TENANTS in Huntingdonshire and people on waiting lists are to get the chance to bid for social housing across the whole of the Cambridgeshire sub-region which in this case stretches from Wansford, in the north, to parts of mid-Suffolk and north Essex. But

TENANTS in Huntingdonshire and people on waiting lists are to get the chance to bid for social housing across the whole of the Cambridgeshire sub-region which in this case stretches from Wansford, in the north, to parts of mid-Suffolk and north Essex.

But they will be considered for a move out of Hunts only if they have some family or work connection with the area they are applying to. People from other parts of the sub-region will be able to bid for homes in Huntingdonshire on the same basis.

The "choice-based letting scheme" will revolutionise social housing lettings by 2010, with vacant homes being advertised and families allowed to bid for the size of home for which they qualify, though the Cambridgeshire area scheme is likely to be up and running before then.

Huntingdonshire District Council acknowledged a year ago, when preparations for the scheme began, that some tenants might have difficulty with the revised scheme because of language or other barriers, and promised that vulnerable families would not be allowed to miss out.

There will have to be a new policy and priority scheme for the housing lists, which could see some applicants' positions in their list - there are different lists for different areas and sizes of home - changing upwards or downwards.