Government gives green light for improvements to all council street properties (Islington Liberal Democrats)

Islington Liberal Democrats <Islington_ld@cix.co.uk>

Government gives green light for improvements to all council street properties

March 26, 2004 12:00 AM

Islington's Liberal Democrat councillors have welcomed the news this week that the government has given the final go-ahead for the second phase of the Council's plans to completely refurbish all its street properties. The latest phase of the Private Finance Initiative will improve 5,000 street properties across the borough. The total programme will mean £millions of investment in Islington's street properties over the next 30 years - the length of the PFI contract. Islington was one of the first housing authorities in the country to successfully bid for the first round of social housing PFIs and its bid secured one of the largest pots of money in the country. The extra funds will ensure that all Islington's street properties reach the government's required 'Decent Homes Standard' by 2010. Works planned under phase 2 of the PFI scheme involve clearing the backlog of repairs built up under the previous Labour administration and other renewal work. Street properties are the most expensive council housing to maintain because of their age and because they are often in conservation areas with Victorian features. Councillor Jyoti Vaja, Liberal Democrat Executive Member for Housing said: "This is excellent news for Islington and continues our real record of achievement in housing. Islington was the first council in Britain to run a housing PFI scheme. "Street properties are our most popular homes in the borough. This new scheme will ensure that they meet the decent homes standard and remain in good condition and available to future generations. "I am proud that by 2006 this Liberal Democrat council will have improved every single street property and sheltered housing unit home and started to spend £157 million on doing up our estates with the new 'Homes for Islington'."