Section: Local Authorities

LA News

Plans to plug the government-funding gap that is allowing thousands of council homes to deteriorate were agreed by Camden Council. The move came as Housing Minister Yvette Cooper again rejected calls for direct investment in Camden's homes at a crunch meeting with top council representatives.

With half of tenants - tens of thousands of Camden's residents - living in substandard conditions, the agreed plans outline how the Council could close the £242 million shortfall needed to pay for essential repairs and maintenance to their homes.

Options on the table include a combination of retargeting existing refurbishment programmes and selling a small proportion of empty homes and commercial properties to raise the much-needed cash.

On estates with more complex repairs and structural problems, the Council is committed to working with tenants to find ways to secure additional funding.

Camden has faced a housing cash shortfall since 2003, when the Government reallocated £283 million for repairs to other areas of the country, following tenants' rejection of the ALMO proposal and the strings attached to the money.

Despite lobbying from tenants and the Council for direct investment, Housing Minister Yvette Cooper maintained that the Government will not change its stance. The leadership of the Council met with the Minister to press the urgent case for funding. The Council will now be working with council tenants to get their views on plans to move on the best available routes forward to achieving the 'decent homes' standards.

The draft plan sets out how the Council would ensure all tenants get a decent home. Rotten windows, leaking roofs, out-of-date wiring and worn out kitchens would be replaced in thousands of homes.

To fund the repairs, the Council has developed a three-pronged proposal:
- Scaling down the existing external refurbishment programme to focus on basics like rewiring, lifts, heating, and kitchens to spread the benefits more widely.
- Working with tenants on key estates to find ways to tackle complex repairs and structural problems, as well as secure the necessary funding.
- Raising cash by selling off a small proportion of empty homes and commercial properties, with an initial pilot to raise £11 million from the sale of about 50 properties. The council could then decide to raise £110 million from the sale of less than two per cent of (500) properties over the next five years.
Housing and regeneration group LHA-ASRA moved its Head Office from De Montfort Street in Leicester, to Bede Island Road, in the city.

The move to more modern premises begins a new strategic approach to tenant services, developing a fully equipped customer contact centre with integrated IT support. The practical benefits for tenants include easier access, a single contact phone number, and speedier resolution of queries and repairs reports.

'Hot desking' - where employees work flexibly, using different desks depending on where they are based - will be expanded at the new office. There is a bank of desks on the ground and top floors, allowing staff visiting from other offices to work and check their emails.

A cycle park and two showers are designed to encourage more people to cycle to work.

There is also a modern café on the ground floor with vending machines for snacks, soft and hot drinks and a prayer room for quiet meditation throughout the day.

Email addresses will remain the same. The new address is: LHA-ASRA, 3 Bede Island Road, Leicester LE2 7EA.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Building Services Training (BST) were working with Merthyr Tydfil Borough Council to make sure all staff dealing with gas appliances stay up to date on gas safety issues.

The Council asked for help from HSE and BST to ensure all their staff and contractors working with gas are aware of current regulations. Courses provided covered legislation in relation to gas, qualifications and the competent persons scheme, implications of non-compliance and other issues surrounding gas safety. There were also presentations by HSE and the Council for Registered Gas Installers (CORGI).

David Collins, team leader from the Housing Repair department in Merthyr Tydfil Borough Council, said: "We needed to make sure that staff members working on housing inspections could identify the warning signs of potential problems with gas appliances in a property, so we contacted HSE to help with training. The safety of our tenants and staff are paramount, and the training sessions have provided the teams working out and about with the most up-to-date information on gas safety regulations."

HSE Inspector Hugh Emment, who gave the HSE presentation, said: "The Council are taking a responsible attitude in organising this training. When treated with respect, gas is an extremely safe fuel, but it is vital that appliances are checked regularly by a competent engineer who can spot the early signs of problems and take the necessary action. HSE would rather be helping to make sure people got it right in the first place than have to prosecute for an unnecessary death."

Section: Local Authorities

LA News

Housing Monthly Diary

Issue: June 2007 Reporting on May 2007

Quick Links

Welcome to the Housing Monthly Diary

Archive Issues Reporting Periods

Featured Sites