Council spends £15m tackling social housing failings

The social housing regulator said 30% of council homes did not have an electrical condition report

More than £15m is to be spent by a local authority to tackle serious failings in hundreds of council homes.

It follows a report from the Regulator of Social Housing last month, which said "significant improvement" was needed in Brighton & Hove City Council's provision.

The investment is set to be outlined at a council cabinet meeting on Thursday, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

A report to the cabinet said the council had set up a Corporate Housing Building Safety Programme and was tracking all “compliance actions” to manage risks effectively.

The regulator's report said the council could not provide evidence it met smoke alarm requirements and it also failed to ensure some properties met electrical safety rules.

It found that there were 1,700 fire risk jobs to be carried out, with a majority overdue by at least two years.

There was a backlog of around 8,000 low priority repairs - with some that dated back to 2021.

There were also 3,600 homes without a current electrical condition report, and 500 water safety "remedial actions" were overdue by at least three months.

'Risk-based approach'

The council report in response said: “We have adopted a risk-based approach to inspections.

“This strategy ensures that high-risk issues are addressed first while also providing a clear timeline for completing lower-risk actions."

It added that the approach was "designed to give confidence" that it was managing compliance obligations in a "structured and effective manner".

The council said it was also engaging with East Sussex Fire and Rescue, the Health and Safety Executive and the Building Safety Regulator.

A detailed action plan has been drawn up for each of the council’s 46 high-rise blocks of flats while more work was needed on fire risk assessments for lower-risk buildings.