£117m of Stoke-on-Trent council home improvements
More than 14,000 properties will benefit
More than 14,000 homes in Stoke-on-Trent will be given an upgrade over the next five years.
The city council is to put £117m into the scheme, which will see some homes get new kitchens and bathrooms, and others made more energy efficient.
Council chiefs rubber stamped the plan at a meeting on Tuesday (August 15th), with Labour leader Jane Ashworth saying it was “not on that we’ve got people living in properties that are damp and mouldy”.
This week, a Stoke-on-Trent mum and her two vulnerable children were given a £1,000 payout after being left with damp and mould in their council home.
The Housing Ombudsman said the council’s failure to deal with her complaints going back over two years was “completely unacceptable”.
Cllr Ashworth, whose Labour administration swept to power in the May local elections, said: “This administration does not think it is right we ask people to live in houses we wouldn’t want to live in or we wouldn’t want our mums and dads or grandparents to live in.
“It’s as simple as that.
“It’s not acceptable and we are going to put a stop to it.
“I’m embarrassed when I’m talking to people and they are grateful we’re sorting out basic problems with their house. They shouldn’t be grateful, it’s a right – it’s pretty basic.”
Other improvements that will be paid for out of the £117m to be taken from the council’s housing revenue account will be to landscaping and parking.
Cabinet members also agreed on plans to ensure older people can stay in their homes longer.
It is expected there will be an extra 10,450 over 65s living in the city by 2040.
Councillor Chris Robinson, cabinet member for housing, said policies were also being brought forward to address issues such as damp and mould and empty properties.
“The first year of work will be on bungalows to bring them up to standard, especially on the back of the Older People’s Housing Strategy,” he said.
“We want to make the houses more tenant-friendly. Many have never had work done since they were built.
“It’s about tenants having a good quality of housing and life. We have done a lot of consultation work with groups such as Tenants’ Voice, the Pensioners’ Convention and Silver Voices and taken their feedback on board.
“As a social landlord we have an obligation to ensure all our residents can enjoy safe, comfortable and warm homes. We want to bring all of our homes up modern day standards and, by working with Unitas, we are committed to improving our estate and addressing any backlog of repairs.
“We will prioritise investment in works which will ultimately save tenants money. We are confident that this work will make residents’ homes warmer which, as well as making them more comfortable, will ultimately save money by reducing running costs and help to alleviate the cost of living crisis when it comes to rising energy bills.”
More than 80 bungalows in the Dresden area are currently undergoing work such as roof repairs.
Resident David Jones, 66, said: “We have had a new roof and guttering and external wood panelling has been replaced.
“I’m really pleased with the work, everything has gone fine. It started in June and I’ve had a letter every time they were going to do something.
“The work means the property looks better. We used to get a lot of leaves stuck on our roof and they won’t do that on the new tiles.”