Surrey council told to pump more cash into housing overhaul after damning inspection
Housing bosses in a Surrey area have admitted they need another £107k and more staff to fix deep-rooted problems in the service. Government inspectors slammed Tandridge District Council with the lowest possible rating for social housing earlier this year.
The scale of the work now underway was outlined at the council’s housing committee on November 11. From rewriting policies to overhauling IT systems and carrying out thousands of overdue tenancy audits, the council is racing to catch up with national standards.
Head of Housing, Jane Rochelle, said: “We’re working at a tremendous pace and I’m putting my whole team under pressure. I don’t intend to take my foot off the gas this side of Christmas at least.”
The Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) inspected the service in July, just weeks after a new Head of Housing for Tandridge arrived. In September it published its verdict: a C4 rating, meaning very serious failings and the potential for government intervention if the council does not sort things out fast.
Tandridge council has already carved out £420,000 from the Housing Revenue accounts operating surplus to kickstart the housing improvement plan before the inspection even landed.
The extra £107k was broken down into salaries for extra staff (£87k) to help the department as well as service costs (20k). With the new request, the total pot rises to £532,000 including a small £5k contribution found from underspends elsewhere.
Officers also asked councillors to note progress on the improvement plan, updated performance figures, and a major ‘policy gap analysis’ that set out where the council has no up-to-date housing policies in place at all.
Fixing the basics
Housing leaders said they are focusing on what the RSH calls the ‘big six’ safety areas: things like gas, electric, fire, asbestos and water safety. Officers also said they are trying to bring together property data that has until now been scattered across different systems, spreadsheets and external contractors.
One of the most striking issues is a backlog of around 2,000 tenancy audits which are basic checks that confirm who lives in each property, identify vulnerabilities, and pick up risks like fuel poverty or damp.
Savills is currently inspecting every council home, according to the council report. Early results from around 710 properties (about 30 per cent of the stock) show:
- Most windows and doors will need replacing sooner rather than later.
- Fewer urgent issues with roofs, but many homes will need insulation upgrades.
- Kitchens and bathrooms are generally in “fair” condition but will still need major investment over the next decade.
- Many boilers will also require associated pipework and radiators to be replaced.
Officers reported the stock is not in “poor” condition overall but warn signs of wear and tear show it will be “hungry for investment” during the next ten years. The new housing boss said she was “fairly comfortable” with the results and hoped there would not be any more nasty surprises.
Other improvements included all housing staff undergoing training on the strengthened consumer standards, damp and mould risks, anti-social behaviour and complaint handling. A revamped complaints process is now in place, with senior officers signing off every case.
Meanwhile, the council’s response to Awaab’s Law, which came into force in October, has included a new damp and mould reporting process, dedicated hotline, online forms and case-tracking system to make sure serious hazards are fixed within legal deadlines.
Money pressures start to bite
The general housing budget (which covers homelessness work, private sector housing and other day-to-day services) is currently heading for a £13k overspend by the end of the year mainly due to agency fees. Officers said the figure is small but warm that homelessness and housing benefit costs remain “at risk” and could grow later in the year.
The housing revenue account (the ring-fenced landlord budget to look after council homes) is facing much bigger pressure forecasting a £310k overspend by month 6. Most of the projected overspend (£162k) is on salaries for interim and additional permanent staff to help deliver the housing improvements.
Tandridge’s improvement plan will continue into 2026/27 with progress reported back to both the regulator and councillors.
Agenda: https://tandridge.moderngov.co.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=140&MId=1502