Belle Isle will be run by its tenant management organisation for another five years. Belle Isle tenants have voted by a huge majority for BITMO to continue. This was announced by BITMO’s Annual General Meeting by the Chair, Leon Kirkham. The meeting also elected five new tenant Board members. Jean Burton, Julie Rhodes and Tracy Morris return to the Board while Trevor Brown and Gerry Roberts are new members. Twelve Belle Isle tenants make up a majority of the Board along with two Middleton Park councillors and up to four co-optees, who can also be Belle Isle residents.
BITMO’s Chief Executive Deborah Kelly commented
“This was a good day for Belle Isle. We had a successful AGM, new tenant Board members were elected and we are delighted to have got the backing of Belle Isle tenants with 93% voting for BITMO to continue. For the next five years, BITMO’s tenant-led Board and our locally-based staff will keep working to make a stronger, safer, greener Belle Isle for everyone”.
BITMO has clearly brought benefits to Belle Isle. They have a local caretaking team, have a housing counter where you can walk in and see staff who know where your street is. They have local control. Is it time for tenants on other South Leeds estates to think about tenant management?