Tlc Spring 2022 - Norwich City Council
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tlc
Tenants’ and leaseholders’
Spring 2022
community magazine
Introducing your new repairs
and maintenance service
Page 4
Rent increase explained Manage your housing online Estate improvements
Page 5 Page 9 Page 11
Contents page
Introduction from Councillor Gail Harris 3
Reshaping our repairs service 4
Rent increase explained 5
A year like no other 6-7
Building safety update 8
Manage your housing online 9
Get ready for local elections
Sharing tenant voices 10
Love where you live 11
Contact from the council
What would you like to read in TLC?
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and the housing services you’re at the heart of.
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www.norwich.gov.uk/Intran or call 0344 980 3333.
Follow us @NorwichCC Norwich City Council
Introduction from
Councillor Gail Harris
Welcome to the spring issue of TLC magazine
Deputy leader and cabinet member for social housing
Welcome to the spring issue its budget for the 12 months service which has a huge
of tlc magazine. I know that ahead. This includes setting rent influence on the way you
these have not been the easiest levels for over 14,000 tenants interact with us and on the
of times, but I hope that like living in council homes. As efficiency of the work we do.
me you are looking forward you’ll read on page five, we You can read more about
to the end of winter and the are proposing a rent increase in our new housing portal on
beginning of spring. line with guidance from central page nine.
government and what’s required
I am pleased that this issue to fulfil our commitments As always, we are keen to
provides an opportunity to as a housing service. hear from all residents on
welcome back the repairs and the housing service and your
maintenance service as we It is important that we experience as a council tenant,
bring back further services keep residents updated with a topic discussed at a recent
under more direct council the way the housing service tenant involvement meeting.
control. You can find out more is performing, how we are Find out more about how you
about how the council will spending allocated budgets and can join the conversation on
approach property management the difference we are making page 10.
from April, and learn about with the housing we provide.
the services set to be provided Highlights from the latest Finally, improving the look and
by council-owned company annual report can be found feel of our estates is something
Norwich City Services Ltd on pages six and seven. I am particularly passionate
(NCSL) on page four. about so I am always delighted
As well as investing in the to receive updates on completed
As we approach the new properties you live in, we are projects. You can see some
financial year the council is also also making improvements to examples of the latest work
in the final stages of agreeing the digital side of the housing on page 11.
TLC magazine • Spring 2022• 3
Reshaping our repairs
and maintenance service
Repairs and maintenance What this means Looking ahead
services currently organised
for residents Our main priority is to
by NPS Norwich and carried
out by Norwich Norse Building The way you report repairs will make sure these services
will be brought back under not be affected by this change. are transferred as smoothly
more direct council control as possible.
from Friday 1 April. Correspondence you’ve had
regarding building repairs or The next steps will be to
This is to give the council maintenance on your home work with NCSL to identify
and our residents more say previously sent by NPS Norwich how these services can be
in the way the services are will come from the council as developed, with a three-year
run and help us identify of April. improvement plan as part
areas for improvement. of the new arrangements.
Work previously carried out
by Norwich Norse Building will We’re committed to
be carried out by Norwich City developing plans for better
Services Limited (NCSL) – a new and meaningful engagement
company wholly owned by the with residents on the
city council set up to deliver management of the new
services on our behalf. NCSL is contract with NCSL and
already providing environmental development of the wider
services around the city. housing service.
You will continue to hear See page 10 for ways you
from sub-contractors such as can already get involved.
Gasway and other specialist
companies appointed to
complete specific work.
All correspondence should be
clearly branded and anyone
attending an appointment
at your home will have
identification. Do not hesitate
to contact the council if you
do not feel confident about
someone’s identity.
4 • TLC magazine • Spring 2022
Rent increase explained
Norwich City Council tenancy rents will rise by 4.1 per cent
for the 2022-23 financial year, representing an average
increase of £3.30 per week.
2021-22 Proposed Proposed
weekly rent 2022-23 increase
weekly rent
Average £80.40 £83.69 £3.30
The proposed increase in rent will vary between properties. The minimum
increase in weekly rent will be £2.35 and the maximum increase will be £5.85.
Why are rents The council has pledged
being increased? investment worth £38.9m Concerned
next year to upgrade existing about money?
