Two local authorities breach consumer standards

A council spokesperson said: “Ensuring our residents have access to good quality, affordable and safe homes is a key priority for Wigan Council.

“We have been engaging with the RSH to ensure that the council is ready for the upcoming new regulations, which come into force in April 2024.

“We acknowledge there is some work to do before then to ensure we are fully compliant with its existing consumer standards and will continue to work with the regulator to ensure this is completed as soon as possible.”

In its judgement, Woking was found to have completed fire risk assessments for the majority of its blocks, but it found there were more than 400 overdue fire safety actions.

The council was also unable to confirm whether smoke detectors were installed in over a quarter of its tenants’ homes.

The local authority said it already has a “robust plan” in place to address the breach, that includes commissioned inspections of all properties where the council does not hold data, and has begun some fire safety remedial works on blocks that are considered high risk. This is alongside surveys of all emergency lighting in housing blocks, and implementing quarterly fire door inspections to all four and five-storey housing blocks and all temporary accommodation schemes with shared facilities.

Ann-Marie Barker, leader of Woking, said: “There is nothing more important than the safety of our residents, yet this regulatory notice is a stark warning that the council has fallen short in its health and safety duty toward tenants on this occasion.

“I would like to apologise, on behalf of the council, to our housing tenants for failing to deliver the quality of service that is expected. We understand that the notice issued by the RSH may cause tenants concern.

“Last year, with the support of council tenants, the council brought the management and maintenance of our social housing back in-house to help improve housing services. It was following this change that we were able to fully understand the issues with the standard of our homes.”

Ms Barker explained that it also undertook a programme of fire risk assessments over the spring and summer which identified that a significant number of remedial actions are required. 

She added: “The council is fully aware of its health and safety responsibilities and will work with the regulator closely to put in place a comprehensive programme to rectify these failures.

“While we have much more to do, the council is determined to make the necessary improvements and is implementing a course of actions which will reassure tenants and the regulator of our commitment to delivering safe homes for residents.”

Kate Dodsworth, chief of regulatory engagement at the RSH, said: “Wigan Council and Woking Borough Council both failed to meet our consumer standards and need to put things right promptly for tenants.

“It is vital that all social landlords have accurate, up-to-date health and safety data and use it to ensure their tenants’ homes are safe. As well as our ongoing investigations, we will be out on the front foot from next April inspecting landlords to make sure they are providing good-quality homes and services.”

Woking is not in a good financial position at the moment and commissioners called it “very difficult” in October as it revealed cutbacks to a regeneration project, including reducing the number of homes from 1,142 to 472.

The council issued a Section 114 notice in June, bringing it under government intervention, and the local authority remains in a “serious position” on its outstanding debt, which sits at £1.9bn.

Woking’s Housing Revenue Account is facing an in-year deficit of £1.5m, a figure which commissioners said is likely to get worse as the year progresses.

Inside Housing revealed in March that Woking had delivered just 243 new build affordable homes throughout the period and had racked up nearly £2bn in debt.