Tenants are to have a major say in the future of council housing in Basildon, it has been revealed.

The district council is to set up a special panel to include tenants' representatives sitting alongside officers and councillors to look at how council housing should be developed.

By law every council has to consider ways of improving council housing, including increasing its own investment, signing up to a Private Finance Initiative or transferring the housing to a housing association.

Basildon Council has decided to carry out this review by setting up a group including three councillors, four tenants, a leaseholder, a staff representative and housing officers.

Tenants will also be surveyed to find out what they think of their current housing and what they would like to see happen in the future.

The review is likely to cost £250,000.

The review should be finished by the end of this year.

Published Wednesday January 21, 2004

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