Kingston spends £65m on boosting homes in the borough

Kingston Council has unveiled plans to upgrade houses across the borough. Over £65 million has already been spent on improving the quality of social homes in the area.

However, in addition to the £65 million, the council has been given another £2 million earlier than originally scheduled, due to the rapid progress it has made in upgrading some 1,000 properties in Kingston.

The improvements have been carried out as part of a scheme called Better Homes, which has been described as the biggest council housing investment programme in the borough for decades.

Better Homes aims to set a benchmark for the quality of properties in the area and exceed the government's Decent Homes minimum standard.

Commenting on the developments, councillor Patricia Bamford, Kingston Council’s lead member for Better Homes, said: "We’ve reached another important milestone and have exceeded our targets. We’re making great progress. Work is going well and is of a very high standard.

“We’re improving people’s homes and their quality of life. I’m pleased that so many people are really happy with what we’ve done for them."

According to figures from the council, more than 90 per cent of tenants reported that they were happy with the work carried out.

The funding is part of a series of financial awards given to the council to boost services in the area.

A bid by Kingston, Merton, Richmond and Sutton Councils has resulted in a £485,000 monetary award, as part of a government scheme which rewards local authorities for providing better services for residents in the area.

The initiative will see the boroughs collaborate in order to reduce duplication, and deliver schemes which fit around the needs of the local population.

Commenting, councillor Liz Green, leader of Kingston Council, said: "We have a strong track record of working in partnership to improve efficiency and value for money. Sharing services between councils is the way forward and this money from the government will help us to go even further in improving the way we provide services to our residents."

Published 14th April, 2014

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