Stoke-on-Trent City Council wants to refresh its Repairs and Maintenance Policy, which was orginially approved in 2018 and last reviewed in 2020, to ensure that the service remains fit for purpose and meets the needs of residents.

The streamlined policy reflects changes in national legislation to ensure that council houses are comfortable, maintained and safe for people to live in by responding to repairs quickly and efficiently to help prevent further issues arising that impact on people’s health and living conditions, such as damp and mould or thermal comfort. It sets out how the council will deliver an efficient and effective day-to-day repairs service as well as planned cyclical servicing and improvement works. The policy aims to ensure good levels of customer service and, where applicable, meeting the timelines prescribed in the Right to Repair regulations. It also ensures that the council meets its legal responsibility in managing health and safety in council properties in our role as a housing provider, providing assurance to our customers, including tenants and leaseholders, that health and safety is our number one priority.

Who carries out the Repairs and Maintenance works?

All repairs and maintenance, void management and health and safety works carried out to city council properties are undertaken by Unitas Stoke-on-Trent Ltd, the council's wholly owned repairs and maintenance company.

Proposed Policy Changes include:

• Updating of the legislative/statutory framework section in particular in relation to the new Building Safety Act 2022 and Smoke and Carbon Monoxide (Amendment) Regulations 2022.
• Extending the response time in relation to Emergency Works to a 24-hour response, which is in line with best practice and Right to Repair legislation, whilst still retaining a two-hour response to extreme emergencies for situations (for example gas escapes, exposed live electrical cables or complete power failure, severe water leaks and drainage).
• Undertaking routine repairs through the council’s previously trialled geographically targeted approach to repairs and maintenance, where there is a high demand for repair services. This approach helps to manage future repair demand and provides better value for money and a more efficient way of delivering the service – in addition to the existing routine service

Have your say

The consultation has now closed.

Please take the time to read the draft policy before completing the survey. Click the button below:

Draft Repairs and Maintenance Policy

More information

At the same time we are consulting on our review of the Void Management Policy 2023. If you would like to feedback on the draft Void Management Policy 2023 – click here for the short survey - you can complete both surveys.

There will also be an opportunity to attend an online workshop via Zoom and face-to-face drop-ins taking place at various community lounges throughout the city, during the consultation period. Dates and times to be confirmed with booking arrangements.

For further information about the consultation please email housing.strategy@stoke.gov.uk or call 01782 231172.

This survey is being carried out with support from an external organisation, Housing Quality Network (HQN).  Please be reassured that this study is being carried out in accordance with the 2018 Data Protection Act and 2018 GDPR legislation by HQN on behalf of Stoke-on-Trent City Council. All data will remain confidential, and feedback will be anonymised before analysis unless you say otherwise at the end of the survey

A Stakeholder Survey Privacy Notice can be found by clicking the link below:

Stakeholder Survey Privacy Notice

What happens next?

Feedback gathered from the consultation will be considered and reflected within the final Repairs and Maintenance Policy 2023, which will be presented to Cabinet for consideration later in the year.