Halton Standard

Halton Standard

In 2000 the Government brought in new rules about the quality of the homes which tenants rent from councils or housing associations. This is called the 'Decent Homes Standard' and the Government has said all council and housing association homes must reach this standard by 2010.

Halton Housing Trust will provide more than this basic standard.

Set out below is a comparison of the Decent Homes Standard and the New Halton Standard.

Area	Decent Homes Standard	Halton Standard
Windows	Windows should be no more thsan 40-years-old (30 in flats) and be repaired or replaced if in poor condition. Does not mention metal windows.	All homes would have high quality double glazed plastic windows with secure locking handles and at least one emergency exit - Halton Housing Trust would fit around 50,000 frames in the first five years.
Kitchens	Kitchens should be no more than 20-years-old and have adequate space and layout.	Kitchens would be modernised and tenants would be given a choice of worktops, doors and tiles.
Heating	Boilers should be no more than 15-years-old and systems no more than 40-years-old. To be repaired or replaced if in poor condition.	All homes without full central heating would be offered this within five years. All new systems would include separate radiator thermostats and energy efficient boilers. Specifications would exceed the decency standard.
Bathrooms	Bathroom facilities should be no more than 30-years-old.	Around 3,000 bethrooms would be modernised within 10 years, allowing for showers, extractor fans and a choice of tiles. No bathrooms would then be more than 20-years-old.
Doors	Doors should be no more than 40-years-old (30 in flats) and be repaired or replaced if in poor condition.	Front and rear doors would be high quality, secure and with the choice of door pattern.
Thermal insulation	Homes should have a reasonable degree of thermal comfort with both efficient heating and effective insulation.	All homes, where lofts exist, would receive a minimum upgrading of insulation to 200mm deep within two years.
Roof	Roofs should be no more than 50-years-old (30 in flats) and be repaired or replaced if in poor condition.	Roofs would not be older than their life expectancy and flat roofed blocks of flats, where feasible, would be converted to pitched construction at the end of their life expectancy or within 15 years.
Electrical systems	Electricity systems should be no more than 30-years-old and be repaired or replaced if in a poor condition.	Around 4,000 homes re-wired within the first 10 years and domestic wiring would be maintained not exceeding 25-years-old. All new rewiring would include hard wired smoke detectors, security lighting and extra power outlets. All homes would receive security lighting within five years and hard wired smoke alarms within 10 years.
Security	Not part of the Standard	Tenants would be offered external lighting, high security doors and windows and other security measures, where appropriate e.g. secure communal entrances.
Gardens	Not part of the Standard	Gardens would be cleared and left tidy prior to letting.
Adaptations	Not part of the Standard	A fixed budget of £400,000 every year to provide for communal and individual needs.
Fences, footpaths & boundary walls	Not part of the Standard	Halton Housing Trust would commit a new budget of £400,000 every year to deal with fencing, wall and pathway issues.
Environmental imrovements	Not part of the Standard	Halton Housing Trust would have money set aside for each area to provide off street parking, modernised refuse storage or other schemes, decided locally.
Improvements to Sheltered Schemes	Not part of the Standard	Halton Housing Trust would modernise existing sheltered schemes. This would include improving security and improving communal facilities, such as lounges and laundries.
Other external works	Not part of the Standard	Halton Housing Trust would carry out other general external maintenance works to homes on a five year basis.