LHS: 06 Improving Stock Condition & Energy Efficiency (page 1)

To ensure that all houses in North Lanarkshire are in a good state of repair, well maintained, energy efficient and that we minimise the numbers of people living in fuel poverty.

1. Reduce proportion of households living in fuel poverty by 30% by 2006 from 2002 levels.

2. Increase proportion of dwellings with a NHER energy efficiency rating of 7 or above to 50% of all stock by 2009.

3. Tackle disrepair and improve the condition of properties in the private sector by targeting investment to assist over 1,000 owners to invest in their properties each year.

4. Increase the proportion of social rented dwellings meeting the Scottish Housing Quality Standard year on year and develop a North Lanarkshire Standard, which reflects council tenants' priorities.

5. Reduce the number of BTS housing in North Lanarkshire by 20% by 2009.

In 2002, the Scottish House Condition Survey highlighted that 89% of all dwellings in North Lanarkshire required some form of repair. Despite recent investment in the stock, it is anticipated that there remains significant levels of disrepair across North Lanarkshire, particularly in the private sector. Whilst levels of BTS housing are low there is a relatively small but persistent problem of a number of BTS dwellings concentrated in the private sector which needs to addressed.

There are significant numbers of houses that require improvement and repair. Issues such as dwelling energy efficiency and fuel poverty remain significant. Demand on resources to assist owner occupiers to repair or improve their homes will be an increasing issue as the level of owner occupation increases with many owners not having the resources to properly maintain their dwellings.

Compared to Scottish average levels, owner occupiers in North Lanarkshire are less affluent on average. This is probably due to the high proportion of former social rented sector tenants who have purchased their homes.

Low income levels combined with low demand for unpopular property types and locations means that some people who have purchased under the RTB are finding it difficult to undertake necessary repairs or take part in improvement or repair programmes. This is adversely affecting stock conditions in both private and social rented sectors. This issue is particularly acute in the former new town of Cumbernauld where 70% of the former new town corporation stock was sold including within high rise flats.

Estimates suggest that in the Cumbernauld Housing Partnership area alone, owners will require to invest over £8M in communal repairs to their properties over the next ten years. This does not include resources for Ainslie/Maclehose Road and adjoining area of privately owned houses where there are severe structural problems and where redevelopment rather than rehabilitation is the preferred option.

Cumbernauld Housing Partnership, in conjunction with the Council, has been successful in establishing a Home Owners Association giving owners the opportunity to participate in a repairs fund to pay for essential repairs. The Council has provided grant funding to owners to assist with works costs. The introduction of means testing for grant assistance has resulted in average levels of individual grants increasing. The increased demand cannot be resourced from within the Council's indicative Non-HRA/PSHG budget allocation. It may be the case that given take up of RTB in North Lanarkshire was heavily led by the Cumbernauld area, this is the location where problems of unsustainable owner occupation combined with disrepair, the drift of low demand properties into the private rented sector, negative equity, abandonment, auction sales and associated management problems have become evident first. It may be that some other areas of North Lanarkshire could experience similar problems in future. Evidence is emerging that these problems are beginning to occur elsewhere (e.g. Motherwell and Wishaw LHMAs). Identification of these areas and local strategies for intervention to deal with these problems will be required.

With the high levels of RTB sales in former public stock, the Council faces a major challenge in mixed tenure estates in securing the co-operation of owners to participate in improvement programmes and funding the increased demand for assistance. This is particularly so in that the Council has limited resources and powers to fully tackle this issue.

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