Questions raised over £1m renovation plans for Middlesbrough homes
Some Councillors are concerned the money won't go far enough
Questions have been raised over the levels of cash set to be spent by Middlesbrough Council to renovate more than 100 of the town’s worst homes.
The proposals will see an average of £8,000 to £10,000 spent to renovate an empty, unsafe, or poor quality properties.
A total of £1m will be loaned to a partner to renovate between 100 to 125 properties in some of the town’s most disadvantaged estates as part of the Empty Homes Partnership with Middlesbrough Development Company.
Middlesbrough Council’s executive are to vote on the new initiative at its meeting on Tuesday.
Labour Group leader Matt Storey has raised concern over the level of spending but Middlesbrough Mayor Andy Preston says the cash is only the ‘first small phase’ of attempts to bring abandoned homes back to life.
Cllr Storey said: “Bringing empty homes back into use is vital to communities across Middlesbrough and any investment in that is to be welcomed. However, this report raises more questions than answers.
“Will the Mayor be declaring an interest in this issue due to his owning property in the town? How was the figure of £8-10,000 per home arrived at? It seems like a very small amount of money for refurbishing a property to a high standard.
“Also, who will own the properties once they are renovated and how will the council recover any costs? This £1m is an initial investment so how much more money is expected to be spent and over what period? We need more transparency from MDC and how it operates to understand this proposal better.”
According to Checkatrade, the tradesperson directory, the average cost of renovating a kitchen on a tight budget is £3,250.
However, the average for a standard three-bedroom house to renovate a kitchen is £7,000, a bathroom is £4,250, rewiring is £5,750, a new heating system is £6,500 and new windows are £4,250.
Speaking about this project, Mayor Andy Preston said: “A few boarded up houses can make entire areas look dodgy and feel dangerous.
“We are going to fix this problem. But it will take time and money"