I HAVE been a council tenant for 15 years and am getting really worried about this housing option board making decisions on my behalf about the future of this estate.

From what I can gather (Bury Times, June 20), the preferred option from this board means that the council remains the landlord but the day-to-day housing management remains pretty much the same.

Given the very poor quality of service and repairs we have had from Bury Housing ever since I can remember, I cannot see how this "arms length management organisation" (ALMO) will make one bit of difference. And in any case, because housing got the lowest rating there is apparently, this so-called "preferred option" which may not even be a goer for two years!

So, why is this ALMO still the favourite? My daughter and her two children moved into a new house in Radcliffe, and a friend of mine moved into an excellent home in Ramsbottom recently. Both are run by a housing association; the staff provide a good service and they don't seem to be short of money.

So why are housing associations not considered as an option? At the end of the day, it is the 9,000 council tenants who will be asked to vote on this, but from where I am standing and from what I have heard so far, the whole thing looks like a shambles. What we don't need is an option board with councillors and council staff union representatives deciding for us what the options are, or which option they prefer. What we do need is proper and independent advice.

J. TAYLOR.