Hundreds of council homes below par, survey says

Hundreds of council homes are below minimum standards, a survey of Woking housing stock has revealed.

Of 2,488 homes examined, 329 were considered below par - with 446 difficult to access properties not yet seen.

The decent homes standard sets out to ensure rented homes are safe, well kept, and free from serious damp and mould problems.

Council officers said the high number of properties not meeting standards was unsurprising as the focus had been on fire-safety, such as replacing cladding on the Lakeview Estate, which had led to under-investment elsewhere. The authority has been approached for comment.

Standards were strengthened by Awaab's Law, introduced after two-year-old Awaab Ishak died in 2020 from mould exposure.

A Woking Borough Council meeting was told most housing stock was in a reasonable state but would need investment.

Officers told the meeting: "From the properties that were surveyed 329 were deemed to be non-decent, so that's a 13% non-decent rate against the council's housing portfolio - but that doesn't take into account the non-accessed properties."

Failures included heath and safety issues, temperature, as well as the age and state of kitchens and bathrooms.

Officers said they believed repairs to the properties were affordable.

"We haven't identified any key risks around lack of affordability to get work commissioned," they said.

The council said it was working with another company to help access and assess remaining homes.

Follow BBC Surrey on Facebook, and on X. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.