Flushed with pride!
Reporter: ANDREW RUDKIN
Date published: 13 July 2011
Janet Thornton admires her new bathroom
Praise showered on super new bathrooms
HOUSING bosses have hit the ground running with their massive £149 million investment.
First Choice Homes Oldham confirmed their “100-day promises” have been fulfilled after acquiring Oldham Council’s 12,000 properties earlier this year.
Among the promises being kept by FCHO are:
::Over 200 new bathrooms with showers fitted.
::Improved rapid response times for repairs — emergency repairs are attended within three hours and completed within 24 hours.
::Serious anti-social behaviour problems are now responded to within 24 hours.
::New central heating systems in 207 homes.
::New kitchens and rewiring in more than 200 homes.
Janet Thornton is one of those many residents benefiting from the huge investment.
The mother of four (49), who has lived in Higher House Close, Chadderton, for the past 25 years said: “Before First Choice Homes took over I used to have to decorate my bathroom about three times a year, because it would go black.
“Now with my new bathroom I won’t have this problem, plus I have a new roof and the house has been rewired.
“First Choice Homes has been a lot more helpful and a lot easier to get hold of.”
More than 7,700 tenants (86.6 per cent of the ballot) voted to transfer the ownership and management of council housing stock to First Choice Homes Oldham more than 12 months ago.
Chief executive of FCHO, Cath Green revealed their pledge since has gone beyond “bricks and mortar”.
She said: “Not only are we making physical changes to people’s houses, but we are also tackling anti-social behaviour and making sure the communal areas are kept clean and tidy at all times.
“Achieving our promises is a great start for us as we look forward to a bright future, bringing about lasting change for generations of tenants through our investment programme.”
FCHO will soon be announcing a whole host of contracts to both national local companies as they roll out the massive £149million improvement programme.
