A previous article “The problem with Council Housing…” addressed the issues with the Council House waiting list. Derby Homes manages the housing stock on behalf of Derby City Council; it has a number of plans to improve the supply and availability of properties to ease the backlog; one of the initiatives is to build more houses.

Since September 2021 Derby Homes, through its Operational Board, has been reporting on 12 projects which, according to the planning applications, would deliver 93 properties with at least 158 bedrooms. This would make a significant impact on the waiting list and provide more temporary accommodation for those at risk of homelessness.

However, each quarter the projects’ start/completion dates drift back with no explanation – in some cases there are no planned dates reported at all, despite planning applications having been approved 3 years ago.

In detail:

Whittaker Street

This will deliver 2 x 4 bedroomed houses.

The planning permission was granted in September 2019.

The September 2021 Derby Homes Operational Board report stated that work would start in November 2021 ( just 2 months later) and be completed in August 2022. As each subsequent report has been issued the start and end dates have, repeatedly, slipped by 3 months. The December 2022 report informed the Board that work had actually commenced in November 2022 – a year after the original statement. On the 5th January 2023, apart from some fencing, there are no signs of work having been started.

The planning permission expired after 3 years in September 2022.

The December 2022 report to the Board was incorrect.

Chesapeake Avenue

This will deliver 6 x 2 bed houses, and 2 x 4 bed houses.

The planning permission was granted in October 2019.

The September 2021 Board report stated that site works would start in September 2021 and complete by August 2022. The photo below is from July 2022.

The current position is that work started in February 2022 and has increased from a 12 month to a 16 month programme. In the last 6 months there has been little progress. Completion is planned for June 2023.

Bute Walk

This project converts a Children’s Care Home into 6 apartments.

The planning permission was granted in December 2019.

The Operational Board did not receive a report on this until the 8 December 2022 with 4 days left before the planning permission was due to expire. The report confirmed that site works had commenced in October 2022 with a planned completion of September 2023

There was no evidence on 5th January 2023 of any work in progress, front or back.

The planning permission has expired as no work had started prior to the 12th December 2022.

The December 2022 report to the Board was incorrect.

Cummings Street

This will deliver 4 x 2 bedroomed houses.

In the September 2021 report, it was stated that site works had commenced in August 2021 – this was later revised to March 2022 in the June 2022 report. Completion also slipped from June 2022 to March 2023.

The basic structure and walls are in place. The completion date of March 2023 for fully fitted properties seems unlikely.

Other Properties

12 properties/12 bedrooms at 2 locations on Crompton Street and Oaklands Avenue received planning permission in February 2020. No work has commenced on site – if no work starts by mid-February 2023 then the planning permission will expire.

18 properties / over 40 bedrooms at 2 locations Barlow Street / Paterson Avenue received planning permission in mid-2021 – no start dates reported.

6 properties / 18 bedrooms at 2 locations Elm Tree Avenue / Falcon Way – both with planning permission are no longer reported through the Operational Board. Nothing reported as to why they have dropped off the list.

Comment

It is clear that the Head of Service, who reports on these house builds, isn’t operating with any semblance of Project Management discipline. The constant slippage of dates is indicative of incompetent management at all levels. It’s not clear what the Operational Board is doing beyond noting the report.

It all suggests a lack of ambition and urgency.

Each home that could have been delivered represents a lifeline to a priority individual / family in the City.

Derby Homes needs to get its act together and institute competent, vigilant and accountable project management in order to deliver new houses.

Post Script

There is an additional property being reported to the Operational Board on Berwick Avenue. The only planning application recorded on the Council’s planning system for Berwick Avenue is an extension to the convenience store. All of the properties on Berwick Avenue are houses, not bungalows. According to the Board report a 3 bedroomed bungalow was completed on the 9th December 2022 – the day after the last Board meeting. It’s not clear where that is…

It transpires that this is not Berwick Avenue but Berwick Close – completion, 4 years after the planning application.