There are fears Dundee is heading for a housing repairs crisis as council figures reveal a fifth of all jobs are not completed correctly the first time.
A report which went before the city governance committee has shown that around 21% of reactive repair jobs carried out by the council are not completed right.
These figures, it was detailed, reflected a deteriorating short and long-term trend in performance. The local authority had set a half yearly target of 85%.
The report also highlights that around 80% of reactive repairs are carried out within set timescales – well below the council’s target of 93%.
Council bosses say a backlog of repairs due to skills shortages, as well as difficulties in securing materials and supplies, is to blame.
Questions being asked
Dundee Labour group leader Kevin Keenan has now written to outgoing neighbourhood services director Elaine Zwirlein seeking answers.
He also questioned why lessons appeared not to have been learned following a council blunder which resulted in Dundee taxpayers picking up a £4m bill for roof repairs.
“It would appear that only 78.35% of reactive repair jobs are completed right first time”, he wrote.
“Why is this and what is the cost in material, labour and over-heads for the near 22% deficient work? These figures reflect a department with a serious quality issue.
“Whilst rectifying first time failed repairs, there is a missed opportunity for other repairs to be undertaken.
“I believe that the department’s lack of accredited quality assurance system led to the need for roofs to be replaced at a cost of £4.5m – the council tax payers in Dundee cannot afford to pick up bills like this for poor quality.”
Coldside councillor George McIrvine echoed these concerns, adding: “Every elected member will be dealing with casework that is caught in the trap of needing repairs carried out in a timely manner and having to wait months in being notified of what works will be carried out with no agreed timetable.”
The Labour group concerns come after The Courier revealed council bosses are cracking down work-shy staff in Dundee.
A group of five electricians have been suspended by the local authority over alleged misconduct related to time management and other issues.
It’s understood the move came after senior staff were prompted to look more closely at time sheets submitted by workers.
One source with knowledge of the situation described it as a “shambles” and feared there would not be enough people left to do the work that needs to be done.
But councillor Charlie Malone, who represents Lochee, said lack of resources and long-term planning is to blame for the housing repair problems.
He said: “It’s not the workers’ fault and the people doing the repairs are under-resourced. All they can do is a patch-up job.
“It’s gone beyond a crisis and with the upcoming budget cuts it’s only going to get worse.
“Now is the time for direct action, people need to protest.”
‘I’m not as downbeat as some others’
Dundee City Council did not respond to The Courier’s request for comment regarding the concerns over housing repairs.
But speaking at the city governance committee last week, SNP councillor Mark Flynn – convenor of the neighbourhood regeneration, housing and estate management committee – said progress was being made.
“I’m not as downbeat as some others may be about the housing situation”, he said.
“I have to praise the teams (in the housing) department, they’ve done extremely good work in making sure progress is being made in regards to repairs etc.
“They have done extremely good work.”
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