The Regulator of Social Housing today, 28 October 2026, published its judgement after inspecting the council's housing services. The C3 grading signifies that the regulator has found serious shortcomings and expects substantial improvements.
The council has accepted the regulator's findings and is actively working to address the issues. A Housing Improvement Programme is already in place, with efforts being made to strengthen and enhance services. The judgement highlighted specific areas of concern, including the management of anti-social behaviour cases, tenancy oversight, and aspects of property maintenance, asset management, complaint handling, and tenant information. Additional actions have been integrated into the existing Housing Improvement Programme to tackle these identified weaknesses.
Despite the shortcomings, the report also acknowledged areas where services are performing well. Since the council's self-referral to the Regulator in 2023, improvements in health and safety compliance have been recognised. The inspection also noted a strong understanding of the condition of the council's homes, meeting targets for repairs, and providing residents with meaningful opportunities to influence policy and service delivery. The positive and respectful culture of staff towards residents and the constructive engagement during the inspection process were also acknowledged.
Improvement work is progressing, with a refreshed Housing Improvement Programme and positive steps being taken on the identified actions. Since the inspection, a new Tenancy Management Policy has been drafted, staff training on anti-social behaviour case management has been rolled out, a review of new lettings has been completed, and performance data has been shared with tenants via the annual report.
The regulator has confirmed that the council understands the issues requiring attention and has clear plans to rectify the identified weaknesses. The council is committed to making necessary improvements, learning from feedback, and collaborating with residents and the regulator to achieve lasting change.
“"The regulator’s C3 consumer grading is a reminder that we still have further to go on our improvement journey. We are however, making progress. In December 2023, we received a regulatory notice for breaches of safety standards. Today, the regulator has acknowledged that we are largely meeting our obligations relating to health and safety compliance, as well as meeting our targets for routine, urgent and emergency repairs."
Cllr Ian Johnson added, "The progress we have made has only been possible through partnership working and constructive challenge. I would like to thank tenants, leaseholders, shared owners and resident volunteers for their continued support, patience and involvement in improving our services."
The council's priority remains the safety of its tenants and the quality of homes and services. It is committed to learning from the inspection findings and delivering the improvements needed to restore tenant confidence and meet the standards residents deserve.
