Category: Featured

Tenants living in council sheltered housing schemes have been given some extra help to boost their IT skills from someone very close to home.

John White lives at the Erw Gerrig sheltered housing scheme in Rhos. He was able to become a Digital IT Champion after he received training from Wrexham Council, UCATT (Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians), and more recently from Digital Communities Wales who are working to help people access and use the internet.

John said: “We’ve recently had wi-fi installed in sheltered housing schemes which means all the tenants are now able to get onto the internet.

“This is such a great tool for us as it allows us to do so all sorts of things like keep in touch with relatives, shop online and look up subjects that we are interested in.

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“My job is really just to get the tenants up to a level where they can carry on learning by themselves. I start them off with simple tasks like pointing and clicking the mouse, using the keyboard and using the internet browser.”

“It only takes a little bit of training for them to see the potential of what it’s possible to do online and then they’re away!

“I currently run regular sessions at the sheltered housing schemes in Erw Gerrig and Llys Y Mynydd in Rhos and St Michaels in Ruabon. I’m also about to start doing tasters at Llys Y Graig in Plas Madoc.

“They are free for tenants to join and there’s potential for this to keep growing as we get more tenants on board. I’m very proud to be a part of it.”

Sheltered housing being made “fit for the future”

There are 22 sheltered housing schemes operated by the council across the county borough. They provide accommodation especially designed to meet the needs of older people.

Unlike nursing and residential homes, each tenant has their own self-contained flat, bedsit or bungalow. Communal lounges are available for tenants’ social and recreational activities and a Warden and a Community Alarm Centre provide 24-hour cover in the case of emergencies.

Lead Member for Housing, Cllr David Griffiths, said: “We’ve been carrying out a huge amount of work recently to ensure our sheltered housing schemes are fit for the future and it’s good to see that tenants are making the most of the opportunity to get online.

“I’d like to thank John for the work he’s put in as a digital champion and for volunteering his time to share his skills with our tenants. It’s great to see his classes are going so well.”

“As well as installing wi-fi, new kitchens and bathrooms are also being offered to tenants as part of our Welsh Housing Quality Standard project. We’ve also installed new heating systems in many schemes and we’re upgrading the lights in communal areas.

“I would encourage anyone who is interested or may have a friend or relative who might benefit from this housing option to contact one of our estate offices and see what vacancies are available.”

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There’s good news for the people of Ruabon, with the announcement that a set of undeveloped buildings right in the centre of the village will soon see a new lease of life.

In 2004, a developer started work on three homes on the site of the former Victoria Garage in Ruabon, near the corner of High Street and Maes y Llan Lane.

But work on the buildings was never completed, and the half-finished houses have sat empty ever since.

Work to secure the site and make it safe has been carried out in the interim by Wrexham Council, but due to the complications around ownership and development, the buildings could not be knocked down or outright redeveloped.

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But now, thanks to a lot of hard work from Wrexham Council, the Crown’s Solicitors, Ruabon Community Council and Wales & West Housing, the eyesore site can now finally be redeveloped.

The buildings were acquired by the Crown Estate, who in turn sold them to Wales & West Housing.

This means that the housing association can now redevelop the site for much needed social housing in the area.

“Incredibly good news”

Cllr David Griffiths, Wrexham Council’s Lead Member for Housing, said: “It’s excellent news to see that some progress is afoot with these buildings.

“I’d like to thank those at our Housing and Economy Department and Cllr Davies as the local member for all the work they’ve put in on this – their efforts in following this up and ensuring a positive outcome have been indispensable.

“It’s also incredibly good news to see that the site will be redeveloped for social housing, which I am sure will be put to great use at the heart of Ruabon.”

Cllr Dana Davies, local member for Ruabon and Chair of Ruabon Community Council, said: “I’m incredibly pleased to have some good news regarding this site.

“The people of Ruabon have been blighted by this eyesore for too long, and I’m sure I’m not the only one who’ll be glad to see these buildings redeveloped and put to good use.

