Oxford’s council homes set to receive £12.5 million investment

Charlotte Coles

26 June 2024 at 11:00 am·2-min read

Oxford’s council homes set to receive £12.5 million investment <i>(Image: Ed Nix)</i> — Oxford’s council homes set to receive £12.5 million investment *(Image: Ed Nix)*

Oxford City Council Cabinet is set to approve an investment of £12.5 million in its council owned homes during this financial year when it next meets on July 10.

The sum has already been allocated in the council’s annual budget and cabinet members are being asked to approve it now being spent on three detailed programmes of works which will improve homes for council tenants and ensure all properties comply with new standards on ‘decent homes’ and health and safety.

The total £12.5 million is broken up into three programmes of investment.

The first is internal works, where £3.5 million will be spent on new kitchens, bathrooms, electrical works, heating systems, preventing damp & mould and minor repairs, benefiting 623 council homes.

The second is external works, which will see £4.5 million being spent on roofs, chimneys, soffits, doors, windows, painting, brickwork repair, rainwater goods, steps, railings and fencing, benefiting 297 council homes.

The third is communal works, where £4.5 million will be spent on painting and decorating communal areas, flooring, stairs, handrails, joinery and improving shared external areas, benefiting 220 blocks across the city.

Councillor Linda Smith said “We’re organising our investment in council homes in this way so that it becomes more cost effective as we roll out work on a programme basis and achieve economies of scale and better value for money our tenants.

"It should also be less inconvenient for our tenants when works are planned as they won’t need to be home on multiple different occasions.

"Oxford City Council is proud of the fact that unlike many other local authorities we own and manage our own council homes and we’re constantly striving to be the best possible landlord to our tenants.

"This investment of £12.5 million in our existing housing stock is a key component of our housing strategy which aims to deliver better homes for all”.

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