Calls for tenants with decorating allowance to "shop local"

Councillor Dale Mulgrew with Mr Khan of Zeb Painting and Decorating Supplies

A Rochdale Councillor has called for new Council housing tenants to be given the chance to use local suppliers through their decorating allowance.

Currently new tenants who are eligible for a decorating allowance are given vouchers, to redeem at B&Q.

Councillor Dale Mulgrew thinks that tenants should not be given such a narrow field to choose from and local businesses should have an opportunity to compete for their business.

The Kirkholt Councillor says he intends to write to Rochdale Boroughwide Housing for this issue to be raised at the company’s board meetings.

He said: "The point here is about the introduction of choice for tenants, which in turn gives a fair crack of the whip to local suppliers.

"Clearly a big corporation such as B&Q will not give back to the town in the same way that small businesses will, as they are the pulse of the local economy.

"As a Council we are pushing heavily a "shop local" agenda and our main housing partner, RBH, should also be complementing this drive.”

Mr Khan of Zebs Painting and Decorating Supplies, said: "This is about choice. I know that such a change may make the voucher scheme more complicated for the administrators, but I am sure an electronic system could be installed that would make transactions easy for all parities i.e. tenant, supplier and RBH."

A spokesperson for Rochdale Boroughwide Housing declined to comment on the matter.