Agenda item

The Cabinet Member for Housing presented the report which updated the Committee in respect of the ongoing situation with the heating system at the Riverside Sheltered Housing Scheme in Grantham.  A comprehensive feasibility study had been completed by Pick Everard in respect of the communal heating system and this was appended to the report.  The feasibility study made recommendations in respect of remediation and enhancement works to ensure the continued operation of the system in the short-term and also provided long-term options for the system.

The Cabinet Member for Housing referred Members to Table 1 within the report which listed short-term rectification/enhancement works. The Cabinet Member for Housing together with the Director of Housing and Projects and other Officers had gone through the list and confirmed those items that were essential to be completed.   Special mention was made in relation to the boilers and the provision of a control panel which would alert officers immediately if there was a problem to enable it to be addressed before the building became cold.

Reference was made to the common room in the building which was not really used sufficiently to have work carried out.  Although the boilers are within their expected lifespan it had been decided that they would be replaced.  The Council is working with the current contractor to plan a programme of works to commence as soon as possible.

It was noted that a complete review of the sheltered housing provision was required across the district and until this was undertaken the long-term options outlined within the report would be deferred.

The Ward Member for the Riverside area who was sitting on the Committee asked if any of the proposed works would interrupt supplies to properties and if so, were provisions in place to address this. He felt that clear communication needed to be sent out to tenants in respect of the work proposed and a timeframe.  The Cabinet Member for Housing stated that as soon as everything was confirmed than the residents and the Ward Councillors would be advised accordingly.

The Director of Housing and Projects stated that there was likely to be some interruption depending upon when the work was carried out, as the boilers would have to be taken out and replaced.  All the flats except for eight, which were on an old system and would be looked at separately, had an immersion heater.  Officers had visited 45 flats to date, to check which immersion heaters required to be wired up.  Once all flats had been visited work would be undertaken to wire the immersion heaters up to enable residents to be able to access hot water whilst the boilers were being replaced.  Officers also checked those properties that had had an electric shower installed as part of the improvement programme.  Once properties without an electric shower were identified, work would be carried out to install an electric shower.  It was stated that all properties should still have portable heaters in from when the system failed the previous year.  She stated that she appreciated that there was a cost to the tenant and this would be factored in to see what financial support could be offered.  It was noted that the heating system was very complex and the work that needed to be carried out to replace the boilers was also complex.  Meetings could be arranged with tenants in the complex to address any concerns they had.

It was reiterated that any communication needed to clear about what and when work was being carried out.  The Cabinet Member for Housing stated that she would be happy to attend face to face meetings with Officers’ and the tenants.

Members welcomed the report which they felt had been a long time coming especially for the tenants who had no heating the previous year.  Another of the Ward Councillors for the Riverside area asked about the cost of the new boilers and it was noted that they were still waiting on the cost. He asked that the Ward Councillors be kept informed of progress. 

It was stated that the six boilers were to be replaced by five boilers of a higher wattage and once a comprehensive quote was known this would be shared with the Committee.

ØAction

Verbal update in respect of Riverside Sheltered Housing Scheme to the Committee in November 2024.

One Member expressed concern about reimbursement following the previous heating problem with some tenants waiting between six to eight months.  It was noted that the Housing Department was in a different place to where it was 12 months ago and the task was to complete the remediation works on  the current heating system.

Further discussion followed with comments being made in respect of pipework, the boilers and the complex nature of the heating system.  

Councillor Gadd who had been instrumental in highlighting the problems being encountered by the residents at Riverside in respect of the heating system and who had raised the issue in 2016 prior to him being elected as a Councillor was on the whole thankful for the report but felt that this should have been undertaken back in 2016 when the problems had first been raised and before the Council had referred itself to the Regulator in November 2019.  He asked Officers to read again the report undertaken by Julie Pickering to familiarise themselves with the demographics of the tenants that lived at Riverside and the problems that had happened.

Members noted the update.

(15:31 – 15:48 a short adjournment took place)