New policies to ensure homes are comfortable, well-maintained and safe to live in are set to be adopted by Stoke-on-Trent City Council.
The Repairs and Maintenance Policy 2023 and the Void Management Policy 2023 have been revised and updated to reflect the latest changes in national legislation.
The policies, which are set to be approved by Stoke-on-Trent City Council at a Cabinet meeting tomorrow (Tuesday 18 July), will ensure that services delivered for council-owned homes remain fit-for-purpose and continue to meet the need of local residents.
The Repairs and Maintenance Policy is designed to ensure that responsive repairs, maintenance and planned improvement works are delivered efficiently and effectively, while the Void Management Policy aims to ensure that a property is properly managed when it becomes vacant.
If agreed by Cabinet, both policies will be implemented from August 2023.
Councillor Chris Robinson, cabinet member for housing, said: “Our new Repairs and Maintenance and Void Management policies form a key part of our wider plan to raise housing standards in the city and ensure our services remain fit-for purpose.
“A lot of work has been done to revise and update our existing policies to ensure they continue to meet the needs of our residents and we will continue our efforts by developing new policies in the future to make sure our residents can live safe and comfortable lives in well-maintained, well-insulated homes.”
Tenants and leaseholders were encouraged to have their say on the new Repairs and Maintenance and Void Management policies during a formal six-week consultation in January and feedback gathered during the consultation has now been considered in the final policies.
Residents commented that more needs to be done to treat damp and mould, repair leaking windows and ensure homes are fully insulated. Now a new Damp and Mould Policy is being developed to specifically address the problems associated with damp and mould.
The new policy, which will evolve over the summer ahead of another consultation with residents, will ensure that all council-owned homes are properly insulated and fitted with decent windows and doors.
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