Caerphilly Council completes £260m home improvement programme

Caerphilly County Borough Council has announced the completion of its Welsh Housing Quality Standard programme, seeing the largest single investment ever made into the Council’s housing stock implemented.

The programme has seen council tenants’ homes receive internal and external refurbishments, adaptations to ensure homes meet the needs of individual households, and a wide range of environmental improvements to enhance communities.

Caerphilly Council currently owns and manages 10,660 homes across the county borough.

The Council’s Leader, Cllr Philippa Marsden, recently visited one of the final tenants to receive improvements as part of the programme.  Mr Tiley, who lives in Pontywaun, said: ‘I have lived here for 11 years and the improvements that the council have carried out have made the world of difference.  I am much more comfortable, and this will make day-to-day life easier.

‘I would like to thank the Leader for taking time to visit my residence and listen to my thoughts and opinions.’

Cllr Marsden added: ‘My thanks to Mr Tiley for giving me such a warm welcome into his home today and for telling me about his experience of the WHQS programme.

‘I’m delighted to announce that we have now completed the WHQS programme and acknowledge that delivering something of this scale has not been without its challenges, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic.  I’d like to thank everyone who’s been involved throughout the process of delivering this programme, from start to finish.

‘Whilst we have achieved this initial phase in bringing homes up to the standard, this doesn’t mean that our work is over!  Our Caerphilly Homes team is already busy progressing plans to ensure homes are maintained to the Standard over the coming years, in addition to delivering our ambitious new council house building plans.’

In related news, tens of thousands of social housing tenants across England are expected to have their energy bills cut and homes made warmer as the government makes £179m available to improve energy efficiency.

Photo supplied by Caerphilly Council