A MULTI-MILLION pound scheme which will see more than 1,200 council houses receive a raft of improvements has received the backing of the council’s cabinet members.
As part of the five-year £129m capital investment programme, the next stage of the plan was discussed at Barnsley Town Hall on Wednesday which confirmed £12.95m will be spent on homes during 2019/20.
Houses in Kendray will benefit most, with 295 earmarked for work, as well as 294 in Wombwell, 195 in Kexbrough, 162 in Darton, 141 in Penistone, 99 in Barnsley West which includes Hoylandswaine, 85 in Great Houghton and 71 in Goldthorpe.
According to a report, schemes proposed within the 2019/20 programme will include kitchens, bathrooms, roofs and central heating boilers as it was found more than 8,000 were ten years old or more.
The programme also includes £18m investment in housing growth over the next two years.
A council report said: “Older boilers tend to break down more often and we have quite a high number in the housing stock.
“This is because the homes replacement programme was at its peak between 2004 and 2008 where many were replaced.
“These boilers also have around 78 per cent efficiency compared with a modern equivalent, which will have 91 per cent.
“Changing from one to the other on a semi-detached property will save the tenant £105 per annum.
“This will help with fuel poverty in the borough, as well as contributing to local and national emission targets.”
The council, according to the report, spends £1.9m per year on gas heating breakdown the most costly element of its repair list.
Coun Alan Gardiner, cabinet spokesperson, said: “We’re committed to providing better housing to meet existing and future needs in Barnsley. The programme gives Berneslai Homes the money to provide a high-quality service to people who live in our properties.
“We’ll continue to work with Berneslai Homes to support their service and help make Barnsley a better place for our residents and their families to live and work.”
Properties in three areas Honeywell, Broadway and Kingstone have been identified for re-roofing and several hundred tenants will be included in the works at a cost of £2m.
“An average estimate of cost per roof at this stage is £5,952 and it is proposed that 336 roofs are renewed. All of these fall outside the government’s ‘decent homes’ lifespan of 50 years for a house and 30 years for a flat.
“The properties are a mixture of houses, bungalows and flats. They are predominantly semi-detached and the configuration of flats means that 499 properties are affected by the 336 re-roofs.”
Helen Jaggar, chief executive of Berneslai Homes, added: “We are pleased the agreed budget means that services to council housing tenants and investment in the council’s housing stock is maintained.
“This allows us to continue to focus on the delivery of the council’s housing priorities and ensures we are doing the right thing for tenants.”
