Residents of council properties in Gateshead wait an average of 29 days for housing repairs, while one house repair took more than three years to and numerous visits to complete, according to a new report.
A report into the efficacy of housing repairs delivered to Gateshead Council's Housing, Environment and Healthy Communities Overview and Scrutiny committee revealed council tenants' wait times.
From data collated over four years, including during the pandemic, it was discovered the average waiting time for repairs was 29 days from end to end. However, according to Mark Smith, director of public service reform, waiting times "varies enormously."
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Analysis conducted over four years discovered repairs could occur on the day to 240 days after they were reported, with an average of 29 days. One resident waited more than three years for a full roof repair, with it taking multiple attempts by council contractors, the report found.
The research also showed only 36% of repairs were correctly identified and then fixed first time round. The capacity for the repair service's call centre to handle calls was deemed "critically low."
A new organisational prototype will be launched in the spring or summer of this year, and used to improve how the repairs service monitors performs and delivers. Councillors were quick to voice the anger and concerns of residents in response to the report.
Dunston and Teams councillor Dott Bernett said: "Well, I'm looking forward to seeing something happening. I have to tell you, this week I have had four complaints that have been going on for two years. As far as I am concerned having been in business before coming into this organisation, there are a few things I would like to say.
"Someone has got to own it. I have got this complaint, they monitor it and see it through to the end. People are suffering out there and there is not one councillor that doesn't have the same problem as me.
"I hope it works and I am glad we are doing something about it, but I tell you what, it needs to work fairly quickly."
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