southtyneside.info
Housing, Environment and Transport
Improving housing conditions across all tenures to meet the decent homes standard
Why is this a priority?
Housing is a huge priority for us and we want to improve housing conditions for both rented and owner occupied housing, improve the range of housing available, and develop a range of support options so that people can live independently at home.
We aim to ensure a sustainable mix and choice that meets people's needs, to prevent homelessness and to reduce the number of empty properties within the borough.
We also want to increase the number of homes we build in the borough to arrest and reverse our population decline.
South Tyneside Homes manages the council's housing stock to meet the decent homes standard, and we are undertaking work with our partners to improve private, social and rented housing.
Where are we now?
- With our partners we have delivered a choice based lettings system, a new tenant compact and strategy, and area panels (forums of tenants, officers, and Members who agree programmes of area-based work)
- 60% of our homes do not meet the Decent Homes standard. South Tyneside Homes is seeking to reduce this figure to 52% by April 2009
- In 2005, an estimated 20% of private homes failed a condition survey. We are improving private sector housing through the development of the Private Housing Renewal and the Affordable Warmth Strategies
- A Private Rented Accreditation Scheme was piloted in Rekendyke and Boldon New Town before going Borough-wide in 2008. Landlords agree to quality standards and in return demand for their properties should grow
- The Ipsos MORI Survey 2006 reveals that 40% of residents are satisfied with housing and 16% are dissatisfied. When the same question was asked of service users, 64% were satisfied, with 20% very satisfied, and 26% were dissatisfied
Where do we want to be?
Our Local Development Framework guides future development and use of land and buildings and allocates the land needed for housing. We are undertaking housing renewal in Cleadon Park, Boldon New Town and Simonside.
Warmzones aim to eradicate fuel poverty by delivering cavity wall and loft insulation and central heating measures as well as benefits and energy advice to as many households as possible.
South Tyneside Council is introducing a Warmzone in the borough in 2008. In partnership with T&W Fire and Rescue, South Tyneside Homes are aiming to fit all homes with smoke alarms by 2020.
We are also seeking to enable additional affordable and special needs housing through working with our registered social landlord partners and requiring an element of affordable housing from private developers to ensure that we meet the needs of key groups.
We have assisted local residents to set up Residents Associations and worked with them to improve their areas, listening to the issues they are highlighting.
In areas such as Horsley Hill, housing turnover as noticeably decreased as a result of this work.
We are building new high quality homes, and buildings with innovative designs to tackle our population decline and promote South Tyneside as a place where people want to live and work.
National indicators in our Local Area Agreement
- NI 154 Net additional homes provided
- NI 158 % decent council homes
How are we performing?
The following graph shows the number of houses we have completed, the number we have demolished and the net total number of houses we have built.
It also looks at our predicted net build in the future, which is taken into account in our planning strategy when considering new building work.
Graph: Demolition and new builds
The following graph shows the proportion of non-decent council homes from 2004/2005 to 2007/08 and the predictions up to 2011/12.
If you would like access to the figures, they are available on Statistics Online, together with housing benefit claimants, council tax claimants, and other housing information.
Links to further information
Plans and strategies
Next update due: April 2009