£15m revamp for thousands of Dudley council homes

Money will be spent upgrading kitchens and bathrooms, repairing roofs, rewiring and installing new central heating.

Empty homes, which need major repair work, will also be brought up to scratch so they can be rented out again.

It is hoped that this will help to reduce the waiting list for properties in the borough.

Figures show that at the start of the year there were around 570 'void' houses in Dudley, with 4,191 people on the council waiting list. Up to 3,000 properties will be refurbished during the next three years.

The refurbishment scheme will also create new jobs for young workers with six apprentices and a graduate being taken on to join the team of contractors.

Chairman of Dudley Federation of Tenants and Residents Associations, Martin Smith, today welcomed the announcement.

"We have been saying to the council for some time that money needed to be spent on the void properties so I am impressed that this is being done. It will make a big difference."

Dudley Council has signed a contract with firms Keepmoat and Lovell who will be carrying out the work from August. The programme will run at the same times as works carried out by the council's housing repairs team and provide the opportunity to reduce response times during busy periods.

Councillor Gaye Partridge, cabinet member for housing, said: " It is good to know we have a proven way of working that reduces waiting times for customers."

Neil Baxter, regional director for Keepmoat, said: "Over the next three years we'll be recruiting six apprentices as well as a graduate, and work experience opportunities for local people to help us to deliver this contract."