Housing Improvement Work Begin in Offa

Council tenants’ properties across the Offa area are set to receive extensive improvement work over the next few months.

Wrexham Council have recently commenced housing improvement work in the Offa community ward, which includes the Electoral Wards of Brynyffynnon, Erddig, Hermitage & Offa.

The improvement work is part of the Council’s extensive project to ensure all its homes achieve the Welsh Government’s Welsh Housing Quality Standard by 2020.

All properties in the County Borough (around 11,500 in total) are being offered new kitchens and bathrooms, if required to meet the standard. Other internal and external work such as electrical rewiring, central heating and roofing will also be carried out on properties leading up to 2020, if required.

An open day event for the kitchens and bathrooms programme was held recently at Hightown Community Resource Centre. Tenants were able to view examples of the units and fittings which will be installed in their properties over the next few months.

Staff from Wates (kitchen/bathrooms contractor), Symphony (kitchen designers), Vent-Axia (extractor fan company) and Wrexham Council were on hand to assist tenants with their design choices and answer queries.

Speaking about the open day, council tenant, Elaine Roberts said: “I’ve been very impressed with the quality of what’s on offer. I’ve been given a choice of designs and colours for the kitchen units so it’s not just one block design for every tenant. We’re also getting new shower units and extractor fans.

“I was a bit wary of having this work done at first because of the disruption the work will cause but the staff here have been very helpful so I think it will be worth it in the end.”

The improvement works have also been welcomed by local councillors who cover the various electoral wards, with Cllr Phil Will stating: “The quality of the designs on offer here is of a very high level. The kitchens and bathrooms, along with the other external and internal improvements being carried out is going to make a massive difference to tenants homes and it’s very positive news for Wrexham.”

Wrexham Council will be investing £54m in housing improvement work in 2016/17. This includes a £7.5m Major Repairs Allowance grant which the Welsh Government awards to local authorities to support them achieving the Welsh Housing Quality Standard.

All properties in the County Borough will need to have achieved the standard by the Welsh Government’s 2020 deadline.

The Council anticipates that the following work will be carried out across the County Borough over the next 12 months:

• 2,500 properties offered new kitchens and bathrooms
• 600 properties being offered new heating systems
• Around 900 properties being rewired
• Over 750 properties being reroofed
• 187 properties having External Insulation fitted

Lead Member for Housing, Cllr Ian Roberts, commented, “We are investing over £90m to bring our housing up to standard between 2015 and 2017. This is an extensive project which will bring a number of added benefits to the local community, such as apprenticeships, employment and spending on local business.

“The project is currently well on track and it’s been great to see properties all over the County Borough benefitting from the improvement work.”

More information on the improvement work being carried out to achieve the Welsh Housing Quality Standard, including a timetable of works can be found on the Council’s website: www.wrexham.gov.uk/whqs