Bristol East Prospective MP, Mike Popham Puts Paul Smith Right

1.03.22am GMT Sat 7th Feb 2009

Labour's Bristol West Prospective Parliamentary Candidate Paul Smith states that "there is no evidence of grass roots demand for taking over the management of the housing stock, and area housing committee areas are not communities but administrative conveniences. The TMO proposals in Bristol appear to be little more than an attempt to split up the management of the housing ready for some partial sell offs."

Bristol East Prospective MP, Mike Popham said "Labour's Paul Smith should know that no less than 5 TMOs are already underway, and they could not have started without grass roots support. How can he say publicly that the TMO proposals in Bristol appear to be little more than an attempt to split up the management of the housing ready for some partial sell offs? Ownership of the housing stock managed by a TMO does not change. The resident members of the TMO create an independent legal body and usually elect a tenant led management committee to run the organisation. The TMO can then enter into a legal management agreement (contract) with the landlord. The landlord is not challenged over the ownership of the estate. It is the estate management, not its ownership that changes hands. Paul Smith should read http://www.nftmo.com/tmo.html and then he will understand just how valuable TMOs are to communities."