Missed Babergh and Mid Suffolk council houses inspections carried out

All overdue asbestos inspections and more than half of missed gas safety inspections at Babergh and Mid Suffolk council houses have now been carried out.

The councils referred themselves to the regulator of social housing last November, and were handed a regulatory notice at the end of January this year.

Regulatory notices are given when actual or potential serious harm is caused to tenants due to a breach of a consumer standard.

Since November, all 92 overdue asbestos inspections have been completed, 167 of the 254 homes without an up-to-date gas safety inspection have received one, and 151 of the 536 homes without a current electrical condition report now have one.

A spokesperson for Babergh and Mid Suffolk councils said: “We’ve made good progress in the last few months, and we are obviously determined to complete checks at the last remaining properties as soon as we can to give tenants maximum reassurance.

“Many of those inspections still outstanding are due to difficulties we are having in gaining entry to the property.

“When this happens, we have to follow a legal process – which takes time.”

The housing regulator did to take statutory action against the councils because they drew up an urgent programme of work to rectify the problems.

At cabinet meetings held by both councils on Monday, councillors approved recommendations to provide data on checks, tests, installations and servicing completed in the areas of heating, electric, fire safety, water hygiene, asbestos and lifts.

It was also decided that weekly reports will be given by the director of housing and housing officers, fortnightly reports will be submitted by housing portfolio holders, monthly updates will be submitted by the regulator and senior leadership team, and the tenant board and cabinet will report on the subject every three months.

The cabinets also approved a motion to allow private landlords who seriously breach housing standards and safety rules to be issued with civil penalties on Monday.