A COUNCILLOR has raised concerns over a plan to sell off all of Hartlepool's council houses to a housing association.

Tenants are to be balloted next month to see if they support the scheme to transfer 8,000 houses, worth about £19m, to Housing Hartlepool.

On Saturday, the Independent councillor for Hartlepool's St Hilda ward, Stephen Allison, and nine tenants handed out leaflets in the town centre to raise awareness of the plan.

Councillor Allison said that the proposed changes in ownership were effectively a privatisation of the properties.

"My concern is that the housing association will borrow a lot of money to do them up and then pass that debt on to the tenant," he said.

"We have been told that won't happen, but it has been done in other parts of the country. Instead of selling off the council housing we should be lobbying the Government to spend more money on them.

"I am concerned that if we go down this road we will be in an irrevocable position and once they are gone, there is no going back."

Coun Allison said the main reason for the plan was because the council, unlike the housing association, could not borrow large sums of money from a bank. It is estimated that £100m is needed to upgrade the town's housing.

Hartlepool Borough Council maintains the scheme will improve the quality of properties and ensure repairs are carried out promptly.

Residents have been told their tenancy agreements will remain the same and their rent will increase no more than if the houses remained under the control of the local authority