Spending squeeze hits home repairs

COUNCIL chiefs say it will be a difficult year for public housing with money to pay for repairs drying up.

Just over £9.5 million is earmarked for major repairs to council housing in Oldham, with 450 homes to benefit.

They will undergo major upgrades, with new central heating, windows and rewiring. The work will be spread across the borough but the biggest schemes involve Henley Street and Higginshaw Village.

But the latest allocation of cash is less than a third of the money Oldham had available at the height of the Decent Homes programme.

A report to Oldham Council’s Cabinet on Wednesday says the days of major national funding for Decent Homes work are gone.

The council says that because of the shortage of funds a lot of work has gone into priority rating schemes and trying to ensure a fair spread of work based on need.

The news comes after the Chronicle revealed that council chiefs are battling to get back money for private housing investment after it’s share of a North-West pot was slashed by £700,000.

Councillor John McCann, cabinet member for housing and community services, said: “The financial position is very difficult. We have looked at using money from right-to-buy sales of council housing but that funding is drying up in the economic recession.

“Since the start of this financial year no money has come in from this source.

The Chronicle reported last week that more than 650 private homes will benefit from £2.5 million of investment.

The money will be used to bring 200 empty properties back into use, while 100 properties in Derker and Werneth will benefit from a major facelift, Glodwick will see 47 homes improved and 70 homes will get disabled facilities.

The council had been allocated just over £3.2 million from 4NW, a board responsible for allocating money to local authorities for housing initiatives, and was also in line for a further £386,000. But it has now been told it will only receive £2.565 million.

Councillors will be asked to challenge the accuracy of Oldham’s allocation at Wednesday’s meeting.