Council houses to receive £7m energy improvements

Council houses across a city will be transformed as part of a £7m retrofitting project.

The Oxford City Council project will focus on fitting energy efficiency features to 316 existing buildings.

This will include loft and wall insulation, draught-proofing, and window upgrades.

The announcement comes as after a single mother had been "signed off sick" from work because of the mould in her Oxford council house.

The project aims to improve the energy efficiency of over 300 social homes with an energy performance certificate (EPC) of D or below, and the wellbeing of tenants.

Cllr Linda Smith, cabinet member for housing and communities, said: “I’m really pleased that we’ve reached this milestone and am excited to see the work begin and then homes start to feel the benefits.

“This project is a significant step towards a more sustainable Oxford; however, we know on its own, it is not enough to get us to our target of bringing 95% of council homes up to EPC C by 2030."

It is part-funded by the government's Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF).

Cllr Smith emphasised the need for “significant" and "sustained" government funding for the council to achieve its targets.

VINCI Facilities has already started work on 216 homes, with Oxford Direct Services working on the remaining 100 properties.