Brighton and Hove City Council accused of failing to fix windows

Windows that are faulty and beyond repair are not being replaced, according to people living in blocks of flats owned by Brighton and Hove City Council.

But perfectly good windows are being replaced, they said, according to meeting papers for the council’s east area housing management panel.

The meeting papers include questions from tenant and leaseholder representatives about problems and concerns and said: “Windows that are faulty and beyond repair are not being replaced.

“Residents are being told that they have to wait until this work is scheduled for their block under the planned maintenance programme.

“At the same time, many windows are being replaced under the planned maintenance programme that are perfectly good and do not need replacing.

“Associations are receiving a lot of complaints from residents who have windows which do not keep the heat in, are draughty and let in rain."

• READ MORE: 'No real oversight' - Hundreds of council houses empty in the city despite 10,000 waiting list

There is said to be "widespread concern" about this issue because:

• It adversely affects the health of residents who are living for long periods of time with faulty windows
• People are paying higher heating bills because so much of the heat is escaping through the faulty windows
• Water coming in through windows can lead to further damage to the fabric of the building and more costly repairs in the long term
• This is hampering the council’s plans to reduce carbon emissions as discussed at housing committee on Wednesday 17 November 2021
• This is counter to the council's decent homes initiatives

The issue has been raised with councillor Nancy Platts

The papers say: “Craven Vale Community Association (CVCA) and Bristol Estate Leaseholders, Tenants and Residents Association (BELTA) have both been trying to address this problem.

“BELTA has been supporting residents who have reported faulty windows by logging the deadline by which work should be done and chasing it up if it isn’t done. This has been successful in some cases.

“BELTA has also found that replacing windows in high-rise blocks is less of an obstacle than they thought, as this can often be done from inside a flat rather that requiring scaffolding.

“Following a discussion at Craven Vale Community Association some residents chose to write to councillor Nancy Platts.

“Cllr Platts followed this up but received an unsatisfactory response from officers stating that the residents concerned will have to wait years for windows to be replaced as Craven Vale window replacements are being done at a rate of two blocks a year.

"Cllr Platts has suggested this matter could be brought to the area panel or housing committee if it is found to be a common problem experienced by many residents and the residents’ association is going to follow this up."

Residents are requesting a review of the way windows are assessed for repair or replacement which specifically addresses the following issues:

• Ensuring that windows which are beyond repair are treated the same as all other routine repairs and replaced within 20 days
• Assessing windows prior to replacement under the planned maintenance programme to ensure the work is necessary
• Taking into account the impact on residents’ health and fuel bills when there are potential delays to window repairs or replacements