Praise For Housing Improvement Works Carried Out on Wrexham Flats

Improvement works carried out on a number of flats in Caia Park have been praised by a Wrexham Council tenant.

Lead Member for Housing, Cllr Ian Roberts, and Local Member for Caertrefle, Cllr Ronnie Prince visited tenants at the Tan Y Bryn flats in Caia last week to see the results of improvement works which have been carried out by Wrexham Council in and around the properties.

Brand new kitchens and bathrooms have been installed in the flats by the Council as part of the ongoing improvement works taking place across the County Borough.

A large communal garden area for the flats was also completely refurbished. New fences, security gates, handrails and paths have been installed and the garden areas have been trimmed and tidied.

The work is part of the comprehensive project to ensure all the Council’s 11,300 properties achieve the Welsh Government’s Welsh Housing Quality Standard by the 2020 deadline.

Local tenant, Mark Phillips, welcomed the improvements: “The gardens look great now the work has been done. This area was completely overgrown before and there was nothing to stop anyone from trespassing so we used to get litter and all sorts left outside. The new fences have stopped all that now and it’s a lot more private and secure. We can’t wait for the weather to improve so we can get out there and enjoy our new garden. We’ve just had our kitchens and bathrooms done too so the place is looking a lot better now.”

Local Member for Caertrefle, Cllr Ronnie Prince, noted: “It’s great to see how these properties have been transformed by the improvement work. This will now be a safe and pleasant environment for tenants to enjoy. The new fences and gates have really enhanced the visual appeal of the gardens and I’d like to thank the contractors, Paveaways for the high quality work they’ve carried out here in partnership with the Council.”

Over £40m has been spent on improvements over the last 12 months. The work includes offering new kitchens and bathrooms to every council property where they do not currently meet the standard. Other internal and external work such as electrical rewires, central heating, roofing and insulation will be carried out where required.

The project received a further boost last month when the Council’s Executive Board approved a record £54m investment to fund work to continue over the next 12 months.

Rob Joy, Contracts Manager for Pave Aways Limited, who carried out the work said: “We are proud to work alongside Wrexham Council on projects such as Tan Y Bryn, which help improve and enhance the tenants living conditions.”

Cllr Ian Roberts added: “The £54m represents a massive record investment for housing in wrexham. Improvement work on this scale presents many challenges but I’m happy to say we are progressing well and all our properties are set to meet the standard by 2020. We are working hard to go the extra mile in ensuring the work carried out is of high quality and that properties are attractive and visually appealing as well as safe and secure.

“I would encourage tenants to take up the offer of new kitchens, bathrooms and other improvements as the work progresses around the County.”

More information on the improvements, including a timetable which details when work is due to be carried out in each area of the county can be found on the Council website – www.wrexham.gov.uk/whqs