One in four council houses and flats in Milton Keynes are failing to meet official 'decent home' standards, say councillors

They are run down, too cold, or have facilities that don't meet safety standards
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Almost a quarter of council home tenants in MK are living in homes that fail to meet the government's Decent Home Standards, it has been revealed.

Figures revealed by local Conservative councillor show that nearly one in four (23%) of all council-owned homes or flats in the borough are in homes that are either run down, too cold, or have facilities that do not meet statutory safety requirements.

Over the past year, the number of non-decent homes in MK has shot up by over 10%, raising questions from the Tories about the council’s maintenance of its homes in the city.

23% of council homes in MK do not meet the Decent Homes Standard23% of council homes in MK do not meet the Decent Homes Standard
23% of council homes in MK do not meet the Decent Homes Standard

The national average of 'non-decent' council homes in England is 13%, so MK is well above average.

Cllr Alex Walker, leader of the Conservative Group, said: “Residents need to see efforts to drive up standards, but I suspect the council will only provide excuses or blame the Conservatives, despite being in power for seven years."

He added: "It is awful that so many council homes in MK are failing to meet those necessary standards.

"We should be driving up housing standards, not finding out that yet again this Council are failing to meet basic requirements and living standards for those living in council houses.”

MK Council official budget agenda, due to be discussed shortly, state: '23% of the Council’s housing stock is classed as non-decent. The latest English Housing Survey states that in 2020/21, 13% of social rented homes (516,000) continue to fail to meet the Decent Homes Standard.'

The criteria for the Decent Homes Standard states that any council home must meet the current statutory minimum standard for housing. It must be in a reasonable state of repair, have "reasonably modern" facilities and services and it must provide a "reasonable degree" of thermal comfort.

Today, MK Council is claiming the figure of 23% that appears in its budget documents is a mistake. They have not clarified how the error came to be made,

A council spokesman said: "The latest data shows that 85% of MK council homes meet the decent-homes standard."

Labour councillor and Cabinet member for housing, Emily Darlington told the Citizen: "“Milton Keynes’ council homes are currently at the national average, however, we are more ambitious and over the next two years more than nine out of ten council homes will exceed the decent homes standard."

She added: "“After years of under investment in our council homes by the Conservatives, Labour councillors have invested £165m over five years to make them better and greener.

“In addition, we are building more new council homes for generations.”