The government states that properties and build new
social housing providers can homes. This forms part of a Many residents are feeling
raise social rents in line with total investment of £171.6m the effects of ongoing cuts
the rate of inflation in the in council-owned housing and rising living costs.
previous September, which over the next five years.
was 3.1 per cent, as well The city council is
as a further 1 per cent This includes: committed to supporting
beyond this. those hit hardest by the
•£18.5m for a range of cost-of-living crisis – this
This increase is needed to improvements including is why next year’s budget
help cover higher costs caused 289 new kitchens and includes proposals to
by inflation to maintain council 510 new bathrooms retain the council tax
homes and estates, provide support scheme which
kitchen, bathroom and •£8.7m to improve provides relief of up to
electrical upgrades and communal areas 100 per cent of council
build more council homes. •790 new heating systems, tax bills for those who
five communal boiler are struggling.
Money is also used to invest upgrades, and 110 solar
in improvements such as panel installations Free money and budgeting
our digital transformation advice is available to all
programme to enhance •£2.1m to improve security for council tenants. Speak to
the way you can access 625 homes by including 99 a housing officer or visit
the housing service and door entry system upgrades www.norwich.gov.uk/
our work to bring back the MoneyAdvice to find
repairs and maintenance •£1.4m towards adapting out more.
service. homes for disabled tenants.
TLC magazine • Spring 2022 • 5A year like no other
Our annual report is produced to give residents an overview of how the housing
service is performing each year. The 2020 – 2021 report includes data from the
first 12 months of the pandemic, a period that brought unprecedented challenges,
required new ways of working and reminded us all of the importance of our
communities supporting each other.
Affordable homes
Living in a council property is considerably more affordable than renting privately. Simple
comparisons based on property sizes in the city are detailed below.
Size of property Norwich City Council home: Norwich private sector home:
average weekly rent average weekly rent
1 bed £68 £142
2 bed £73 £170
3 bed £82 £190
4 bed £84 £337*
Source: Office for National Statistics
*average figure for properties with 4 bed-rooms or more
Amount spent on
Sheltered caretaker services
Income and expenditure housing £500k
£700k
The income for providing Estate Planned
housing services comes management upgrades and
from rent (houses/garages), £2.1m improvements
service charges and £14.8m
rechargeable repairs. Empty
property
How this money is spent works
is broken down in this £2.3m
pie chart.
Repairs and
maintenance
£7.7m
Housing
management
£11.7m
6 • TLC magazine • Spring 2022Repairs and maintenance
This is a slight reduction 99% of homes have achieved
Number of repairs completed
compared to the previous the Norwich Standard (no
(non-urgent and emergency):
year due to the impact kitchen more than 20 years old,
29,844 of the pandemic. no bathroom more than 30
years old and no boiler more
than 15 years old).
258 459 381 1,356
new kitchens new bathrooms new heating electrical upgrades
installed installed systems installed completed
501 306 6
properties had external properties had new properties had a new roof fitted and
doors replaced windows fitted 19 properties received roofline work
Very energy efficient –
Energy efficient homes (92-100) A lower running costs
We have continued our programme
(81-91) B
of boiler, window, door replacements (69-80) C 70
and insulation improvements,
D
Council
(55-68) average
targeting the lowest performing
stock in terms of energy efficiency. (39-54) E
(21-38) F
80% of our homes have Not energy efficient –
a SAP score of A-C. (1-20) G higher running costs
Breaking the cycle of homelessness
80% of households who and saved money on we accommodated over 150
approached us about facing temporary accommodation. clients sleeping rough or at risk
homelessness were prevented of rough sleeping. The majority
from becoming homeless, As part of the public health of these successfully moved
which helped people in crisis response to the pandemic, into hostel accommodation.
Allocation of council homes Rent collection
A consultation was carried out
on our Home Options policy,
Norwich. The updated policy
will ensure that those in the 95% of all rent due
(including arrears)
which determines how we greatest need receive priority was collected.
allocate social housing in for social housing in the city.
You can view the full report at www.norwich.gov.uk/housing
TLC magazine • Spring 2022 • 7Building safety round up
Safety checks • Progress has been made in This dried wood will be clearly
addressing the immediate labelled by suppliers with a ‘ready
in homes
actions in the compliance to burn’ sticker and certification
improvement plan. The number to identify it.
projects and actions in the
plan are being prioritised The ‘ready to burn’ certification
in order of importance. also applies to coal which will
have a low sulphur content and
• Regular updates will be
therefore emit lower emissions.
presented at the council’s
It will become illegal to burn
cabinet meetings which
traditional house coal in homes
are held in public.
after 1 May 2023.
