My Report to Council

Posted By: Doreen Brophy-Lee
Date Posted: 10/02/2009

REPORT OF THE CABINET MEMBER FOR HOUSING TO THE MEETING OF THE COUNCIL ON 4 FEBRUARY 2009


Thank you Mr Mayor for the opportunity to report to the Council the latest developments on various matters relating to the Housing Portfolio.

Rochdale’s Home Improvement Agency wins another award

After winning last year’s Home Improvement Agency of the Year award our fantastic agency has won another award for delivering innovative disabled adaptation solutions to people’s homes. Last year the agency piloted ‘pods’ which are ground floor extensions with bathrooms or bedrooms which can be quickly lowered into place by crane on the back or sides of existing houses. This provides a very quick and trouble free solution to meet the needs of disabled people who need help to stay in their own homes. The other innovative side to this solution is that the pods can be re-used again at another address unlike a permanent extension. This ensures that the limited budgets we have for adaptations are used as efficiently and effectively as possible. I am going to London later this month to receive the award on behalf of the agency and look forward to representing Rochdale with pride.

Extra money for disabled adaptations

Together with the award we have just received notification that the borough has been awarded extra money to help meet the increasing demands for disabled adaptations across the borough. This means that we are now spending nearly £3 m a year on providing much needed adaptations within the borough. This is the highest level of investment in adaptations that the council has ever achieved and means that more and more people can be helped to stay living comfortably in their own homes rather than moving or splitting families up.

Team of the Year

I was filled with pride in November when the staff at Leopold Court Homeless hostel received the council’s Team of the Year Award. I know personally of the hard work that this team does in some very challenging situations and the support it gives to some of our most vulnerable members of the community when they most need it. Leopold Court has not always enjoyed the whole hearted support of councillors so I find it doubly pleasing that staff working under such pressure can achieve this award.

Mortgage rescue

This current credit crisis and the worsening economic situation has meant that there are an increasing number of people at risk of losing their homes through mortgage repossessions. I have urged our officers to look at as many ways of helping people in these situations as possible and am encouraged at the responses we are able to offer to our communities. For example we have been able to access the government’s recently announced Fast Track mortgage rescue scheme and a process has been set up through our Homelessness Services and Housing Advice Centre for people in mortgage difficulties to access this help. In its first week of operation the scheme has already helped 3 people.

Building Homes for the Future

One of the long term solutions to our lack of good quality affordable housing is for the council to build more homes. I reported at the last council the small pilot scheme in Heywood to build 4 bungalows for low cost home ownership. I am pleased to report that these homes are now nearly finished and are currently being marketed for first time buyers or elderly down-sizers.

We have now approved an even more ambitious scheme for building 20 new bungalows at affordable rents. A full planning application has been submitted together with the funding bid to the new Homes & Communities Agency which has received a very encouraging response. I look forward to seeing the start of these new homes on site by June of this year.

On the back of this pilot, plans are now well advanced identifying a number of council owned sites across the borough where further council housing could be built. We plan to bring these sites forward as soon as possible again with the support of the Homes & Communities Agency who have been very positive about our proposals.

Winter Warmth

Last week I attended an event held jointly with Age Concern and the Electrical Safety Council to promote free safety checks on electric blankets. The scheme offers a replacement blanket for any that are found to be dangerous. This was a great event and once again demonstrates the benefits of our services working in partnership to help our communities.


Councillor Doreen Brophy-Lee

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