A pioneering "dial-a-home" scheme may be set up by Bradford Council - in a bid to fill its hundreds of empty houses.

The Telegraph & Argus can reveal that tenants across the district will be consulted about proposals to set up the first project of its type in Britain.

A draft document passed on to the T&A outlines a scheme where applicants would be able to ring housing offices, choose property, sign up and get their keys on the same day. But only houses with no waiting list would be available for the innovative scheme.

The houses would be offered on a first-come, first-served basis and would not be assessed on priority or need.

It would cut existing red tape where everyone has to go through a bureaucratic registration and form filling system, which can take up to four weeks.

Today families welcomed the proposals but said they feared references may be by-passed and unsuitable people move in.

The T&A can reveal that the district's 29,000 tenants will also be consulted on sweeping changes to the waiting list points system where harassment would get priority for the first time.

Today, housing services sub-committee chairman Councillor Jim O'Neil confirmed the document would go for full consultation before a report was prepared for councillors.

The move follows heavy vandalism of empty council houses which is costing the Council about £1 million a year in repairs. Coun O'Neil stressed if the scheme went ahead the Council would still ask for character references and checks on applicants.

The document has gone to Bradford's Tenant Federations which will hold meetings with residents in the near future.

Council officers would then prepare reports on the proposals and consultation for the June housing services sub-committee.

Today, Pam Ellis, chairman of New Valley Road Tenants and Residents Association in Shipley, said: "I think there is far too much red tape, but I would be very concerned about references and checks on applicants.

"The tenants in this area have suffered sometimes because of problems with unsuitable tenants."

Wyn Beswick, chairman of Bradford South East Tenants Federation - which includes thousands of homes including Holme Wood and Odsal - welcomed the moves and said she believed it was right to make harassment a priority.

The new points scheme also makes homelessness, special needs and unsatisfactory housing, where three or more bedrooms are needed by families, top priority.

The proposals today received praise from the Local Government Association, which represents authorities from across Britain. A spokesman said: "We would welcome this move to end the problem of empty properties.''

T&A Opinion

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