Council plans £300 million revamp of its housing stock
128 PROPERTIES ARE NOT UP TO
MELTON Borough Council has approved a £300 million, 30-year plan to revamp hundreds of homes.
A key priority is to bring 128 council houses back up to the standard set by the government by being in a reasonable state of repair, having “reasonably modern” facilities and services and being warm.
The cash will also be used to improve kitchens and bathrooms in council houses, as they need replacing every 20 or 30 years respectively.
In addition, £796,670 is put aside for the management of additional care facility Gretton Court, as well as the 148 properties owned by the council in the Fairmead Estate.
Under the plans approved by the council, £100,000 a year will also be put aside for one-off fixes, such as repairing paths, installing CCTV, managing car park services, fixing fencing and repairing or demolishing garages.
But council house repairs are the priority. In a 2021 survey of its housing stock, the council found more than 3,000 improvements were needed in the next five years, including kitchen, bathroom and shower replacements, heating and boiler improvements and making sure the houses meet legal requirements. The plans also keep the Fairmead Estate as a “priority neighbourhood” for regeneration, redeveloping its homes and building new ones.
However, the council said it would have to look into additional borrowing to fund any new council housing.
The report said: “Building new council housing will remain a priority for investment.
“However, given the need to improve existing homes the council will investigate additional borrowing to fund council housing alongside using other funding routes”
Councillor Ronan Browne, portfolio holder for housing and landlord services, said: “We are dedicated to listening to and working with our tenants.
“A detailed business plan has been developed using feedback from them, along with the latest guidance and detailed information about the condition of our homes. It sets out what is affordable, allowing the council to provide a framework for long term strategic planning.
“In total this plan aims to invest over £300 million during the next 30 years towards providing housing stock, landlord services and maintaining our council homes, ensuring we can work towards our commitment of providing high-quality council homes and services.”
The business plan will be reviewed annually to ensure it is up-to-date and acknowledges any future changes.