COUNCIL tenants are being urged to give their views on controversial plans to sell their homes to a private landlord.

This weekend all tenants will receive an "offer document" - including written information and a video - informing them about the council's plans to proceed with the "Large Scale Voluntary Transfer" of all its housing stock.

The council wants to transfer its 1,630 houses because it cannot raise the £55 million needed over the next 30 years to bring its houses up to modern standards.

The private landlord will be Craven Housing, a registered social landlord.

Social landlords were set up to provide affordable housing to people in housing need, and have to be registered with a Government housing corporation, in this case Yorkshire Housing.

The landlord will be responsible for collecting rents and all maintenance and improvements.

In September the tenants will have to decide whether the sale should go through. They will be invited to vote in favour or against the transfer.

Chief executive of Craven District Council Rachel Mann said the offer document was a chance for residents to find out more about the scheme, ask questions and air their views.

After the 28 days consultation period councillors will take all tenants' comments into consideration at a meeting on August 22.

Here members will take a decision on whether to proceed with the ballot and whether to make any changes to the offer document.

Housing transfers are voluntary and may only take place if tenants are in favour. Ballot papers will be handed out in September and only if a majority of tenants are for the scheme will the transfer go ahead.

To enable tenants to have all the information they need the council is offering to visit any of them in their homes and have organised a series of public meetings.

Miss Mann said the document, home visits and meetings were to hand out information and to encourage people to use their votes. They were not to try to influence voting.

Meetings will be held at: Cononley Village Hall, July 29, 2pm; Yeadon House, Sutton-in-Craven, July 29 4pm; Valley View, Glusburn, July 29, 6pm; Laurel Croft, Embsay, July 31, 2pm; Aynham Close, Grassington, July 31 4pm; Neville Crescent, Gargrave, July 31 6pm; St Andrew's Methodist Church Hall, Cowling, August 1, 2pm; Newmarket Street, Skipton, August 1, 4pm; Greatwood School, Skipton, August 1, 6.30pm; Victoria Hall, Settle, August 5, 2pm; Reid House, Ingleton, August 5, 4pm; Town Hall, Bentham, August 5, 6pm.