Homes repairs 'would cost £156m'

Gwynedd does not have the money to bring its homes up to standard

Not one of a north Wales council's 6,500 homes would meet the standard set out by the Welsh Assembly Government for 2012, the authority has been told.

A meeting of Gwynedd councillors has heard it would cost £156m to bring the properties up to scratch in that time.

Members of the council's Care Scrutiny Committee were told they do not have the money to meet the cost of the work.

They are to consider transferring the properties to a housing association. The move would need tenants to back it.

Gwynedd, like other Welsh local authorities, is looking for ways to ensure its housing stock meets assembly government standards by 2012.

The target aims to ensure all homes are safe, secure, with good heating, and up-to-date kitchens and bathrooms.

The council is to look at transferring its stock to a housing association

The problem is that this could cost councils millions of pounds.

The Gwynedd council committee meeting in Caernarfon on Thursday was due to hear a report on the scale of the task facing the local authority and what options it has to achieve it.

The firm of consultants which assessed the council's housing stock in a report for the meeting said the situation facing Gwynedd was no different than for other local authorities across north Wales.

Housing options

Councillors agreed to look at transferring the responsibility for maintaining properties to a housing association.

Such a move would need the council's tenants vote for it in a ballot.

That has already happened in Bridgend, but a similar proposal was rejected by tenants in Wrexham.

Other options Gwynedd is to look at include "working with existing tenants to consider further options around a locally agreed standard".

The assembly government has said it expects more councils to consider their housing options in the next few years.