The expansion will bolster the District Council’s Housing Repairs and Empty Homes team, aiming to shorten repair times, strengthen tenant assistance, and expedite the reoccupation of vacant council properties. This investment is projected to increase the Council’s in-house capacity by an estimated 30 to 40 repair appointments daily, equating to between 7,500 and 10,000 additional repair activities annually. The move also intends to reduce reliance on agency staff and external contractors for core repair tasks, while improving service resilience and communication with residents.
Councillor Lee Brazier, Portfolio Holder for Housing, stated, "This is fantastic news for our tenants, who deserve a repairs service that is responsive, reliable and keeps them informed. We will now have additional capacity and specialist support to complete more repairs, respond effectively to emergency repairs and return empty homes to residents sooner."
By investing in permanent, in-house expertise, the Council aims to build a more resilient service, decrease the use of temporary arrangements, and deliver an enhanced quality of service and experience for tenants. The recruitment drive will focus on filling eight additional operative roles, a repairs and voids supervisor, a damp and mould and disrepair surveyor, a works planning supervisor, and two customer service repairs advisers in the coming months.
Currently, the District Council handles approximately 23,000 repair activities each year, averaging around 100 per working day. Increased demand, driven by stricter regulatory requirements and complex issues such as damp and mould and building safety, necessitates these extra resources. The additional funding will facilitate quicker inspections, earlier identification of necessary work, and improved coordination of labour and materials.
Councillor Brazier added, "By acting now, we can improve the repairs service for tenants while building a more efficient, cost effective and self-sufficient service.” He highlighted that feedback from tenants and a recent visit by the Regulator of Social Housing have underscored the priority of repairs, reinforcing the Council's commitment to service improvement.
The District Council anticipates that the additional resources will lead to measurable improvements in repairs performance, empty homes turnaround times, customer communication, service resilience, and a reduction in the use of temporary staffing arrangements. The Council's Cabinet approved these enhancements and a budget of £527,920 for 2026/27, which includes the capital cost for new vans, at a meeting on Tuesday, 13 October. Funding is expected to be sourced through efficiency savings, reduced contractor expenditure, and the Council's standard budget-setting process.
