation, is to transfer to a newly-created local housing company where council and tenant representatives will hold two thirds of seats on the board. This will be able to borrow the necessary money to bring all the houses up to a fully-modernised condition. The Government will not allow councils to borrow this money. Unless this goes ahead the condition of council houses in St Helens will continue to get worse."

The TUC spokesman also accused council leader Marie Rimmer of doing a "political somersault" from the days when she led the council in the 1980s claiming she had been quoted as saying "we will not be handing over estates to private landlords, housing associations or housing trusts and will fight any attempts to take over the propertes we manage on behalf of the people of St Helens."

Councillor Rimmer, though, denied the allegations. She told the Star: "The issue of a local housing company was not an option available to this council prior to the election of this present Government. It provides the only acceptable option to the council.

"It is estimated that around £238 million is needed just to bring homes up to standard. If the transfer does go ahead it means that all council homes in the borough needing refurbishment work would be improved over a seven-year programme."

ANYONE requiring information about the meeting can contact 01744 753209.