Council tenant “thrilled” with kitchen and bathroom improvement works

A council tenant has praised recent improvement works carried out to his property.

Mr Ken Jones from Johnstown had a new kitchen and bathroom installed as part of Wrexham Council’s ongoing housing modernisation project.

The improvements are being carried out to ensure that all council-owned homes meet the Welsh Government’s Welsh Housing Quality Standard by 2020.

As part of the improvements programmes, homes across the county borough have undergone refurbishment works, with council tenants in Johnstown being the latest to be offered new kitchens and bathrooms as part of the project.

Speaking about the works carried out, Mr Jones said: “I’m absolutely thrilled with the new kitchen and bathroom. I had a wall knocked through to make room for the new kitchen so quite a lot of work was required but I have to say the contractors were polite and tidy throughout.

“They always cleaned up after themselves and they’ve done a grand job in the end. If you look at how the new kitchen looks compared to what I had before you wouldn’t recognise it. It looks fantastic now.

“Over the last couple of years I’ve also had a new heating system put in, the electrics have been rewired and I’ve had external wall insulation installed so a lot of the house looks brand new now. It’s very reassuring to know that the house is being made fit for the future.”

The replacement kitchen and bathrooms being installed at the properties properties is being carried out by a council contractor, Novus Property Solutions.

Jeremy Anderson, Contracts Manager at Novus Property Solutions, said: “Johnstown is one of many areas around Wrexham where we’ve carried out improvements. We are committed to ensuring that every property we visit receives the highest standard of work and we’ve been delighted with the positive response we’ve had from the local tenants.”

Local Member for Johnstown, Cllr David A Bithell, added: “I’m delighted that the kitchen and bathrooms programme is being rolled out in Johnstown and it’s been very encouraging to see the difference it’s making and the positive impact it’s having for our tenants. Properties such as Mr Jones’s have been transformed inside and out and brought up to a very high modern standard.

“The contractors, Novus, held a family fun day a couple of weeks ago too so it’s great to see them engaging with the local community.

“The external wall insulation is also making a huge difference to the steel framed, non-traditional properties here. It improves their external appearance and will potentially help save money on heating bills and extend the life of the buildings by protecting their structures.

“The non-traditional ‘airey’ houses around the Heol Kenyon area will also be receiving external wall insulation later this year so this is further good news for tenants in Johnstown.”

Wrexham Council is investing £56.4m on housing improvements in over the next 12 months as part of the ongoing work to achieve the Welsh Housing Quality Standard. This includes a £7.5m Major Repairs Allowance that the Welsh Government awards to local authorities to help them achieve the Standard.

Thousands of properties across the county borough have already received new kitchens and bathrooms and other internal and external work is also being carried out where required.

Lead Member for Housing, Cllr David Griffiths, said: “We remain on track to achieve the Welsh Housing Quality Standard which is a great achievement. I think it’s also important to stress that we have worked hard to go the extra mile with the design and quality of the improvements we are carrying out.

“Tenants are able to choose from various colours and designs for their new kitchens and bathrooms and they can discuss their options with our teams to ensure the final product meets their expectations.

“We’ve also added extra design features onto the external wall insulation to add some visual appeal and ensure they look their best they can when the work is finished.”

More information on the work being carried out to achieve the Welsh Housing Quality Standard can be found on the council website.