The Rossendale Housing Transfer Conspiracy

From the very outset it was done in such a way as to ensure that the future company executives would have absolute power and that after the five years were up the company would be absorbed into Trans-Pennine and run from Brighouse.

The steering group and later the shadow board were never told the full implications of the National Housing Federation rules and there were no debates or training given. Had the tenants been aware of the future consequences they would not have voted for the transfer and the vast majority are still unaware that they had been misled.

Promises were made and assurances given that the tenants would be protected and have a real say in the running of the company. There was no real hope of the latter happening as plans had already been laid to reduce any real tenant involvement  and replace it with focus groups and panels that can be manipulated.

The governance of the company has been  questionable to say the least, to put it in local terms “ they couldn’t run a raffle” the shadow board were told by the then Executive Director that if two Independent members were present at a board meeting there was a quorum . The consequences of that statement are that 10 Green Vale board meetings plus 2 AGMs have not had a quorum but have carried on anyway making decisions.

The quorum under company rules is 5, 1 Parent company member 2 Independents1 Council member and 1 tenant.

That means that 12 meeting will have to be reconvened and it would only take the council members to vote against the decisions take to force a proper investigation.

The company grievance procedure is a waste of time as once again it only protects the staff and executives and if there is a complaint against a tenant by a member of staff there is a reversal of the normal process of law and the tenant is judged to be proven guilty until proven innocent.

Rossendale Council now has the opportunity  to rectify the mistakes made in the beginning and save the Green Vale tenants from becoming serfs or slaves.

I believe that the council still has a duty of care to it’s ex tenants (residents) and could strike a blow for democracy and human rights not just for Rossendale but tenants in other areas who are in the same position.

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Trans-Pennine have anounced on the Green Vale website that they are going forward with the so called partnership. I say so called as that is what it was supposed to be when the transfer took place a partnership with Green Vale and Pennine 2000 with Trans-Pennine as an umbrella organisation. It ended up with Trans-Pennine taking over Green Vale.

Where is the consultation with the tenants, as usual the board have made the decision on behalf of the tenants who they have no links to at all.

The tenants members on the board do not represent the tenants, so why are they there?