THE FIRST officials have been appointed for South Cambridgeshire Village Homes. The organisation is the new, not-for-profit local housing association, being set up by South Cambridgeshire District Council to own and manage its homes if tenants vote in fav

THE FIRST officials have been appointed for South Cambridgeshire Village Homes.

The organisation is the new, not-for-profit local housing association, being set up by South Cambridgeshire District Council to own and manage its homes if tenants vote in favour of transfer.

Chairman of the shadow board Raith Overhill, an independent board member from Waterbeach, and vice chairman Wendy Head from Balsham, an elected tenant member, will stay in these key posts until transfer takes place, should tenants support transfer in a ballot.

Mr Overhill said that being elected was a "great privilege."

He said: "We have a strong shadow board and we are hoping that tenants will put their confidence in us.

"In the run-up to the ballot we will be working with the district council to explain just what we could deliver if transfer happens, and how we can reassure tenants that all the promises will be kept."

South Cambridgeshire Village Homes is being set up with the help of the district council.

If tenants vote in favour of transfer, the new housing association will own and manage the council's homes.

A spokesman for the district council said: "The board is set up in shadow form at this stage of the process to allow time for members of the board to receive training and for them to be confident that they could deliver the standard of services to tenants that SCDC and its tenants want to see.