Housing services on Anglesey picked up two awards at the recent Welsh Housing Awards ceremony in Cardiff.
The Isle of Anglesey Country Council was recognised by the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) for ‘Delivering Customer Driven Service and beat off competition from organisations from across Wales. The award recognises the work the Council has done to meet the requirements of the Welsh Assembly Government’s WHQS (Welsh Housing Quality Standard).
Councillor Will Hughes, portfolio holder for housing said: “I am very pleased that our housing team has been recognised in this way. Our tenants are at the centre of the work we are currently undertaking to ensure all our properties reach the WHQS by 2012, and they have input at every stage.”
He added: “The standard of the competition was very high, which is testament to the level of excellence we are achieving here on Anglesey.”
Rhys Jones, Head of Service, Housing added: “Feedback from our tenants has been consistently good, and we’ve been achieving our customer satisfaction targets since the project began last year.”
Helen Pritchard, a council tenant from Llanfairynghornwy said: “As tenants we have been very hands on from the start – from helping to choose a contractor to making decisions about internal work packages, which has included choosing the finish for kitchens and bathrooms. We have even been able to recommend local craftsmen and have a say in how works are undertaken to minimise disruption in our homes.”
The Council’s housing contractor G Purcahse Contruction also picked up an award at the event for ‘Most Community Focused Contractor’.
Rhys Jones said: “G Purchase Construction Ltd has proved to be a key addition to the team. We are certainly benefiting from their experience and excellent track record of delivering complicated work programmes in tenants’ homes.
“From the start they have shown commitment to the area, employing local craftsmen, establishing a permanent operations base on the Penrhos Industrial Estate in Holyhead and taking on local apprentices. I would also like to pay tribute to the Council’s Building Maintenance Unit which has also been central to this programme.”
The Welsh Assembly Government WHQS requires all councils in Wales to bring their homes up to the Welsh Housing Quality Standard (WHQS) by 2012 which means homes should be in a good state of repair, be safe and secure as well as have modern kitchens and bathrooms.
