TENANTS in east Cleveland are to be balloted on the future management of their homes.

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council is hoping to transfer the management of 12,000 council homes in the borough to a non-profit making company able to gain access to money and grants for a repair scheme unavailable to the council under current legislation.

The council undertook its biggest ever consultation exercise over the past six weeks to inform tenants of the proposals and to see if there was enough support for the idea to proceed to a formal ballot.

Council staff sent out letters, made home visits, held public meetings, put up a mobile exhibition centre, put displays in its district offices, made a short video and set up a freephone advice line to tell residents about the proposals.

The tenants had many questions, mostly concerning possible rent rises and improvements to homes.

The council said the feedback showed that there is support for the switch and it is expected that a formal secret postal ballot will be carried out before the end of the month.

Iain Sim, director of housing, said: "We believe we have carried out a very comprehensive consultation exercise and received clear and conclusive support for the transfer."

Tenants will receive the latest in a series of newsletters before the ballot begins.