• We are working to the same
timescale set in November 2021 If you’re lighting your burner,
As a housing provider, – aiming to seek full compliance please take all the necessary
the council has a range within 12 months and establish steps to reduce the pollutants
of responsibilities which an improved approach to you’re exposed to in your own
helps to keep tenants’ and our repairs and maintenance home as well as the effect
leaseholders’ homes safe – service by November 2023. you’re having on neighbours
this includes completing and the wider environment.
regular safety checks. Thank you to everyone who
has made this progress possible For more information visit
Following an internal review by allowing our contractors www.ReadyToBurn.org
of compliance work in 2021, into your home to complete
the council identified some these essential checks. Solid fuel burners
cases where these checks, in council homes
and some follow-up work, More information, including
• We no longer grant
had not taken place as they the most recent data and
permission for wood
should have. This work relates cabinet report can be found
burners or other solid fuel
to electrical, fire and water at www.norwich.gov.uk/
appliances for safety and
safety in council homes. HousingCompliance
environmental reasons.
During our review, we
• If a property containing a
reported ourselves to the Guidance on solid fuel appliance becomes
Regulator of Social Housing.
The regulator subsequently
solid fuel burners empty the appliance will be
As your landlord, our removed and the chimney
published a notice outlining
responsibilities also extend opening sealed before
why we hadn’t met their
to the use of solid fuel a new tenant moves in.
requirements in some areas
of the ‘Home Standard’. appliances in our properties –
such as wood burners. • If an existing appliance
or chimney is found to be
We wrote to all residents about
Recent changes in the law in the dangerous it will be removed.
this last year and detailed how
we’d be putting things right. UK have been made to ensure
the wood you buy and use in
Latest progress burners and fireplaces contain
• A health and safety compliance less than 20 per cent water
board has been set up to content as damp wood burns
closely monitor the progress slower and increases the amount
of the improvement plan. of smoke and pollutants released.
8 • TLC magazine • Spring 2022Manage your housing online
From April you can manage
your council tenancy and
housing application through
How to sign up
our new and improved 1. Visit www.norwich.gov. Top tip
portal ‘Housing Online’. uk/MyAccount. Create Don’t save the ‘Housing
or log in to ‘My Account’. Online’ landing page
•B
id for a property – 2. Set up a separate as a favourite – it’s
if your housing needs have ‘Housing Online’ account. important you log in
changed, you can manage You’ll need your person through ‘My Account’.
your application. reference number to
do this, which can be If you need help signing up
•V
iew rent owed – to online services we can
found on your next
make payments and help. Please get in touch
rent notification.
payment arrangements. by calling 0344 980 3333.
3. Confirm your identity
•D
iagnose and request when you receive a
a repair – with access verification email.
to the booking calendar.
4. Once you have registered
•T
rack a repair – keep for `Housing Online’
an eye on progress. you’ll only need to log
into `My Account’ to
access tenancy services.
Get ready for the local elections in May
Don’t miss out on having Why vote in for the future of your
your voice heard at the local community as you do.
local elections
election on Thursday 5 May.
Our local council has an impact Councillors represent a much
Norwich City Council holds on many of the services you see smaller group of people than
elections by thirds, which and use every day, including MPs, that means your single
means one of every three housing issues, waste and vote is more likely to make
seats in each of the 13 city recycling and public spaces. an impact on the result.
wards will be up for grabs.
Choices made at City Hall will Register to vote
have visible impacts on your
community so make sure You can do this easily and
you’ve been part of choosing quickly online at www.gov.
who makes these decisions. uk/register-to-vote – you’ll
need your date of birth and
You can vote for candidates National Insurance number
who have a similar vision to complete your application.
TLC magazine • Spring 2022 • 9Sharing tenant voices
Update from the More ways to Celebrating our
January Tenant get involved centenary trees
Involvement Panel Perhaps you’d rather give
meeting (TIP) quick feedback every so often?
