Charles Kennedy MP opens new Council Housing Repair Line

12.00.00am GMT Thu 14th Dec 2000

One year after the Liberal Democrats won the Hillrise by-election, the Rt Hon Charles Kennedy MP, made a return visit to Islington to celebrate the success of the year 2000 and the increasing support for the Liberal Democrats. During the visit on Thursday, 14 December, Charles Kennedy visited Northway House, Highbury Corner to open the new Council housing repair line. The repair line will enable the Council to move towards fulfilling its pledge on housing repairs much faster and more efficiently. On taking control of the Council, the Liberal Democrats pledged to improve the Council repair service by enabling tenants to get a contractor from an approved list to carry out a repair if the Council has completed the work within 5 weeks. The repairs line is designed as a ëone stop shopí, and has become a central point of contact for tenants across the Borough. It replaces the previous system when tenants would have to report a fault at the repairs desk at their neighbourhood office and then call the contractor to book an appointment. The new system allows for 80% of repairs to be dealt with in one phone call. Currently 33 full and part time staff deal with between 4000 and 4500 of the 5000 calls to the line a week. Commenting, Mr Kennedy said: ?This initiative shows what we can do in Islington where the Liberal Democrats are winning. ?Liberal Democrats have been successful in local government because we stand for good quality local services, listening and responsive government, responsible financial management and value for money. Liberal Democrats are popular in local government because we listen and we deliver.? ?Up and down the country the Liberal Democrats are showing that they are defeating Labour. I am proud that Liberal Democrats are taking Islington forward.? Keith Sharp, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Spokesman for Islington South, said: ?Next up is the General Election. We'll be campaigning for more bobbies on the beat in Islington, campaigning against Tube privatisation, for a fair deal for pensioners, and the re-opened Accident & Emergency Department at Bart's.?