200 more homes to get revamped kitchens and bathrooms in Sheffield

United Living - a refurbishing company - has been doing house improvements on behalf of the council for a number of years.

The scheme was due to come to an end this March, as original plans for work were completed, but the council has now said there is more that needs to be done.

It wants to extend the contract for a further nine months, to allow up to 200 more homes to get much-needed makeovers as a ‘weekly stream’ of empty properties need upgrades.

In a report, council officers said: “There are no current arrangements for the provision of these works to empty properties and it will have a direct impact on our ability to provide quality homes available for letting once these become empty.

“The consequence of not extending the current contract with United Living is that there will be significant delays in delivering works required to bring these properties to the decent homes standard which will subsequently impact on the income generated for the Housing Revenue Account.”

Sheffield, as is the whole country, is under pressure to create more homes, fill vacant ones and create the right type of home to meet need.

As part of its New Homes Delivery Plan, the council has a target of creating more than 2,000 new homes each year.

There are also 40,000 people on the waiting list for a council property - and more than a third are in desperate need.

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