Housing representative plea

COUNCIL tenants and leaseholders in the Sidmouth area have been invited to stand for election to the committee that oversees the local authority’s landlord functions.

COUNCIL tenants and leaseholders in the Sidmouth area have been invited to stand for election for the committee that oversees the local authority’s landlord functions.

East Devon District Council (EDDC) wants eligible residents to put themselves forward for selection on its Housing Review Board.

The board is made up of five district councillors, five tenants and two representatives from the wider community- each serving for a term of three years.

Members meet at least four times a year, in the evening, to consider issues such as monitoring of performance, promoting good practice and overseeing improvements to the housing service- including the promotion of tenant involvement.

There would also be the chance to sit on short term sub-committees that deal with specific issues such as parking on the council’s estates, service restructuring or property re-let times, said EDDC this week.

“This is a voluntary role and needs members who are fairly confident, can say their piece in a constructive way, can work with others, understand services and priorities for tenants and who are willing to undertake some training to equip them more fully for this challenging and crucial role,” said a council spokesperson.

The closing date for applications is Tuesday, March 1.

Anyone interested can contact Jane Reading, tenant participation officer, on (01395) 51655, extension 2236, or e-mail jmreading@eastdevon.gov.uk for an application form.