THE company charged with independently assessing Salisbury district council's bid to transfer its housing stock has been forced to issue a public apology for misleading tenants and leaseholders.

Aldbourne Associates has placed an advert (on page 8 of this week's Journal) saying sorry for failing to inform leaseholders they face being slapped with VAT bills on service charges if the controversial transfer goes through.

The information was omitted from the company's May newsletter, in which it stated there would be no increase to service charges.

Aldbourne insists this was "a genuine error" but questions are being raised about the council's role as it sees all of the company's publications before release.

Aldbourne's managing director Sian Humphreys told the Journal this week: "They do indeed see all company publications before release and they signed this particular one off."

The VAT increase was also not mentioned by either council or Aldbourne staff at the leaseholder panel's AGM in April.

No attention was drawn to it during the presentation, open questions, or in a leaflet of frequently asked questions - one of which is entitled How Will My Service Charges Be Affected?

The issue came to public attention when a member of an organisation fighting the transfer noticed the discrepancy while reading the offer brochure distributed recently.

Tim Elliott, vice chair of South Wiltshire Defend Council Housing, immediately phoned Aldbourne to question the contradiction.

He was so incensed by the response during that phone call - the details of which he has agreed with Aldbourne not to disclose - he has branded the member of staff he spoke to as "not fit for purpose".

This charge was confirmed by Ms Humphreys, who said the employee is now "being dealt with through our internal measures".

She added the oversight should not affect tenants' confidence in Aldbourne.

"We always try to make sure everything is accurate and correct but on this occasion it was missed through human error," she said.

"We're happy to say we are very sorry, and feel we have acted honourably throughout."

In a statement, the council's spokesman said tenants and leaseholders appointed Aldbourne as independent adviser, and the council only received its texts as a matter of courtesy.

He added the council has not withheld any information and has done everything required of it legally.

"It is not our role to approve material produced by the independent adviser," he said.

"Information relating to the VAT position of leaseholders (should the transfer take place) is detailed in the offer document sent to all tenants and leaseholders."

  • Mr Elliott is urging tenants and leaseholders to join him in handing his brochure back to the council at 11am on Saturday, saying "thank you, but no thank you" by putting it on the steps at Bourne Hill.