Council sets aside £3m for housing
MORE than £3m has been pledged to refurbish hundreds of council houses across the Harrogate district.
But despite the announcement by Harrogate Borough Council that it will pour millions into repairing roofs, improving disabled access and paying for green technology, critics say more needs to be done to slash the council house waiting list of 3,000 people.
Phil Willis, Liberal Democrat MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, said: "I am very pleased that at last we are seeing some investment in the remains of our council stock.
"But I would urge the council to provide additional accommodation to relieve the hundreds of families desperately waiting for houses in Harrogate."
'best-performing authority'
The council claims 53 people are currently living in hostels waiting for accommodation and a further 3,000 are on the council house waiting list.
Responding to the criticism, Coun Richard Cooper, deputy leader of Harrogate Borough Council, said: "We are the best performing housing authority in the country and this funding will help build on that.
"There are currently no people living in bed and breakfast accommodation in the town.
"This investment will get all of our houses up to or beyond Government guidelines.
"We are also installing ground source heat pumps in 50 houses which will add to the 150 or so already in place."
cutting bills
The pumps had cut energy bills by 47 per cent and carbon emissions by 50 per cent.
The 3,070,368 housing investment programme for this year is set to be approved by the council's cabinet next week.
It will help pay for re-roofing work on 135 homes and central heating work on 185 houses.
The budget also includes 880,618 to be spent on disabled person's adaptations, sheltered housing, hostel accommodation improvements and increasing security for flats with communal entrances.
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Weather for Harrogate
Wednesday 08 February 2012
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