By Joe Locker, Local Democracy Reporter
A condition survey of all 26,000 council homes across Nottingham has started as the City Council looks to bring them up to a decent standard and ensure public money is used responsibly.
The last check was done more than eight years ago, when Nottingham City Homes (NCH) was in charge of social housing.
The arms-length management organisation is now directly managed by the Labour-run authority.
It was wound up after it emerged millions of pounds in rent payers’ money from the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) was unlawfully diverted to the council general fund.
Cllr Jay Hayes, the council’s Executive Member for Housing and Planning, said: “This is a vital step in our ongoing commitment to providing safe, high-quality and energy-efficient homes for our residents.
“By thoroughly understanding the condition of our housing stock, we can make informed decisions that not only enhance the lives of our tenants but also ensure we are using public funds responsibly.”
The wrongful use of Housing Revenue Account funds was first uncovered in 2021, and dated back as far as 2014.
A report by local government expert Richard Penn concluded it occurred due to poor governance, principally at the council but also at Nottingham City Homes.
It said there had been a serious failure of governance at NCH, where the chief executive and others had a sufficient knowledge of the ring-fence to know that returning surpluses back to the council, to help with general fund budget pressures, “could not be justified, but they went along with it”.
The report, published alongside an investigation by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy, recommended NCH be brought in-house because existing arrangements with the council did not allow for the money to be “adequately protected”.
As well as ensuring money is spent responsibly, the survey will help homes meet national standards.
In 2023 an English Housing Survey, conducted by the Government, found 3.5 million households were living in homes that failed the Decent Homes Standard.
It also found more than 1.5 million (one in 10) children in England live in non-decent housing.
The new Labour Government announced its Renters’ Rights Bill in the King’s Speech , which will push private and social housing landlords to fix problems quickly.
A Government overhaul of housing standards was also triggered by the death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak, who died in December 2020 from a respiratory condition caused by exposure to mould in his Rochdale council home.
New benchmarks have also been set by the Regulator of Social Housing.
A more effective regulatory regime was established under the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023, created following the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017.
The survey will be done by property company Savills and take two years to complete.
The ruling Nottingham Labour group added: “The initiative is now just about maintaining standards, it’s about ensuring that residents’ and tenants’ money is used wisely.
“By pro-actively identifying areas in need of attention, the council can prevent costly emergency repairs down the line and allocate resources more efficiently.
“This approach benefits all residents by ensuring their homes are safe, comfortable, and in line with modern energy standards, while also demonstrating Nottingham City Council’s renewed commitment to fiscal responsibility in this area since the in-housing of Nottingham City Homes to Nottingham City Housing Services.”
