THE sale of council housing stock to a private landlord is in its final stages as residents are given the opportunity to vote.

This weekend all Craven council tenants will receive a ballot paper asking for their decision.

Craven District Council wants to sell off its 1,630 homes to private landlord, Craven Housing, because it cannot raise the £55 million needed over the next 30 years to bring the stock up to modern standards.

Craven Housing was set up specifically by the council to take transfer of the homes.

It is a non-profit making organisation, which will be run by tenants, councillors and independent people chosen for their specialist skills and experience.

It will not be restricted in its spending and borrowing in the same way as the council is.

The transfer can only go-ahead if the majority of tenants who vote are in favour.

District council chief executive Rachel Mann said: "It is really important to the council that as many tenants as possible exercise their right to vote.

"The transfer is not a fore- gone conclusion and can only happen if tenants vote in favour of it."

Council leader Carl Lis echoed her comments, adding that the council wanted a "clear mandate from our tenants, whatever the outcome of the ballot might be".

The ballot is being independently run by the Electoral Reform Ballot Services.

It is confidential and neither the council nor Craven Housing will know which way individual tenants have voted.

The ballot is to be carried out by post and the closing date for the receipt of votes is at noon on September 26.

Last week the council decided to proceed with the ballot after considering the comments of tenants. Of the 113 who replied, only six were against the proposals.