I AM puzzled by the actions of South Cambridgeshire District Council s housing department. Having said that it will soon run out of money to repair council homes, it has begun a costly campaign to involve tenants in choosing their new private landlord,

I AM puzzled by the actions of South Cambridgeshire District Council's housing department.

Having said that it will soon run out of money to repair council homes, it has begun a costly campaign to involve tenants in choosing their new private landlord, as though transfer was already decided, when the proposal to transfer the housing stock was rejected by 82 per cent of tenants at the last vote.

If the council is so short of money, it would be better spent on meeting tenants' present needs than on a proposed action that has been so clearly rejected.

The council is acting as though the proposed transfer is "in the bag", and does not make it sufficiently clear to tenants that the acceptance of transfer is not a "done deal".

While housing associations are technically non-profit making, they are dependent on commercial loans from banks who are very much profit-making.

They are private companies, often with highly paid senior executives, and some have treated their tenants most shabbily.

Furthermore, the promise of repairs by a new, improved landlord is just that; a promise which is not binding, and is legally subordinate to the duty to repay debts.

It doesn't seem at all advisable to lose our present tenants' rights and the landlord's accountability, for the sake of promises.

SOUTH CAMBS AGAINST TRANSFER

87 Fulbourn Road

Teversham CB1 9AJ