Increase in the number of empty council houses in Wrexham as coronavirus delays refurbishment works

The number of empty council houses in Wrexham has gone up by almost 200 in just over a year, according to newly released figures.

It follows delays to refurbishment works caused by the outbreak of the coronavirus in March.

A total of 640 properties stood vacant as of October 21, representing six per cent of Wrexham Council’s housing stock of just over 11,000.

It compares to 447 empty properties the local authority was waiting to bring back into use last June.

A report to councillors shows there was a three-month period where hardly any work was carried out after the first national lockdown was introduced.

The council is now looking to increase the number of external contractors it uses to address the backlog.

In the report, Cllr David Griffiths, lead member for housing, said: “The Covid-19 pandemic has significantly impacted on the programme this year, with a three month time period where very little or no works were carried out on site.

“This was down to a combination of government restrictions and the inability to source materials from suppliers.

“When the external contractors and the DLO (direct labour organisation) were allowed to return to site, new ways of working had to be introduced to comply with the relevant legislation and guidelines.

“All contractors and the DLO are currently working to the latest version of the site operating procedures.

“These are designed to ensure a safe method of working during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“It has to be a slow and managed process where trades are reintroduced in a phased approach, to ensure social distancing is maintained, rather than having large numbers of operatives on site.”

Since the start of April, a total of 294 properties have been fully refurbished across the county borough.

Cllr Griffiths described it as “a significant achievement” in light of the downtime experienced.

Although the rent value of the empty properties stands at almost £1.9m, he said the amount was not classed as lost income as all money received from tenants is directly reinvested into the housing stock.

He added a procurement exercise to find more companies to assist with works was shortly due to end.

He said: “This will add and introduce more capacity and options to address the backlog of empty properties.

“The new framework should be live in January 2021, with the introduction of six companies that will be allocated work and six companies which will sit in a reserve position.

“The ranking and operation of this framework will be based on a price/quality divide.

“The department is keen to expand its delivery options and to return more properties to prospective tenants in shorter timescales.”

The report highlights that the time frame for work can vary from 89 days for properties which require minimal changes to 304 days for those in need of major refurbishment.

Cllr Griffiths said one of the main challenges faced was the large geographical area covered by the council.

The independent executive board member added: “The programme would be easier to manage if the properties were all in the same location or in the same streets.

“The properties that have been completed are located across the county borough, which, logistically continues to prove challenging.”

The report is due to be discussed by members of the council’s homes and environment scrutiny committee at a meeting on Wednesday (December 2, 2020).

By Liam Randall – BBC Local Democracy Reporter