£120k revamp plan for Cannock Chase Council's homes

New fire alarms will be installed at properties and also a number of bungalows refurbished.

Another £253,000 is being spent on buying 11 new vehicles which deliver housing maintenance and estate caretaking services across the district.

The improvement programme is set to be approved at a meeting of Cannock Chase Council's cabinet on Thursday. If approved, the work will start from next month.

Around £40,000 has been set aside for the new fire alarms and £80,000 for the bungalow conversion works.

A number of empty bungalows will have their utility rooms converted into second bedrooms to increase the number of two-bedroom bungalows within the housing stock so they can be re-let.

Head of housing Ian Tennant said: "These works are now being undertaken to vacant bungalows as part of a revised void re-let standard and to date four bungalows have benefitted from this work."

Under the proposed scheme, alarms in four of the council's sheltered housing schemes - Caxton Court, Longford Court, Grace Moore Court and St Barbara House – will be replaced. The existing systems in all of the homes are 12-years old.

Mr Tennant added: "Whilst the alarm systems are maintained through an annual servicing and breakdown contract, the age of the systems makes replacement parts difficult to source.

"It is therefore proposed that the existing fire alarm systems should be replaced with new systems which embrace the latest technology with Staffordshire Fire and Rescue being consulted on the specifications for the replacement systems."

The housing division of Cannock Chase Council has a fleet of 37 vehicles to assist in the delivery of housing maintenance and estate caretaking services.

The majority of the vehicles were bought in or before 2008 and as a result of their age and condition are likely to begin to suffer from breakdowns and high running costs, the report states.

Eleven vehicles in the worst condition will be replaced. Cannock Chase Council owns around 5,000 homes. The housing stock breaks down into a range of accommodation from one bedroom flats and bungalows to four bedroom flats and houses. The housing team carries out more than 1,800 jobs per month – 21,600 every year – and repairs and maintains more than 420 empty properties.

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