§ Mr. Peter Bruinvelsasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has reached a decision on proposals submitted to his urban housing renewal unit by the city of Kingston upon Hull; and if he will make a statement.
§ Sir George YoungI am pleased to announce my right hon. Friend's favourable response to a proposal for a scheme in Hull which the city council has worked up in close consultation with my Department's urban housing 499W renewal unit and our Yorkshire and Humberside regional office. We hope to reach agreement with the council on further packages in due course.
The estate which will benefit from today's decision is the Danes, part of the Orchard Park estate on the outskirts of Hull. This estate consists of 652 Wimpey "no fines" construction terraced houses, six maisonettes and 318 flats in three high-rise blocks.
My Department's priority estates project is working with the council to set up locally-based management and repairs arrangements on the estate. An accessible estate-based housing management office will be established and will provide a comprehensive housing service to residents. I regard this as an essential part of the package in order for the council to sustain the improvements which we expect to see as a result of the other steps being taken.
One such step will be a two-year community refurbishment scheme (CRS) to enable local unemployed people funded jointly by my Department's urban programme and the Government's community programme, subject to consideration and support by the Manpower Services Commission's area board, to carry out improvements to the environment and communal areas on their own estate. Resources of the order of £1,005,000 will be involved including £732,000 of urban programme funding, which I am pleased to approve in principle.
I have also agreed to an additional capital allocation of £845,500 from UHRU's targeted housing investment programme resources in 1986–87 to enable the council to carry out repairs on the fabric of the terraced dwellings and environmental and security works around the high-rise flats.
This scheme is yet another example of the type of proposals being worked up through close co-operation between a local authority, my Department's urban housing renewal unit and regional offices. I now look forward to seeing these proposals being put into action for the benefit of the residents at the Danes.
Mr. Andy Stewartasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has reached a decision on proposals submitted to his urban housing renewal unit by the city of Leeds; and if he will make a statement.
§ Sir George YoungEarlier today my hon. Friend the Minister for Housing, Urban Affairs and Construction announced in Leeds my right hon. Friend's favourable response to a proposal for a scheme on part of the Gipton South estate which the council has worked up in collaboration with my Department's urban housing renewal unit and our Yorkshire and Humberside regional office. Gipton South is a large inter-war cottage estate, on which 910 dwellings are to benefit from a package of revitalisation measures. The proposals include capital improvements to the dwellings, a community refurbishment scheme (CRS) and the development of a local repairs service building on the local housing office which has already been set up on the estate.
The CRS will provide for environmental improvements and landscaping, the appointment of a tenants' support worker, and the establishment of a local repairs team. Some £784,000 will be made available over two years, of which £456,000 will fall to my Department's urban programme and £328,000 to the Government's community programme, subject to consideration and support by the Manpower Services Commission's area board. Leeds city council will be contributing some £47,000 to the CRS.
500WThe city council has also submitted a bid for capital resources for Gipton South from UHRU's targeted housing investment programme (HIP) allocation. I have agreed in principle to an additional HIP allocation of up to £750,000 in 1986–87 to carry out work on the external fabric of the dwellings.
I welcome this package and I am glad that Leeds has joined the growing number of local authorities to benefit from the advice and resources of my Department's urban housing renewal unit. We hope to reach agreement on further proposals from Leeds in due course.
§ Mr. Lightbownasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has reached a decision on proposals submitted to his urban housing renewal unit by the city of Bradford; and if he will make a statement.
§ Sir George YoungEarlier today my hon. Friend the Minister for Housing, Urban Affairs and Construction announced in Bradford my right hon. Friend's favourable response to a proposal for a package of measures on the Holmewood estate which the council has worked up in a close consultation with my Department's urban housing renewal unit. We hope to reach agreement with the council on further schemes in due course.
The Council is in the process of decentralising its housing management and will open a local management office at Holmewood within the next few months. This office will employ staff to deal with lettings and the management of the repair and maintenance system. Locally-based management is a key factor both in helping to establish the other proposals agreed with the urban housing renewal unit and in keeping up the momentum once they have been implemented to enable the residents to enjoy a continued improvement in their quality of life.
The part of the estate which will benefit from the package is known at Holmewood B and consists of 1,114 dwellings comprising a mixture of houses, flats, bungalows and maisonettes. Bradford metropolitan council has submitted a bid for resources from the unit's targeted housing investment programme (HIP) allocation to carry out various capital improvements. They include measures to reduce condensation and improve insulation, new windows and doors, gas central heating installation and a rewiring programme. I have agreed in principle to an additional HIP allocation of up to £1,198,400 for this programme in 1986–87.
The estate will also benefit from a community refurbishment scheme (CRS) which will enable local unemployed people to carry out environmental improvements and refurbishment of communal areas on their own estate over a two-year period. The CRS will provide more than 100 jobs and will be funded by the Government's community programme, subject to consideration and support by the Manpower Services Commission's area board, and my Department's urban programme. Resources of the order of £1,162,000 will be involved, including some £328,000 of urban programme funding, which I am pleased to approve in principle.
I welcome this package which has been developed through close co-operation between Bradford council, my Department's Yorkshire and Humberside regional office and the staff of the urban housing renewal unit.