Improvement needed over housing complaint backlog
Gateshead CouncilA council has been told improvement is needed to deal with a backlog of housing repairs and complaints from tenants.
A watchdog found "some weaknesses" in the social housing services provided by Gateshead Council following an inspection in April.
The inspectors said the council had plans in place to ensure all of its properties meet the Decent Homes Standard by 2027, but it had a "backlog of repairs and there are issues with the timeliness of the repair and maintenance of empty homes".
The authority said it "fully agreed with the regulator's feedback on areas where we can and must do better", but added the result was "clear evidence we are on the right path".
The C2 grading awarded to the council by the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) was one level higher than that given to Newcastle City Council earlier this year, where "serious failings" were identified.
In the services provided by Gateshead Council, which owns about 18,000 homes, the RSH found that "some weaknesses in the landlord delivering the outcomes of the consumer standards and improvement is needed".
Overall, the report found the council was meeting its legal health and safety requirements, as well as establishing a "more proactive" approach to dealing with damp and mould cases.
New complaints team
The RSH criticised "poor" responses to complaints made by tenants and said there were often "significant backlogs", but added the council had taken steps to address it with improvement plans.
Meanwhile the report praised the council's response to dealing with and deterring anti-social behaviour.
The council said it had installed a new complaints handling team to provide faster responses to tenants, would provide better monitoring of damp and mould cases, and promised investment to produce quicker repairs and a faster turnaround of empty homes.
Labour councillor Chris Buckley said he was "pleased with the judgement".
"We also fully agree with the regulator's feedback on areas where we can and must do better."