Stoke-on-Trent City Council is taking an important step to ensure its council houses are comfortable, maintained and safe for people to live in. 

The council wants to revise its Repairs and Maintenance Policy and the Void Management Policy which were originally approved in 2018 and 2020, respectively. 

The streamlined policies will reflect the latest changes in national legislation, ensure services remain fit-for-purpose and meet the needs of residents. 

Cabinet is set to approve plans for a consultation on the revised policies during a meeting next Tuesday (13 December).

The Repair and Maintenance Policy 2023 is designed to ensure that responsive repairs, maintenance and planned improvement works are delivered efficiently and effectively. 

During the 2021/2022 financial year, Unitas - the city council's repairs and maintenance company - undertook 71,288 repairs at the authority's 17,454 properties. 

Proposed updates to the policy include: 

• Emergency works to be responded to within 24 hours - including where tenants have no heating and no hot water, a blocked sink or faulty smoke or carbon monoxide alarm
• Extreme emergency works to be responded to within two hours - including gas leaks, power failure, severe water leaks and major drainage problems 
• Routine repairs enhanced by a area-based approach - the council will proactively target areas / estates where there is high demand for repair services 
• Updated legislation including the Building Safety Act 2022 and Smoke and Carbon Monoxide (Amendment) Regulations 2022. 

The Void Management Policy 2023 aims to ensure that a property is properly managed when it becomes vacant.

Councillor Carl Edwards, Cabinet Member for Housing and Environment, said: "We understand that it is really important to provide homes that are well-maintained and safe for residents to live in and, as the city's biggest social landlord, we take that responsibility very seriously.

"These policies follow our recent commitments - and clear vision - to drive up the standards of older people's accommodation in the city, and to provide quality and a broad range of housing that meets the different needs of people across Stoke-on-Trent."

Tenants, leaseholders and other partners will be invited to have their say on the consultation which will take the form of online questionnaires and dedicated focus groups.

Feedback gathered from the consultation and the new policies will be submitted to Cabinet for formal consideration in June 2023.