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Issue - meetings

Performance of the Welsh Housing Quality Standard (WHQS) Capital Programme – Assurance Report

 

 

Meeting: 16/03/2021 - Cabinet (Item 112)

112 Performance of the Welsh Housing Quality Standard (WHQS) Capital Programme – Assurance Report pdf icon PDF 152 KB

Additional documents:

Decision:

As detailed in the recommendation.

Minutes:

Councillor Hughes introduced the report which provided an update on the delivery of the Welsh Housing Quality Standard (WHQS) the Council was delivering through its Capital Investment Programme, and focussed on the achievements to date.

 

The work undertaken through the WHQS had transformed the Council’s Housing stock and delivered substantial improvements to the quality of tenants housing both internally and externally.

 

Financial investment had been significant year on year since the start of the programme and from April 2021 a further investment of £21m would be made, with an additional £14m being committed to the new build programme.  Over the life of the programme contractors engaged in the WHQS would have created training or job opportunities for 57 apprentices which was a significant achievement.

 

Throughout the WHQS programme customer satisfaction levels had been consistently high with the most recent satisfaction rating outcome at 96% and reflected the hard work the team had put into the programme.

 

Whilst there had been particular challenges and disruption this financial year due to the pandemic, the Council had continued to deliver the work.  WG had noted those particular challenges and confirmed their agreement to extend the programme by a further year which would enable concentration on external areas and envelope work.

 

The Chief Officer (Housing and Assets) added that the next challenge would be to decarbonise the housing stock, making them as energy efficient and low carbon as possible.

 

Members thanked all of the team involved, including WG who had stopped the sale of Council houses which meant Councils could retain their stock and manage housing issues effectively. 

 

Members also said the positive information contained within the report demonstrated that the decision of tenants in the housing ballot in 2012 for the Council to retain the housing stock had been the right one.

 

RESOLVED:

 

That the progress made in delivering the Welsh Housing Quality Standard programme be noted, and the Capital Investment Programme be supported in its final year.