TENANTS will soon be able to choose council houses in Southend on the internet and over the phone, it has been revealed.

Southend Council is set to launch a new scheme, called choice-based lettings, which will give people the chance to select their own council homes from a list of vacant properties.

The scheme will affect the 3,000 people on Southend's housing list.

The council hopes there will also be less chance of disappointment, because the current points-based system will be replaced with four bands of priority. This, it says, will mean those in greatest need should get the housing they deserve.

At the moment, potential tenants accumulate a certain number of points based on their circumstances which makes them eligible for council housing.

However, in some cases they can be knocked down the list when someone with more points comes forward.

The new choice-based lettings system is designed to bring more stability for tenants who are put in a particular banding, giving them priority according to their needs.

Mark Flewitt, Tory councillor responsible for housing, said the scheme should be introduced by October.

He added: "People looking for council properties will get a choice.

"It's not going to produce more social housing unless social housing is built. But it will provide a very, very clear and transparent method, run on a banded system rather than a points system."

The Government is introducing the new system across the country to help the 1.6 million people on council housing lists.

Mr Flewitt said he had researched the new scheme and it appeared to be working well where other unitary authorities had adopted it.

He added: "Where there are physical needs or disability issues, you group these people all together.

"It makes it a lot easier from an operational point of view to direct help to the greatest need.

"One of the main issues is people may be doing really well on the points system and get up to second position, and then they are suddenly at 14th or 15th position.

"With the banding, there won't be that kind of drop."

However, the council says emergency cases such as an urgent medical need, will still take priority.