Shropshire Star

Questions over council housing maintenance

The time has come to have a discussion about potentially bringing the maintenance of council housing stock back under Powys County Council control.

Published

Council leader, councillor Rosemarie Harris, Independent for Llangynidr, said that the future of Heart of Wales Property Services (HOWPS) needed to be discussed as a matter of urgency.

There has been concern about HOWPS, a joint venture between PCC and Kier, for several months.

It had also been noted that HOWPS had failed to publish their annual accounts on December 23, 2018.

HOWPS had been the topic of four out of 15 questions asked by councillors at the full council meeting on January 24.

Councillor Mathew Dorrance, leader of the Labour group, said: “Given that we’ve asked repeatedly for the HOWPS accounts and they still haven't materialised.

“A significant number of tenants are dropping into housing surgeries to report works that have not been undertaken.

“This clearly is an issue for the council that presents a significant risk and I need some assurances how this council is managing that risk and it’s now time to bring HOWPS back in house.”

Councillor Harris replied: “The HOWPS keeps coming up all the time and I would be very happy to put it on the cabinet agenda.

“Or if those who are interested want to come in we can have a discussion.

“I know we wrote caveats into that contract.

“There are obviously some difficulties, but I’m also told that we’re making some savings as well. It would be good to pursue that discussion.”

Councillor Phil Pritchard, Independent for Welshpool Castle, who brought up concerns about HOWPS at a scrutiny meeting added that he wanted to be involved in the meeting.

In October 2018, HOWPS came in for heavy criticism when councillors discussed its first annual report with directors.

Then HOWPS chairman, Phil Oads, told councillors that HOWPS should be judged by its second year.

HOWPS looks after 5,400 homes and 630 properties in the county.

The joint venture started in July 2017 after 109 workers were transferred to the company by TUPE.

Work has been carried out from the three former council bases in Brecon, Llandrindod Wells and Newtown.

Story by Elgan Hearn, Local Democracy Reporter