Waverley Borough Council has released its annual report to share the performance, achievements and challenges of the council’s housing landlord services with tenants and all interested parties in Waverley. The report relates to the 2021/22 financial year from April 2021 to 30 March 2022.
A key priority for the council is to extend tenant involvement in housing services. That’s why the council put in motion a three-year Tenant Involvement Strategy in 2021. As part of this strategy, the council launched the Landlord Services Advisory Board to ensure tenants voices are heard to inform decision-making processes in housing services. The board consists of four tenants and four elected members of council and is chaired by the Co-Portfolio Holder for Housing (Operations) Councillor Paul Rivers and Terry, Tenants Panel chair.
Another way in which the council sought to extend tenant involvement was through encouraging residents to complete the Survey of Tenants and Residents. The survey, which gathered feedback from 1015 tenants, indicated that the council had an overall satisfaction rating of 76% with a 3% increase in residents rating the housing service as “excellent” from the previous survey. 84% of tenants were satisfied with where they lived and 81% of people were satisfied with the quality of their homes, above the sector benchmark.
The council also announced the procurement of several new contracts for the 2022/23 financial year, to provide high-quality services for residents. The new contracts include those for windows and doors, kitchens and bathrooms, and replacement roofs. The Responsive Repairs service is the council’s most frequently used service, with an average of 900 repairs per month in 2021/22 and an annual budget of £4 million.
Waverley Borough Council Portfolio Holder for Housing (Operations), Councillor Paul Rivers, said: “The annual report shines a light on how we are doing and gives clear directions about what we need to do moving forward. If you’re a council tenant, please do consider reaching out to us this year to share your thoughts.”
Waverley Borough Council would like to hear from residents to improve the service that it provides through tenant groups, the Tenants Panel or the newly formed Customer Experience Group. To find out more and get involved call 01483 523196, email Tenantinvolvement@waverley.gov.uk or visit Waverley Borough Council’s Council Tenant Webpage.