Local Government unions led by construction union UCATT will mount a vigorous campaign in opposition to plans by Flintshire County Council to sell off its housing stock.

The Independent run council is beginning the process of selling off its council stock and intends to ballot tenants on the issue later this year.

The council currently has 8,000 housing units and there are over 3,200 applicants on the council’s housing waiting list.

Unions are opposed to moves to sell off Flintshire's council housing as previous sell-offs in other areas have resulted in increased rents, cuts in tenants rights and massive decreases in repair and improvement programmes.

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Ren Davies, UCATT Regional Official for North Wales, said: "The sell-off of Flintshire council housing will be bad news for existing tenants and will be disastrous for families needing a home in the future. A sell-off will result in housing services being cut and waiting lists increasing."

UCATT and the other local government unions (UNISON, UNITE and GMB) believe that Flintshire Council's decision to push ahead with the sale of its council housing stock is perverse. The decision has come at a time when the Wales Assembly has recently launched a new social housing strategy and is moving away from a policy of housing stock transfer.

Unions are opposed to moves to sell off Flintshire's council housing as previous sell-offs have resulted in increased rents, cuts in tenants rights and serious decreases in repair and improvement programmes.

UCATT are also contacting new Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones, who it is understood is somewhat sceptical of housing stock transfers.

Mr Davies added: "Rather than looking to sell off its housing stock, Flintshire council should be forward looking and be building new council properties to meet local housing need."

(CD/GK)