Council houses in Brighton and Hove need more than half a billion pounds spent on them to survive the next 30 years.

The city's 13,000 council-owned homes will require an average of about £50,000 each in repairs and improvements by 2033.

The bill is equivalent to almost £17 million a year.

Consultants hired to inspect the city's housing stock found the homes had suffered a startling history of neglect.

Roofs need to be replaced, kitchens modernised, double glazing fitted and boilers upgraded.

More than 1,000 properties need large-scale structural improvements.

The enormous cost has added to the fears of some tenants who are concerned the council is considering plans to transfer its entire housing stock into private hands or to housing associations.

The estimate has been made by consultants FDPSavills, who assessed about 1,500 homes.

Its report says the total sum needed to be spent far exceeds what has been put aside by the council.

It says: "The stock has suffered from a lack of sustained, planned maintenance investment.

"As a result, there are a significant number of major components which have reached or are reaching the end of their natural life."

Many low-rise homes have pitched roofs which will need replacing within the next 20 years.

Flat-roofed homes will need attention in the next ten.

More money must be spent on double glazing and on improving paths, fences and boundary walls.

Much of the electrical wiring dates back to the time the homes were built.

Consultants say high-rise blocks will need significant investment if they are to survive in the long term.

The total cost per home on repairs and maintenance is £45,075 excluding management costs and VAT.

This figure does not allow for future inflation or the costs of rehousing tenants while work is under way.

About half the stock does not comply with the Government's Decent Homes Criteria and the report warns more will fail unless work is done.

Labour housing councillor Jack Hazelgrove said the report was not a surprise and followed a trend identified in earlier studies.

But he said the Government would have to work out how it was going to provide money for the work.

He was concerned the process of deciding the future of the stock should be open and transparent to allay fears of tenants who worry transferring the properties to commercial operators will lead to a rise in rents.

Tory housing spokesman Geoff Wells said he thought it would cost £250 million simply to bring the stock up to acceptable living standard by 2010.

He said: "With the unlikely event of any Government grant being given to councils which don't transfer their stock to housing associations, this council will be unable to find the costs required to carry out the work.

"It seems highly probable the 13,000 homes are destined for housing association ownership."

Friday July 18, 2003