Housing Asset Management Strategy 2019 - 2024 - Report - Page 19
Our Actions
Energy efficiency and sustainability - We have, for many years,
committed ourselves to a higher standard than those outlined in the
Decent Homes Standard. This reflects our long-held view that our
properties should be good quality, have decent facilities and amenities
and be affordable for our tenants to live in. Over nearly three decades
we have adopted energy efficiency measures in our stock with the
installation of gas central heating with thermostatic radiator valves,
double glazing throughout all our stock, loft insulation to a minimum
of 250mm, a programme of showers over baths, warm deck flat roof
replacement, and in recent years the installation of air-source heat
pumps and solar thermal and solar PV panels. Our commitment to
energy efficiency measures continues.
Action 03
Throughout the life of
this strategy we will
investigate and consider
new energy efficient and
sustainable approaches
in the development and
maintenance of our
housing stock, and the use
of electric fleet vehicles.
We are also committed to use sustainable products where possible and
adopt sustainable practices where we can such as the use of electrical
vehicles in our fleet. This is an area that we intend to focus on during
the life of this strategy.
Property standards - We have a ‘Lettable Standard’ that our tenants
can expect when they move into their home. This was adopted by the
Council after full consultation with councillors and tenants in 2011 and
is due for revision. A standard helps ensure that, over time, the housing
stock not only continues to meet statutory and/or regulatory standards
but offers a quality of accommodation that exceeds the Decent Homes
Standard and meets the changing needs of current and future tenants.
Void properties - We recognise that there is a need to reduce the period
that our properties are stood empty whilst work on takes place to repair
and modernise them as well as getting them relet to new tenants. This
was recognised as an action in our business plan.
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Action 04
To work with tenants and
councillors on a revision of the
lettable property standard for
our housing stock before the
end of this strategy. This is
dependent on achieving action
point No2.
Action 05
Manage void turnaround
figures to minimise rent loss.
