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When Local Authorities transfer housing stock to a
Housing Association (HA), it is in order to obtain
private finance to purchase and refurbish the homes up
to the Decent Homes Standard. Stock that has
transferred to a HA is generally in poor condition,
requiring considerable refurbishment work.
Consequently, HAs will seek contractors to achieve the
Standard, over say a three to five year period.
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Currently stock transfers are taking place on an
ad-hoc basis through the Homes and Communities
Agency. However, as of July 2009, transfer
proposals that are not self-financing will not
receive financial support from the government.
Restructuring of Local Government
Phase I
The 2006 Local Government
White Paper set out the Government's commitment to
invite Councils in shire areas to come forward with
proposals for new Unitary structures. On the 1st
April 2009, 44 District, Borough and County
Councils were abolished and replaced by nine single tier
Unitary Authorities, which are responsible for
almost all Local Government functions.

Phase II
In February 2010, the
Local Government Minister announced the Government's
final decisions on the three Phase 2 Unitary proposals.
Exeter City Council and Norwich City Council were to
become Unitary Authorities while either a single County
Unitary Authority or two separate Unitary Authorities
were to be implemented in Suffolk.
Following the election of
the Coalition Government in May 2010, the orders that
were to create the new unitary authorities of Exeter and
Norwich have been revoked and the consultation on the
proposed unitary authority in Suffolk has been stopped
under the Local Government Bill.
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