Homes to be Improved as Millions Roll In

Date published: 02/04/2004

Hundreds more homes will be improved in Rochdale borough thanks to an extra £21.1 million funding from the Government.

The extra money is in addition to the £85.2 million already being used by Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH) to bring thousands of homes it manages for Rochdale Council up the Government's Decent Standard.

Housing Minister Keith Hill announced the extra funding on 1 April in response to a bid from RBH in September.

Rochdale was one of only eight areas of the country invited to bid for the extra money because they were in the first round of setting up the new arms length management companies to manage and maintain Council housing through a separate organisation giving more say to tenants.

The extra money will enable RBH to complete extra work that has been found to be necessary in homes already being improved. It will also be used to improve 396 properties that were not included in the original improvement scheme as they were covered by a separate Housing Private Finance Initiative scheme that was subsequently withdrawn. These properties include the Cloverhall Estate in Rochdale.

Councillor David Murphy, Chair of Rochdale Boroughwide Housing, said: "I am delighted that we have been given this extra money because it shows that the Government recognises that we are on track with our programme of improvements and are delivering value for money."

Councillor Anji Robinson, the Council's Cabinet member for Community Cohesion and Housing, said: "This extra funding is another great boost for housing in the borough, coming less than a week after the announcement of Housing Market Renewal funding to deal with the wider regeneration of the housing market.

"The funding will now guarantee that all Council houses in the borough will be brought up to the Decent Standard by 2006, four years in advance of the Government deadline."