Spending splurge on council housing in Rotherham
COUNCIL houses across Rotherham will be refurbished as part of an expected £312m investment - with many more to be built or bought.
Estates in Kimberworth Park, East Herringthorpe and Swinton are among those earmarked for improvements under spending formally called the Housing Capital Programme.
That work is expected over the next year, when £76m will be spent.
The programme runs until 2030.
In Swinton, 224 properties will see doors and windows replaced, with work on homes in Kimberworth Park, The Lanes, East Herringthorpe and Brampton.
Another £1.5m will go on improved paths, handrails and other work at The Croft in Catcliffe, several streets in Greasbrough and Brameld Road, Swinton.
A £98m slice will go on new homes, mostly towards the council’s target of 1,000 new homes by next summer. Almost £35m will go on providing homes beyond that target.
In the 12 months ahead, it is expected around 150 houses will go up in Maltby, Canklow and Wath. Others will be acquired in Waverley and Poppyfields, either direct from developers or through the open market.
Cllr Linda Beresford, Cabinet member for housing, said: “These improvements will not only benefit current tenants…. but also ensure that future generations have access to high quality housing.”
Cllr Michael Bennett-Sylvester - one of a handful of members who are also council tenants - said: “This investment is welcome, in January I voted for the Housing Revenue Account budget but still feel there is more to be done.
“Council rents subsidise a number of services such as neighbourhood working that should be funded under the general fund.
“We also need to invest in old estates that were built at a time when there was no expectation of car ownership and where rather than what is known broken window syndrome, we now have chewed up grass verge syndrome, creating a blight on many of our estates due to inadequate parking.
“As well as looking run down, creating mud covered slippery paths there has to be concern that for prospective tenants looking at homes will they bid for those they can’t get parked at leading to older estates being left behind.
“Whether creating drives on properties or hard surfacing chewed up verges this has to be a priority for future investment to stop what is becoming a blight on our estates.”