Latest news with #BerneslaiHomes
Yahoo
22-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Funding boost to help home energy efficiency
More than £3m is to be spent improving homes in South Yorkshire to make them more energy efficient. Barnsley Council's cabinet is expected to approve the acceptance of two major government grants on Wednesday in a bid to tackle fuel poverty and cut carbon emissions. The money will support improvements in hundreds of private and council-owned properties across the borough over the next three years. A report to the council cabinet says tackling cold homes will also help to reduce health issues such as respiratory and heart problems. The council secured £1.5m from the warm homes local grant to upgrade private homes, and the same amount from the social housing decarbonisation fund for council housing. The money, from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, aims to support people living in or at risk of fuel poverty by reducing bills. It will pay for upgrades including loft insulation, new doors, LED lighting, solar panels and air source heat pumps. A minimum of 160 council homes will be upgraded through the scheme, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said, with funding matched by the council's housing revenue account. Properties will be targeted in clusters based on deprivation levels, fuel poverty data and the current energy ratings of homes, the local authority said. Officers will work with the Berneslai Homes housing association and local contractors to engage with residents and encourage participation. Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North Rent rise to 'repair and maintain' council homes Lifetime council houses replaced by short tenancies An energy efficient home - why is it so difficult? Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council
BBC News
22-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Barnsley funding boost to help improve home energy efficiency
More than £3m is to be spent improving homes in South Yorkshire to make them more energy Council's cabinet is expected to approve the acceptance of two major government grants on Wednesday in a bid to tackle fuel poverty and cut carbon money will support improvements in hundreds of private and council-owned properties across the borough over the next three years.A report to the council cabinet says tackling cold homes will also help to reduce health issues such as respiratory and heart problems. The council secured £1.5m from the warm homes local grant to upgrade private homes, and the same amount from the social housing decarbonisation fund for council money, from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, aims to support people living in or at risk of fuel poverty by reducing will pay for upgrades including loft insulation, new doors, LED lighting, solar panels and air source heat pumps.A minimum of 160 council homes will be upgraded through the scheme, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said, with funding matched by the council's housing revenue will be targeted in clusters based on deprivation levels, fuel poverty data and the current energy ratings of homes, the local authority said. Officers will work with the Berneslai Homes housing association and local contractors to engage with residents and encourage participation. Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lifetime council houses replaced by short tenancies
A council is ending lifetime tenancies for some of its social housing and introducing a more flexible system. Tenants in Barnsley will now be offered five-year leases so that they can move between more suitable properties as family sizes change. The new tenancies will apply to homes that have four or more bedrooms so that housing stock can be freed up more easily. A report to the Barnsley Council's Cabinet said: "The demand for social housing continues to outstrip supply. There is a clear need to make best use of the housing stock for those that need it most." According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, most people will still be offered secure or assured tenancies but the flexible tenancies will help tackle the limited supply and growing demand. Families in larger homes may be offered extensions to their tenancies if they still need the extra space, or if their property is specially adapted for a person with disabilities. The flexible tenancies will generally be offered for five years, with a minimum term of two years for specific circumstances, such as care leavers. They may also be offered to tenants who might otherwise be excluded from the register due to serious or prolonged breaches of tenancy conditions and those in receipt of short-term support. In November 2024, there were more than 5,500 residents on the waiting list for a property. Berneslai Homes, which manages 18,000 council properties on behalf of the council, receives 5,000 applications a year. Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here. Rent rise to 'repair and maintain' council homes Thousands stuck on council home waiting list Hundreds of new homes approved on ex-colliery site
BBC News
26-02-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Barnsley: End of lifetime tenancies for larger council houses
A council is ending lifetime tenancies for some of its social housing and introducing a more flexible in Barnsley will now be offered five-year leases so that they can move between more suitable properties as family sizes new tenancies will apply to homes that have four or more bedrooms so that housing stock can be freed up more easily.A report to the Barnsley Council's Cabinet said: "The demand for social housing continues to outstrip supply. There is a clear need to make best use of the housing stock for those that need it most." 'Limited council properties' According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, most people will still be offered secure or assured tenancies but the flexible tenancies will help tackle the limited supply and growing in larger homes may be offered extensions to their tenancies if they still need the extra space, or if their property is specially adapted for a person with flexible tenancies will generally be offered for five years, with a minimum term of two years for specific circumstances, such as care may also be offered to tenants who might otherwise be excluded from the register due to serious or prolonged breaches of tenancy conditions and those in receipt of short-term November 2024, there were more than 5,500 residents on the waiting list for a property. Berneslai Homes, which manages 18,000 council properties on behalf of the council, receives 5,000 applications a to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here.
BBC News
07-02-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Barnsley: Rent rise to 'repair and maintain' council homes
Rents for council homes in Barnsley will rise by 2.7% in a bid to address rising maintenance costs, new safety regulations, and a growing backlog of Council approved the 2025/26 budget on Thursday in a bid to support the borough's housing services and ensure homes are safe and in good tenants, this will mean an average weekly increase of £2.44, pushing the average rent from £90.66 to £ rent, service charges, and district heating will also rise by 2.7% in line with the government's rent cap. The council also agreed to spend £5m over five years to make sure all homes meet safety standards, following new safety measures after the Grenfell Tower fire tragedy. 'Difficult decisions' An additional one-time £5.4m investment would help clear the backlog of repairs and replace old parts of homes, according to the Local Democracy Reporting total, £40.8m has been set aside for improving and updating homes over the next two years, which includes upgrading older homes, some of which are nearly 100 years old, and investing in new council also approved a £16m fee for Berneslai Homes, the company that manages the housing services, and added £2.5m to the repair budget for 2025/26 to keep up with the growing demand for Robert Frost, the council's cabinet spokesperson, said the authority had to make "difficult decisions to continue to cover the cost of repairing and maintaining" homes.A report by council officers acknowledged that housing services were facing several challenges, including higher costs for materials, new safety rules, and an increase in people needing also noted that the government's recent changes to the Right to Buy scheme would allow the council to keep more of the money from selling homes, which would help with future housing budget was approved following a to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here.
