What’s the future for Kirklees Neighbourhood Housing?

Dec 28 2010 Huddersfield Daily Examiner

KIRKLEES Council set up Kirklees Neighbourhood Housing (KNH) in 2002 to get its hands on £145m of Decent Homes funding from the Government.

But, with that money long gone, what’s the point of KNH?

Clr Christine Smith is an outspoken critic of the arm’s-length management organisation which looks after all council housing in Kirklees.

The Kirkburton Conservative said: “The problem with KNH is that the people out there think that it’s the council.

“KNH is an arm’s-length company that manages the council’s housing stock.

“Everything that goes wrong comes down to KNH – but it’s the council that gets the moans and groans from the public.”

Clr Smith is also unhappy that most members of KNH’s board are not elected councillors.

She said: “They are all unelected on the board apart from four councillors. We are totally outnumbered.”

Clr Smith believes the organisation has outlived its usefulness.

“KNH has got to either come back into full council ownership or the council should turn it into a proper housing association,” she said.

“It was set up to get money for Decent Homes. That’s been done now, it’s all finished.

“KNH should say ‘thank you very much’ and pack it in but, of course, they don’t want to.

“They use the council payroll system – it’s extra work they could be doing themselves.

“They rely very heavily on the council’s Building Services and the legal department. We might as well take it all back.”