As lock-down eases, concerns about the condition of some housing estates are starting to emerge.
The Council’s lettings and void repairs staff have made slow progress on getting empty properties back into use. As a result some long term empty properties have deteriorated. No management information has been published by the Council recently so the scale of the problem is unclear.
Even some “prime” site bungalows (usually very attractive to those on the waiting list for homes) have been empty for 6 months or longer.
While cleansing standards have generally improved during lockdown (fewer people around and individual staff members focused on local areas) there have been problems with dumping. Scheduled skip visits, funded through ward committees, didn’t happen and replacement visits have yet to be scheduled.
