23 January 2009
By Neil Merrick
Police chiefs are to hold talks with Audit Commission inspectors about the allocation of council homes in Nottingham before the council set up an arm's-length management organisation.
A damning report by the commission on the council's allocations policy between 2003 and 2005 – the year Nottingham City Homes was established – was passed to Nottinghamshire Police by the council on January 15, the day it was published.
A police spokesman said they were studying the report and would speak to the commission before deciding whether to launch an investigation.
Council leader Jon Collins said he was appalled by the way the normal waiting-list system was overlooked, with homes let to council staff and the friends and families of housing officers. In addition, improvements were carried out to properties prior to them being bought by tenants at discounted prices through the right to buy.
'The alleged behaviour of a number of people who worked for our housing service between 2003 and 2005 was completely unacceptable,' said Collins. 'At its worst, such alleged behaviour was possibly criminal. At the very least, it was a serious breach of the trust of the residents of Nottingham.'
The commission's study into lettings decisions over the two-year period was sparked by an earlier inspection of Nottingham City Homes. A follow-up report on the Almo itself is due to be published shortly.
The commission found that, even when the council used a points-based waiting-list system before 2005, some people were offered tenancies sooner than they should have been. About 10% of offers were made using a manual system that was not properly controlled.
Nottingham City Homes has been recommended to review its governance arrangements and ensure that its procedures for letting homes and recruiting temporary staff meet the highest standards.
Paul Rowe, its chair, said he shared the council's concerns but insisted that the Almo is a 'fundamentally different organisation' to the one set up in 2005 and that allocations today were made openly and transparently.
PFjan2009
