Derbyshire council's £5.8m house repair bill

A Derbyshire council is facing a £5.8m bill for repairing structural problems with more than 200 of its houses.

North East Derbyshire District Council carried out a survey of the post-war steel-framed Trusteel housing last year and found widespread corrosion.

Along with housing managers Rykneld Homes, officials said an 18 month programme of repairs was being planned.

The council said some government cash had been secured but much of the cost would come from existing funds.

Insulation work

Trusteel houses, which have a metal frame clad in one layer of bricks, were built for several decades after World War II.

Some have faced issues with corrosion of the frame, especially at ground level.

A council spokesman said: "Recent technical surveys undertaken by the council and Rykneld Homes have shown the Trusteels are in need of remedial works in the near future.

"The work will involve over-cladding the properties to make them warmer, and carrying out maintenance work to the steel frame structures."

Private owners

The project involves 213 properties on the Adlington Estate in Wingerworth, Holmgate in Clay Cross and a small number in Grassmoor.

Disruption to tenants would be kept to a minimum, it added.

The council built 416 Trusteel homes and just under half of these have been sold under the Right to Buy scheme.

Private owners will have to fund any necessary repairs themselves.