PROTESTERS fighting to stop Worcester City Council selling its council housing stock to a housing association have been demonstrating outside the Guildhall.

Members of the campaign group, Worcester Defend Council Housing (WDCH), lobbied councillors as they arrived for a meeting of the housing board last night.

The council is putting together an application to the Government to be included in the large-scale voluntary transfer process for 2002/04.

Rob Menzies, from WDCH, said the move would mean higher rents and easier evictions for tenants.

"We think tenants will be better off if they stay with the council - figures show that housing association rents are, on average, 16 per cent higher than equivalent council tenancies," he claimed.

Dispute

Protesters also dispute the council's claim that it cannot meet the £52.4m repairs bill that has been estimated for the next 10 years.

Council tenants are due to be balloted on the proposed transfer next spring and members of WDCH hope to send back a strong "no" vote.

At the meeting, members of the housing board were asked to agree to spending up to £50,000 on a further survey of the condition of the housing stock after problems arose with the survey commissioned last year.

The survey forms an essential part of their application to transfer the stock but, in a housing officers' report to councillors, it was stated that the surveyors validating the survey said it was not comprehensive enough to support the bid.

Therefore, they were unable to validate the survey and suggested that a fresh one be conducted.

Councillors voted to approve the suggestion so that the council could meet the government deadline for 2002/04 transfer.

"We can't put a deal to the tenants without having this.

"We haven't got any choice but to agree to this - but we shall agree it with gritted teeth," said housing board chairman, Councillor Francis Lankester.