HC Deb 19 May 1989 vol 153 cc323-4W
Mr. Battle

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information his Department holds on the estate management board partnership arrangements between local authority tenants and some local authorities; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Trippier

The Department's consultants, the Priority Estates Project (PEP) Ltd., are currently working with local authorities and tenants on eight council estates to set up estate management boards (EMBs). They are:

Local authority Estate
Birmingham Bloomsbury
Blackburn Shadsworth
Bristol Halston Drive
Burnley Stoops/Hargher Clough
Rochdale Freehold
Rossendale Bacup
Stoke Chell Heath
West Lancashire Digmoor

Tenants on the Belle Isle North estate in Leeds are also developing an EMB with the support of the city council.

My Department welcomes the development of EM Bs as an important new way of giving council tenants much more say in how their estates are managed.

I am placing in the Library copies of the Priority Estates Project's guide to setting up EMBs.

I hope that other local authorities will want to consider EMBs as one possible way of improving delivery of housing services for their tenants.