Cheshire West and Chester Council to invest extra £1.5 million per year to improve Council housing

Cheshire West and Chester Council has committed to increasing the budget available for the annual repairs and maintenance of Council houses in the Borough.

At a meeting of full Council on Thursday 18 July, councillors approved an increase of £1.5 million per year from 2024-25 for housing repairs, as well as an additional amount of £1.35 million to cover repairs that were carried out in 2023-24.

There will be no further increase in rents for tenants for 2024-25 - rents on Council owned properties increased in April, in line with the current Government guidelines of 7.7%. This increase in spend will be critical to being able to meet the needs for repairs for Council tenants to ensure that they live in decent neighbourhoods and homes. Council tenants’ rents are ring-fenced to pay for all services, repairs, maintenance and improvements to Council homes.

The increased spend on Council housing reflects the increased costs facing the wider social housing sector across the country. It means that Council tenants will continue to receive good quality housing services and home repairs that meet their needs. It also ensures that the Council fulfils its landlord responsibilities through ForHousing, who have managed the Council’s 5,300 homes since 2017.

Since 2017, a total of £28 million has been spent on improving Council housing. This includes new boiler installations, roof replacements, kitchen and bathroom refurbishments, installing new double glazed UPVC window and doors and electrical rewiring upgrades.

In May, the Council announced that it would also be making £3 million worth of improvements to make its Council housing more energy efficient and save money on energy bills for hundreds of households. The Council is matching the £1.5 million funding awarded by the Government’s Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund to assist with decarbonising its Council housing in the Borough.

Cllr Christine Warner, Cabinet Member for Homes, Planning and Safer Communities, said:

“Despite the financial pressures the Council is facing, it is vital that we prioritise investment in Council housing improvements and maintenance to benefit our residents. We are committed to our 30-year investment programme, and this increased investment will ensure that our homes continue to be maintained whilst allowing the Council to respond proactively to the increased costs that are facing the social housing sector.

“We developed the Together with Tenants Charter alongside residents, outlining our commitments to residents to ensure that they receive a high standard of service and live in safe, well-maintained homes. It is important that we continue to strive to improve and maintain the quality of homes and neighbourhoods. Reducing fuel costs, ensuring good quality and affordable homes, and improving the areas where people live is vital to support residents’ wellbeing.”

To find out more about the commitments Cheshire West and Chester Council and ForHousing make to residents, visit the Council website to view the Together with Tenants Charter:

Together with Tenants Charter | Cheshire West and Chester Council