The Yes Factor Sparks £6m of Improvements

A MULTI-MILLION pound boost is set to transform the lives of more than 100 older residents in Stockton following an overwhelming ballot result.

Sheltered housing scheme tenants are gearing up for a massive facelift to their homes after they voted to transfer the ownership of their homes to Erimus Housing.

In a massive ballot which saw 91 per cent of tenants at the six sheltered schemes vote, 87 per cent said yes to the ownership of their homes transferring to the Middlesbrough-based housing association.

The move means more than 120 residents will benefit from £6m of investment from the not-for-profit organisation, including cash being poured into modernising three schemes and redeveloping the rest.

Councillor Keith Leonard, Stockton Council's Cabinet Member for Housing, said: "I am delighted the proposals have won the backing of residents. Erimus has put forward exciting plans to refurbish three of the buildings to a very high standard and replace three others altogether.

"The tenants have worked very closely with us on this and I am sure they have a great deal to look forward to.

"Most of the homes that will be replaced are out of date bedsits, or homes which don't have their own bathrooms. Erimus will replace these with state-of-the-art older persons housing which offers every comfort and, I am sure, will be a big improvement for residents."

Unlike the Council, Erimus can tap into the resources needed to provide vital improvements, over and above the work the local authority could have offered, to meet the Government's Decent Homes Standard. As a result, the Council has been working with tenants to open the way to transfer the properties in a bid to improve their quality of life.

Erimus Housing has now been given the green light by residents to modernise Lauder House in Fairfield, Ewbank Gardens in central Stockton and High Grange House in Billingham. These will benefit from new kitchens and bathrooms, better security and alarm systems, as well as redecoration and improvements to communal areas.

The outdated design and condition of the other three buildings - Eden House and Derwent House in Billingham, and Witham House in Eaglescliffe - means Erimus can replace the properties with new, modern, high-quality older persons housing on the same sites.

The improvements will come as another visible sign of greater collaboration in regeneration programmes across the Tees Valley, building on the progress of projects such as the Stockton-Middlesbrough Initiative.

Bob Brady, Chair of the Board for Erimus Housing, said: "I am delighted at the result of the ballot, which shows the confidence the residents have in us.

"This is an exciting move for us and marks the start of us helping regenerate the Tees Valley outside Middlesbrough.

"Our aim is to provide quality housing that meets the needs and aspirations of our tenants and we will continue to work closely with the residents in Stockton to ensure that is what we provide them with."

A joint panel of tenants and Council officers chose Erimus Housing as the preferred partner in the project out of 17 registered social landlords who had originally expressed an interest. Since then, a group of around 20 tenants has worked with the Council and Erimus to develop the proposals and residents have been voting on the proposals over the past month.

The transfer will take place later this year and modernisation or rebuilding is expected to begin in stages from the autumn.