WAVERLEY'S council tenants can now have their say over plans to sell off 5,200 homes to a new housing association.

The legal document, which will form the basis of the consultation, was finally agreed on Monday after back-to-back meetings which rushed it through the council's committee system in a marathon four-and-a-half hour session.

Copies of the proposed transfer document are to be distributed throughout the borough along with an "easy" guide and should reach all of the council's homes by September 23.

The consultation period will last until October 21 after which the council will consider the views of its tenants and decide whether or not to make any amendments to its plans.

Before Christmas every tenant will be asked to take part in a ballot to decide whether or not the proposal goes ahead.

As previously reported by The Herald, Waverley Borough Council is proposing the sell off of the homes, valued by the council at £56.3 million, to a new housing association which it is being set up called Weyfold Community Homes.

This is because the concil reports it does not have enough cash to bring all of the homes up to new standards set down by the government.

The transfer of the housing stock would allow Weyfold to carry out an £80 million programme of works over a five-year period to bring the homes up to standard.

However, the council said on Monday that it only has enough money to carry out a £33 million scheme over the same time period.

Earlier this year the council voted and agreed that it believed the stock transfer was the best option and begun to put together the legal agreement which was approved on Monday. However, the final say rests with the tenants and the outcome of the ballot at the end of the year.

If a majority of tenants agree to the transfer, it is anticipated it would take place next year.

However, if the ballot results in a no vote, then it will be back to the drawing board for the council, which has warned it would have to cut services to find the cash it needs.

Council leader Gillian Ferguson said that the only reason why the council was proposing the stock transfer is because the government has cut finances to local councils for housing while introducing new legislation.

She said that this is why the council believes stock transfer is the best option but emphasised it "should be the tenants' decision".

"This is a good offer for our tenants as Waverley cannot offer anything like this," she said.

"We cannot do it on our own."

Finance portfolio holder Steward Edge said that many councillors were unhappy with the principle of the stock transfer but was being forced to consider it by the government.

"We are really being given little alternatives given the way that the government has set up its structures."

However, he emphasised the need for the new housing association to have charitable status, although it was pointed out that this could have a detrimental effect on future tenants but not existing tenants.

Although Monday's decision paved the way for the consultation to begin, critics are pledging to continue their fight against it.

Farnham resident Jeremy Hyman quizzed councillors over their decision on Monday night.

He pointed to the results of a questionnaire survey carried out by consultants and reported to councillors last year.

It showed that 58 per cent of respondents agreed that they would want to remain with the council even if there were no improvements to their homes.

The figures showed that those over the age of 65 and those on benefits were the most in favour of remaining with the council, while those under the age of 24 and not receiving benefits were less enthusiastic if it meant no improvements.

Mr Hyman told The Herald that he believed that many of the improvements brought about by a stock transfer were not necessary to meet the new minimum standards.

He also disputed some of Waverley's figures and has pledged to demonstrate to tenants during the consultation period that the proposed stock transfer is not necessary and that other options are available.

For more information about the proposals or the consultation document contact Waverley Borough Council on 0800 032 5253 or the independent tenants' advisors TACT@DOME on 0800 919 994.