Stafford and Rural Homes

May 4, 2007

Major Improvement work on course for success!

A massive “thank you” to everybody who braved the bad weather to visit us at our latest Estate Based Strategy (EBS) consultation events recently at Rising Brook and Silkmore.

Nearly 400 families attended the events and local councillors also took an active part in ensuring our customers had their say. We discussed individually with our tenants the options for improvements available to them when we begin work in their area shortly.

Tenants had the opportunity to voice their views and make choices about:

• Improvement works to their homes, including style choices and the need for special adaptations
• Fencing, paving and off-street parking spaces
• Environmental improvements

The choices tenants made have shaped the investment programme for 2007/8 in the Rising Brook, Rickerscote, Burton Manor and Moss Pit areas which should see the installation of:

200 new bathrooms
500 new kitchens
200 new sets of internal doors
  250 new central heating systems
1500 new external high security doors
    30 new roofs
100 UPVc rainwater gutters, pipes and fascia boards
300 new fencing to front/rear

A major refurbishment of another of our Sheltered Housing Schemes will be completed, following the successful work at Shakespeare Road, Highfields this year.

The consultation events helped to demonstrate a real partnership between Stafford and Rural Homes, Connaught Partnerships PLC and consultants Baily Garner to fully deliver these improvements on time and to a high quality.

Helping us host the EBS events were the Stafford and Rural Homes Tenant and Resident Federation, the Citizens Advice Bureau, Staffordshire Fire and Rescue and Jardine Lloyd Thompson, who are working with us to provide a contents insurance scheme for our residents.

Stafford and Rural Homes Chief Executive, Karen Armitage, said ”We promised to deliver improvements to our customers at the time of the stock transfer and have completed an enormous amount of work in the first year. We intend to do the same in the second year and throughout our five year programme of improvement. We are ensuring that our customers have every opportunity to influence the improvements we are making in and around their homes “

Our Record on Improvements since April 2006

The table shows how we have performed over the last year compared to what we agreed and promised to our residents in Littleworth, Coton Fields, Salt, Gayton, Weston, Millwich, Fradswell, Hixon, Stone, Barlaston, Blythe Bridge, Meir Heath, Hilderstone and Great Haywood:

Type of Work                         promised    delivered      % achieved
New Kitchens                        400                534                 134%
New bathrooms                    100                188                 188%
New Internal doors,
architrave and skirting          200                341                 171%
New central heating
systems                                  300                195                    65%
New UPVc windows             400                374                    94%
New high security
external doors                      2265             2400                  106%
New roofs                                  80                  93                 116%
UPVc rainwater pipes,
gutters and fascia boards    250                274                 110%
Front fencing/gates/
driveways                                200                 121                   61%

Though we can still improve our service and offer even higher levels of choice and quality, many of our tenants are delighted with the work done in their homes.

Picture of Mr Broome in his new kitchen Mr & Mrs Broome of Great Haywood were very pleased with their new kitchen and bathroom, and found the workmen to be polite, helpful and quick to resolve any minor issues. They were particularly happy with their new shower as getting into the bath had been a struggle.