THE ambitious operation to assess and – where necessary, upgrade – every council house in Thurrock is well underway.
Work has been completed on around 1,200 homes, with surveys or renovations currently underway at another 250.
Thurrock Council’s ‘Transforming Homes’ initiative started last summer and over five years all the council’s 10,300 homes will be assessed – with many expected to have significant improvements. The scale and nature of the work in each home depends on its state of repair after an inspection by surveyors. Work will take place across the borough on a ward-by-ward basis.
The £68 million programme involves replacement of:
· Kitchens over 20 years old
· Bathrooms over 30 years old
· Boilers that are over 15 years old and electrics that are over 25 years old
· Windows that are older than 30 or that are single-glazed and
· Roofs over 40 or 50 years old (depending on type).
The programme includes steps to make homes more energy-efficient – lowering energy bills for tenants and helping the environment.
Cllr Val Morris-Cook, cabinet member for housing, said: “Thurrock Council tenants deserve the best that social housing has to offer. The Transforming Homes programme is one of the most ambitious council housing renovation schemes anywhere in England. Housing can play a vital role in people’s health and wellbeing as well as improving their daily lives. The work now underway is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to make a real difference for thousands of people.”
However homes with urgent problems, such as damp and mould, can be assessed and works done before their scheduled place in the timetable if thought necessary. This is part of the programme’s outcomes-focussed approach aimed at improving outcomes for local residents.
Work on each home typically takes around two-four weeks but most tenants will be able to stay in their home. People with additional support needs should contact their resident liaison officer.
Thurrock Council is also building new council housing stock for the first time in many years and has established a housing development company, Gloriana Thurrock, to build homes in areas where private sector developers are failing to build enough good quality homes.
may i just ask Councillor Val Morris Cook if she trully believes that Thurrocks tenants deserve the best that social housing can offer?I am a tenant who lives on the flowers estate in ockendon, having moved here 8 months ago due to being the victim of domestic violence.when i first accepted the property last may there were repairs that needed doing which i pointed out at the time of accepting it.some 3 months later in july when i finally moved in NONE had been done yet the property had sat void for the 3 months I waited for it!So why was I kept waiting so long?ESpecially when I needed to move rapidly ?I gave up a 3 bed maisonette in tilbury which was in good condition for a property that wasnt fit to let! And i have spent the last 8 MONTHS trying to get the repairs dealt with alongside councillor Lynn Carr.The slowness with which the repairs are being dealt with, and the fact that many of the workmen cannot speak english is beyond a joke, totally farcical.I still have a long list of repairs to be done and dont anticipate them being finished anytime soon to be honest; even though i have had the director of housing Barbara Brownlea out to my property before xmas to see for herself how much needed doing !This has greatly affected my health and made me ill, would they live like it?no, of course not but they expect us to not only live like it but also to PAY FOR THE PRIVILIGE!!
Lets hope they don’t waste the whole £68 million on the builders that can’t speak a word of English.
I also wonder if the new Gloriana scheme will also allow the tenants living in the Gloriana homes the right to buy ? I saw something on the news recently where council tenants were refused the right to buy in this type of new scheme.
Its good to see concerned tenants voicing their views and I, like many agree with both comments, sadly our labour councillors seem to have very little interest in their residents and their living conditions, sad to say we have one lady namely Val Morris Cook who will constantly tell herself how well her achievements are benefitting us ungrateful tenants, I have the distinct impression that the pedestal she has put herself on is about to wobble. Oh dear.
Here here snakebiteuk
Vacuous Val should of course be thanking the Conservative Government for the Conservative reform of the Housing Revenue Account system that means no longer tens of millions of pounds of Thurrock council tenants rent was being handed over to the Government for distribution to other local authorities.
13 years of Labour Government failed to reform the system so thanks to the Conservatives allowing Local Authorities to keep the rents raised from tenants they can now invest in repairs and improvements and build new Council homes.
Perhaps Cllr Morris-Cock should praise the Conservatives for these reforms and acknowledge 13 years of Labour inaction. For without these Conservative reforms vacuous Val wouldn’t have the chance of such a wonderful photo opportunity..
Thurrock Council knew in advance the changes the current government were making to the housing account. Why is it they still haven’t built a single house?.Is it because Milibrain has ordered Labour councils to hold back just in case They win the next election and he will be able to claim all the glory.
It’s amazing how Labour will scream about things like the so called bedroom tax but not mention the fact that it is the Tories that have enabled councils to build more council houses.
NoVoice – the only new Council Homes built in Thurrock were started under the previous Conservative administration thanks to the previous Conservative Leader of Thurrock Council, Garry Hague. It was his initiative called ‘Project Enterprise’ that sought to locate potential building sites and started the council house building in Thurrock.
http://democracy.thurrock.gov.uk/thurrock/Document.ashx?czJKcaeAi5tUFL1DTL2UE4zNRBcoShgo=/z2/OsYnVGVDX4T0N9bkz1thp8uwtk3ZLx8Or8%2BU%2BM01A68c9JLi%2Bw%3D%3D&rUzwRPf%2BZ3zd4E7Ikn8Lyw%3D%3D=pwRE6AGJFLDNlh225F5QMaQWCtPHwdhUfCZ/LUQzgA2uL5jNRG4jdQ%3D%3D&mCTIbCubSFfXsDGW9IXnlg%3D%3D=hFflUdN3100%3D&kCx1AnS9/pWZQ40DXFvdEw%3D%3D=hFflUdN3100%3D&uJovDxwdjMPoYv%2BAJvYtyA%3D%3D=ctNJFf55vVA%3D&FgPlIEJYlotS%2BYGoBi5olA%3D%3D=NHdURQburHA%3D&d9Qjj0ag1Pd993jsyOJqFvmyB7X0CSQK=ctNJFf55vVA%3D&WGewmoAfeNR9xqBux0r1Q8Za60lavYmz=ctNJFf55vVA%3D&WGewmoAfeNQ16B2MHuCpMRKZMwaG1PaO=ctNJFf55vVA%3D
After the change of control of Thurrock Council the new Labour administration under Cllr John Kent claimed all the credit for building these new homes.
It was a Conservative Government that removed the shackles and allowed Council to build new homes and it was a Conservative Leader of Thurrock Council that initiated the Council house building in Thurrock.
Since Labour took control no new sites have been developed, house building has stalled and we just get regular statements about building 200 homes per year for the past 4 years but they have failed to started building a single new home so far – they have only completed the homes started under the previous Conservative administration.
There is no acknowledgement from Labour that for 13 years of Labour Government they did nothing to kick start Council House building – they just moaned about the Conservatives selling off council houses – but did nothing to build new ones – and previous Labour administration in Thurrock sat on their hands and did nothing for decades to start building a single new home.
It took a Conservative Council Leader to start house building in Thurrock and a Conservative Government to change the rules to make it easier for Council to build their own homes.