The council has taken back control of thousands of homes across the borough.

The local authority has formally taken over responsibility for managing and maintaining its 7,700 homes, following the transfer of staff and services from Six Town Housing.

Six Town Housing was set up as an arms length management organisation (ALMO) in 2003 and was formerly responsible for the day-to-day running of the council’s housing stock.

The decision to take back responsibility for housing was announced in May last year and from today, Thursday February, 1, services like repairs and grounds maintenance are the responsibility of the council.

The aim is to provide a more joined-up service, linking housing and other council services that residents rely on.

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More services will be provided online, and tenants given a greater say on housing matters.

The council will work with tenant associations and other groups to improve estates and communal areas, tackling anti-social behaviour and neighbour disputes.

There will also be clear plans to improve properties, including improving energy efficiency, and timelines to carry out repairs and adaptations.

Tenants can still use the same phone number 0161 686 8000, email addresses and online services to access housing management support.

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Email replies will come from a council address – bury.gov.uk - and the enquiries email address has already been changed to housingenquiries@bury.gov.uk.

Tenants can access their account and online information at www.sixtownhousing.org Facebook and Instagram will also move over to BuryCouncilHousingService from 1 February.

Staff will wear council ID badges but other branding, like vehicles and building signage, will be updated on a phased basis to keep additional costs to a minimum.