Kirklees Together

On Tuesday 12 March, Kirklees Council’s Cabinet approved the Homes and Neighbourhoods Asset Strategy and Investment Plan, a plan to improve the quality and services of council housing. The funding within this strategy comes from the Housing Revenue Account (HRA), which makes sure rent income only gets spent on council housing.

Asset management, which includes repairs, maintenance, and improvements, is essential for adapting homes to modern standards and tenants’ changing needs. This five-year strategy includes an investment of over £200 million total spend from the HRA.

The strategy focuses on service improvements, safety, efficient repairs, decarbonisation, and smart asset management. This will begin to tackle the council’s analysis of needed investment into the service. This is, in part, due to previous approaches to the targeting and delivery of improvements, as well as delays due to the pandemic. This strategy means that the council will place a strong focus on identifying and catching up on these jobs.

Councillor Moses Crook, Cabinet Member for Housing and Highways, said: 

“This new strategy is all about improving our services for tenants. We’re investing in homes to make them safer, more comfortable, and greener. Our strategy will ensure every tenant has a home that meets their needs today and in the future. It’s a big step towards a more effective and sustainable council housing service for Kirklees.” 

Now the plan has been approved, the council will invite tenants and residents to engage with the proposal, ensuring the strategy reflects the needs of those it affects. After this, the plan will be implemented. A dedicated project team will be created to oversee this work, and their main role will be to closely examine properties that aren’t performing well and figure out the best ways to improve them.  

The implementation of this plan will lead not just improved council housing stock but also a better quality of life for all council tenants.