AN ambitious new five year housing improvement programme has been developed for Richmondshire.

The Richmondshire District Plan – which covers 2020-25 – will provide improvements to the authority’s housing stock.

That includes kitchen and bathroom replacements, heating upgrades, roof replacements and other work to properties that need them to meet the decent homes standard.

The £1m 2020/21 programme has been delayed due to the coronavirus epidemic but tenants have been kept up to date and council officers have worked closely with principal contractor, Kier, to remobilize the project.

To that end Kier will begin arranging surveys next Monday for homes due a heating upgrade, but only where tenants want the work to proceed and it is safe to do so.

Kier will work towards government and construction guidelines and tenants will be kept updated at each stage.

The remainder of the programme will be delivered in the months ahead, but again only to properties where tenants want the work completed.

Corporate director of the District Council Colin Dales, said: “We are in a position to begin working on properties again but that will only be happening where the residents feel comfortable with having tradespeople in the property..”