Our TIP meets regularly to
Our Talkback Panel is an easy
discuss topical tenancy matters.
and informal way you can
have your say on the housing
Here are the highlights from
services we provide. Each
January’s meeting:
survey is very quick and can
• Tenants reflected on what it be completed by text, online
means to be a council tenant, or by post. We limit the
following a talk from the number of surveys sent to
Association of Retained individuals and it is easy to
Social Housing (ARCH). opt-out at any time. This
Members felt that social feedback is used to help
housing can be seen as develop and improve services.
a last resort, and that
the media contribute You can join the Talkback Back in 2018 we planted 100
to a negative reputation. Panel by: trees around the city to celebrate
100 years of council housing
However, it was also noted • completing the ‘sign up’
in Norwich. Trees improve air
that a council house is more form at www.norwich.gov.
quality, help mitigate climate
than a roof over a head. It is uk/TenantInvolvement
change, support wildlife and
also a home where people • emailing involvement@ enhance our mental health:
can put down roots and norwich.gov.uk what’s not to like?
become part of a community.
What does being a council We will get back to you with We’d love to see how these
tenant mean to you? Join further information, answer saplings are growing, so
the conversation by emailing any questions you have and please share your photos
involvement@norwich.gov.uk complete your sign up to of a tree near you.
the panel.
• Members were introduced The trees’ locations are listed
to new (interim) head of at www.norwich.gov.uk/
housing, Bob Granville. housing100
• Council officers attended
to discuss fire safety in
tower blocks and work
we are doing to improve
the way estates look
and feel.
10 • TLC magazine • Spring 2022Love where you live
Do you love where you live? We’ve been listening to resident
feedback to improve the look and feel of our neighbourhoods.
Here are some of the latest projects completed around the city.
A Magdalen makeover A glow up for the New lease of life for benches
Charlton Road sheds at Alfred Nicholls Court
The Magdalen Street car park
has been cleared and resurfaced, Damaged sheds have been Anyone who has watched the
with new signage and defined replaced with new brick ones TV hit ‘After Life’, starring Ricky
parking spaces, making it which should have a longer life Gervais, will know the importance
smarter and more user friendly. span and are easier on the eye. a bench can have to a community.
We’ve refurbished and replaced
benches at Alfred Nicholls Court
to create a new seating area for
residents to meet and reflect.
How we will get in touch with you
As your housing provider, • Text or WhatsApp message If you have concerns about
there will be times we contact from a number beginning anyone contacting you outside
you in response to an issue 07860 or your named of the official ways listed
you have raised, because we housing officer/housing above, please get in touch
need to arrange a visit or income officer. with us straightaway.
discuss something relating
to your tenancy. The council will not contact you
about housing matters via any
Council officers will only social media channels – this
contact you via the following includes Facebook, Facebook
methods: Messenger, Twitter and Instagram.
• Letter – look for our official
letter headed paper Anyone visiting your property
from the council or one of our
• Telephone – we will
contractors will always be able
introduce ourselves in full
to show identification. Don’t
• Email from a hesitate to ask to see this if it’s
@norwich.gov.uk address not on display.
TLC magazine • Spring 2022 • 11!
Contacting
Norwich City Report repairs A ch
a
Council online to w nce
in
£50!
To report non-urgent *T&C
s ap
!
ply
ONLINE You can report repairs (and for a chance
repairs, access council to win £50) go to:
services and make
online payments. • www.norwich.gov.uk/repairs
www.norwich.gov.uk lick ‘report a
• C
non-urgent repair’
Register for ‘My Account’ to
• E
nter your details and let the
check your rent and council repairs software guide you through
tax balance. Take a look at the rest…
‘My Norwich’ to see what
services are available in
a il a b le 2 4 / 7 a n d works on
your area. Av
s, ta b le ts a n d sm artphones
P C
POST Norwich City Council,
City Hall, Norwich NR2 1NH. Quick and easy to do
Request your preferred time
Out of hours emergencies:
01603 412180. No waiting in phone queues
Free phone payment hotline: Save the cost of a call
0800 021 7784 (a 24/7 service).
Money advisers:
0344 980 3333 or email
BudgetingAndMoneyAdvice@
norwich.gov.uk Loss of gas or electricity?
If you have lost your gas or electricity supply you should
Text relay users only: contact your energy supplier directly in the first instance.
18001 01603 212587
(9am to 4pm, Monday
to Friday). Need space for your car?
Leaseholders: Are you confident that you can secure a parking space every
time you drive to work? Would you like secure off-street
For help and advice on your
parking at home? Why not rent a garage or parking bay
rights and responsibilities,
from Norwich City Council? Garages are located throughout
contact the home ownership
the city and available to rent whether you live within the
team on 0344 980 3333 or at
city boundary or not.
HomeOwnership@norwich.gov.uk
For more information, go to www.norwich.gov.uk/garagesYou can also read
