The leader of Stevenage Borough Council has warned social and council homes in the area are reaching an age when they need a “great deal” of investment and maintenance.

Baroness Taylor of Stevenage (Lab, Symonds Green) made her comments amid discussions around the future of housing in the borough – where plans are being made to raise social rents by the maximum amount possible.

READ MORE

• Stevenage: Man charged with violent disorder after Wembley killing
• Stevenage chicken shop blocked from extending opening hours

At a council meeting on Wednesday, December 14, she said: “In New Towns, unlike most towns in the country, many of the properties were built roughly at the same time – or over a very short span of time, about 20 years.

“They all get to a point where things start to go wrong all at the same time.”

Stevenage was the first post-Second World War “New Town”, with its status designated on November 11, 1946.

Sharon Taylor, Baroness of Stevenage

Up to 10,000 homes were included in the initial masterplan, with the first residents moving into the Monkswood and Broom Barns estates in 1952 – 70 years ago.

To help meet maintenance costs, the council’s cabinet has agreed in principle to raise “housing revenue account” rents by seven per cent from the week commencing April 3, 2023.

Local authority forecasts suggest social rents would increase by £7.24 per week on average, with an average £11.82 per week hike for affordable rents and £8.42 for Low Start Shared Ownership residents.

The seven per cent rent hike is the maximum permitted under new rules, set out by chancellor Jeremy Hunt in his Autumn Statement.

Previous rules would have allowed for rents to rise according to consumer price index inflation – which sat at 10.7 per cent in November 2022 – plus one per cent.

According to council documents, the authority will take out £10.2million and £32.4m loans in the 2022/23 and 2023/24 to help meet its needs.

Damp and mould ‘top of the list’ of housing priorities

Baroness Taylor has additionally said tackling damp and mould is a “at the top of the list” for improvements following the death of Awaab Ishak in Rochdale in 2020.

Responding to an urgent question by Councillor Phil Bibby (Con, St Nicholas), the baroness said: “We have looked very closely at the coroner’s report after the terrible incident which happened in Rochdale.

“I’ve asked the relevant select committee to have a very detailed look at that to see if there are lessons we need to learn.

“The issue of tackling damp and mould is a very complex one, as we all know, and we have done a lot of work on it, although there is still much more to be done.”

Baroness Taylor added there has been “significant investment” into housing improvements, including a £50m borough-led project to survey and repair smaller blocks of flats.

She said: “I think it’s very important when we get a new report on something as important as damp and mould that we give it careful consideration.

“When we’re looking at the housing business plan, compliance has to come first, but we’ve also got new fire safety regulations and other regulations such as electrical safety.

“We take all that very seriously in Stevenage and it will have top priority in our housing business plan.”

The government’s Regulator of Social Housing has told all local authority landlords – including Stevenage Borough Council – they must demonstrate they are prepared to identify and deal with damp and mould issues this winter.

Fiona MacGregor, the regulator’s chief executive, said: “The tragic case of Awaab Ishak has rightly focused attention on the responsibility of all registered providers to ensure that the homes they provide are well maintained and of a decent standard.

“The case demonstrates the serious effects that having damp and mould in homes can have on people’s health and highlighted once again the importance of providers listening to their tenants’ concerns, understanding their diverse needs, removing barriers to accessing services and responding promptly.”

Awaab Ishak from Rochdale died in December 2020 aged two years old.

His severe respiratory illness was caused by “environmental mould exposure”, according to Joanne Kearsley, senior coroner for Manchester North.

Ms Kearsley’s Prevention of Future Deaths Report reads: “The court heard from the housing association regarding the challenges they face due to the reliance on ageing housing stock, the lack of new builds to create increased property numbers, lengthier waiting lists for people who are requesting social housing and the impact of mandatory challenges such as the need to be carbon neutral.”

It added housing professionals placed too much emphasis on the cause of mould being due to “family lifestyle”, and that there was a lack of consideration of ineffective ventilation in an ageing property.