“I’m very grateful for all the support we’ve received from the Housing Partnership team at Wrexham Council, who have put in a lot of hours over this issue.

“I’m also grateful that we were able to make use of the Welsh Government’s empty homes funding which enabled the Council to pursue a successful legal solution.”

Anne Hinchey, Chief Executive of Wales & West Housing, said: “We’re delighted to be given the opportunity to transform this site into an attractive row of two bedroomed houses, to help meet the need for more affordable homes in Wrexham.”

For information about how to register for Affordable Housing, please contact the Council’s Housing Department on 01978 298 993.

Wrexham Council offers a number of incentives to support owners of long term empty properties including interest free loans, assistance with arranging contractors, and support to let and manage properties. For further information contact 019783 315 587 or e-mail emptyhomes@wrexham.gov.uk.

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A council tenant has praised improvement work carried out to his property.

Mr Ken Jones from Johnstown had a new kitchen and bathroom installed recently as part of our extensive housing modernisation project.

The improvements are being carried out to ensure that homes meet the Welsh Government’s Welsh Housing Quality Standard by 2020.

Council tenants in Johnstown are the latest to be offered new kitchens and bathrooms as part of the project. The work here is being carried out by a council contractor, Novus Property Solutions.

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A house “fit for the future”

Mr Jones said: “I’m absolutely thrilled with the new kitchen and bathroom. I had a wall knocked through to make room for the new kitchen so quite a lot of work was required but I have to say the contractors were polite and tidy throughout.

“They always cleaned up after themselves and they’ve done a grand job in the end. If you look at how the new kitchen looks compared to what I had before you wouldn’t recognise it. It looks fantastic now.

“Over the last couple of years I’ve also had a new heating system put in, the electrics have been rewired and I’ve had external wall insulation installed so a lot of the house looks brand new now. It’s very reassuring to know that the house is being made fit for the future.”

Improvements are making a “huge difference”

Jeremy Anderson, Contracts Manager at Novus Property Solutions, said: “We are proud to be working alongside Wrexham Council on their extensive kitchens and bathrooms replacement project.

“Johnstown is one of many areas around Wrexham where we’ve carried out improvements. We are committed to ensuring that every property we visit receives the highest standard of work and we’ve been delighted with the positive response we’ve had from the local tenants.”

Local Member for Johnstown, Cllr David A Bithell, said: “I’m delighted that the kitchen and bathrooms programme is being rolled out in Johnstown and it’s been very encouraging to see the difference it’s making and the positive impact it’s having for our tenants. Properties such as Mr Jones’s have been transformed inside and out and brought up to a very high modern standard.

“The contractors, Novus, held a family fun day a couple of weeks ago too so it’s great to see them engaging with the local community.

“The external wall insulation is also making a huge difference to the steel framed, non-traditional properties here. It improves their external appearance and will potentially help save money on heating bills and extend the life of the buildings by protecting their structures.

“The non-traditional ‘airey’ houses around the Heol Kenyon area will also be receiving external wall insulation later this year so this is further good news for tenants in Johnstown.”

Council “on track” to achieve the standard

Wrexham Council is investing a record £56.4m on housing improvements in 2016/17 as we continue the work to achieve the Welsh Housing Quality Standard. This includes a £7.5m Major Repairs Allowance that the Welsh Government awards to local authorities to help them achieve the Standard.    

Thousands of properties across the county borough have already received new kitchens and bathrooms and other internal and external work is also being carried out where required.

Lead Member for Housing, Cllr David Griffiths, said: “We remain on track to achieve the Welsh Housing Quality Standard which is a great achievement. I think it’s also important to stress that we have worked hard to go the extra mile with the design and quality of the improvements we are carrying out.

“Tenants are able to choose from various colours and designs for their new kitchens and bathrooms and they can discuss their options with our teams to ensure the final product meets their expectations.

“We’ve also added extra design features onto the external wall insulation to add some visual appeal and ensure they look their best they can when the work is finished.”

More information on the work being carried out to achieve the Welsh Housing Quality Standard can be found on the council website

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