Summary

Complaint from a women (representing a resident's group) about the way the council, through the Board of directors of a company it owned, decided to sell the company's shares and its housing development, to a developer.

The complaint

Complaint from a women (representing a resident's group) about the way the council, through the Board of directors of a company it owned, decided to sell the company's shares and its housing development, to a developer. She complains the housing was meant for the retired with limited income. She says the sale to the developer has resulted in a loss of protection against rent rises for the residents and the insecurity of possible development on the site.

Finding

The Ombudsman upheld the complaint and found fault causing injustice.

Recommendations

To remedy the injustice, we recommend the council:

• apologise to each resident for failing to consult them properly on disposing of housing to the developer;
• pay £100 to each resident, in recognition of the lost opportunity for consultation on the future of their housing; and
• pay £100 to each resident, for the confusion caused by the lack of consultation with them.

 

 

 

Ombudsman satisfied with council's response: 12 November 2014

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