£3.6m social housing improvements

Around £650,000 has been spent in the last three months on major improvements to the social housing stock of St Albans City and District Council.

And a further £3 million will go on projects to upgrade many of the Council’s 5,000 properties in the coming nine months.

So far during this financial year, more than 400 new energy efficient boilers have been installed by a Council contractor at a cost of £156,000.

Fifty replacement kitchens and bathrooms have been fitted at a combined cost of £176,000.
A major programme of electrical rewiring and testing at over 800 homes has cost £95,000 while 250 window and door replacements have cost £198,000.

Among the contractors employed by the Council are Watret, Borras Construction, Penmilne Electrical, Bell Decorating Group and Anglian Windows.

An update on the work was given to a meeting of the Council’s Cabinet on Thursday 25 July.
Councillor Brian Ellis, the Council’s Portfolio Holder for Housing, said: “We have a budget of £3.6 million for major capital improvement schemes to our social housing for the financial year 2017/18.

“This is now well underway and it is clear that we are on track to complete the planned high quality refurbishments.

“Many of our tenants will feel the benefit of this rolling programme of improvements in terms of better boilers, bathrooms, windows, and other essentials that are lowering costs and improving reliability.

“This spending shows our commitment to ensuring that we maintain all our social housing to a high standard. It is money well spent.”

Councillor contact:
Councillor Brian Ellis, Portfolio Holder for Housing for St Albans City and District Council.
Email: Cllr.B.Ellis@stalbans.gov.uk
Tel: 01727-866100

Media contact:
John McJannet, Principal Communications Officer, St Albans City and District Council.
E-mail: john.mcjannet@stalbans.gov.uk
Tel: 01727 296130