County faces end of council housing; Authority can't meet huge pounds 156m repair bill.

Byline: By ERYL CRUMP 

THOUSANDS of North Wales council house tenants may be asked if their homes can be handed over to a charity.

All Gwynedd's 6,500 council homes will fail to meet new government rules - and it could cost pounds 156m to bring them up to scratch.

Yesterday councillors in Caernarfon opted to ask tenants if they want a housing association to take over maintaining their homes.

The council cannot raise the cash for repairs - but an association can. Tenants have the right to vote on the transfer of council houses away from the authority.

Last year Wrexham tenants threw out plans to transfer their homes to a housing association, leaving the council facing a pounds 253m bill. Gwynedd's care scrutiny committee was told other North Wales local councils were facing the same problem. Councillors decided to bring in an independent advisor to help tenants.

Gwynedd's housing chief Dafydd Lewis said: "A stock condition survey estimated costs for work, including programmed renewals and improvements to council houses in Gwynedd for the period between 2005 and 2012 would be approximately pounds 156m COUNCIL house tenants across Anglesey are being given a chance to have a say about the way their homes and estates are managed. Housing chiefs will be holding a tenants' conference on Monday at the Conwy Centre, Llanfairpwll, 10am-3.30pm. Any tenant who hasn't been invited should contact Elliw Llyr on 01248 752166