£12.5m approved for council house upgrades

Hundreds of families in Guildford are set to benefit from a £12.5m upgrade scheme for new kitchens and bathrooms in council homes.

Guildford Borough Council agreed the plan on 9 December, despite concerns over a previous housing maintenance scandal, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Some councillors argued the vote should have waited for a scrutiny report due in January, while others said delaying would be "an abdication of duty" to tenants.

The programme will see around 260 kitchens and 130 bathrooms upgraded every year between 2026 and 2032, helping homes meet the Government's Decent Homes Standard.

To cut costs, Guildford Borough Council will work with Waverley Borough Council to jointly procure the contract, which councillors said would be cheaper and more reliable than acting alone.

The contract will run for three years, with the option to extend twice.

Critics warned the decision was "premature" and based on "pure guesswork", pointing to an earlier overspend of millions of pounds on maintenance work and an ongoing fraud investigation.

Councillor Philip Brooker warned the plan was "premature" and reminded colleagues of the previous scandal, where thousands of jobs were never properly inspected.

Councillor Maddy Redpath said she "can't back something that might repeat failure" when the last issue had not been resolved.

Other councillors shared similar concerns, saying the decision should wait until the long-promised scrutiny report lands in January.

However, councillor George Potter supported the motion, saying delaying the works would be "an abdication of duty" to tenants, regardless of what had happened in the past.

Despite the opposition, the recommendation for the contract was passed at the full council meeting.

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