Wrexham’s Council Houses to Benefit From £54m Investment

Council houses across Wrexham are to benefit from an investment of over £50m which will see improvement works on homes in the County Borough continue.

Members of Wrexham Council’s Executive Board yesterday approved plans to push ahead with a £54m Housing Capital Programme which will see thousands of homes across the County Borough benefit from new kitchens, bathrooms and central heating systems.

Announcing the Capital Investment Programme yesterday, Lead Member for Housing Cllr Ian Roberts described the report as ‘magnificent’, adding: “I am pleased to say this will be our largest housing investment programme ever. Over the next 12 months we will see significant investment in the council housing stock.

“This ongoing regeneration of the housing stock plays a key role in supporting communities as well as helping economic activity. We are working in partnership with contractors who are delivering elements of investment providing local labour, providing apprenticeships and other community benefits.”

Details of how the money will be invested were also provided at the meeting, with 2500 homes having new kitchens and bathrooms, 800 new roofs will be completed, 1000 properties will be rewired, 600 offered new heating systems and nearly 200 homes benefiting from external wall insulation.

Speaking about the news, Cllr David Bithell said: “Would like to thank the Lead Member again and the Housing Department in what is the largest capital programme this council has seen. This current financial year was £38m and that was significant across the county borough in bringing our homes for tenants back to standards they aspire to the with the Welsh Housing Quality Standards.

“£54m is no mean feat and it will require significant monitoring and control by the Housing Department to deliver that. I know it’s a tall order as £54m is significant and when you look at what that covers, kitchens £15m, bathrooms £10.4m, central heating £2.3m, roofs £8m.

“I applaud the housing department for this and collectively as a council we should welcome and embrace this. I look forward to seeing some of those improvements carried out across county borough.”

Cllr Joan Lowe added: “I look forward to the coming year as that’s when work starts in my ward on roofs with other works starting the next year. With my health and wellbeing hat on I think how this will improve our tenants health and wellbeing, to have a decent quality home that is comfortable and warm has got to their quality of life. It’s a real plus and thanks to all concerned.”

The number of apprentice roles created in the construction industry as a result of the project was also praised by Cllr Bob Dutton, who said: “A further point is the number of apprentices that will be created which I think will be around 54 following a previous presentation. It’s a big contribution to the opportunities in the construction industry in Wrexham County Borough.

“We should take note of that. It is time we took more interest to the young people of the county borough and think this contribution will be will be a help in the construction industry.”

However questions were raised by Cllr Alun Jenkins regarding the fairness of ABC format which has been carried out by the council – with homes in Acton and Bradley having refits before those who live in places such as Rhosddu as is natural with the alphabet.

Cllr Jenkins said: “I congratulate the council and department on the work being done. I want to ask whether you’d reconsider a policy passed a year ago with kitchens and bathrooms on an alphabetical basis. More being drawn into works being done with kitchens and bathrooms which means the ABCs are the ones getting all the attention at the moment.

“Other communities are having to wait until the end of the programme as far as 2021. If you live in Rhos or Worthenbury, you’re having to wait a long time until you get these improvements.”

Cllr Jenkins added: “Feel this programme has been running for three years, for whole communities to wait another two years is unreasonable, some could have had work done. We used to pride ourselves on work going on across the county borough.”

However Cllr Roberts noted that he is not worried about the project not being completed, with the vast majority of the kitchens and bathrooms in Wrexham already finished.

Cllr Roberts said: “We have had a look at it – got to a stage where we’re getting towards fishing by mid 17/18, most kitchens and bathrooms will be finished and we all thought we would never get them done. They’re nearly finished.

“£54m going in this year, another 2500 properties. By end of 2017/18 which is election year and rolling, those kitchens and bathrooms will be finished. We do have roofs and re-wirings, but what tenants are loving the most is kitchens and bathrooms. If we just get on with it and we will get there.

“I am not worried about this, I do feel we are getting to point where we are nearly finished. Not 5/6 years time, it’s next door now.”

At this point there was a round of applause for a member of the public gallery in support of the work being carried out to upgrade the council houses – saying: ” I’m next to last remember!”

Cllr Mark Pritchard added: “When you start a programme this size, you have to start and finish somewhere. Very unreasonable for tenants to wait close to 20 years for a new kitchen or bathroom. We have moved mountains here to improve our social housing stock, we are leading the way in Wales.

“We will not do things on ad hoc basis to suit elected members. Asking us to split it all around the borough and have contractors all over the borough. If I lived in a ward, and they came there I would expect all council houses to be done on same time. I know we disagree on this, this is a positive story and you’ve come here and been negative.”

Praise was also given for the worried carried out on some community facilities in Wrexham, with Cllr Brian Cameron stating: “Not going to be negative, quite the contrary. With Whitegate it has now come to an end. It has changed lives dramatically in areas.

“One thing not touched on is the ‘Community Payback Scheme’ where contractors also help in the areas. Please go see the Pentre Gwyn Community Centre.”

Cllr Roberts said: “Some contractors have done a bit in certain areas, others who haven’t done as much. I congratulate them for the work they have done. We should be forcing some of our contractors to do a small amount of work in our communities.”

Members of the Executive Board unanimously approved the housing capital programme for 2016/17.