Page 3 - July 2023
Crown can back scheme Further investment to decarbonise and improve more homes across the district Crown Paints has launched a new sustainability programme that recycles their empty paint cans into new tins, flowerpots and benches. The company provides our new tenants with decorating packs when they move into their new home. The used cans can be collected whilst Crown are delivering the new orders across the district.
The council has been awarded £2.6m to further improve the energy efficiency of council-managed homes. The funding from the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero will be matched by the council bringing the total spend on improving the homes and wellbeing of tenants to £5.2 million. The new grant will continue the work begun last year under Wave1 of The Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF).
This is seeing tenants in more than 100 homes benefitting from improvements such as new cavity wall insulation, double-glazed windows, new external doors and solar panel installation. With an aim to create green job opportunities in the district, the council has used qualified local contractors for some of the insulation work and will continue this local approach with Wave 2. Tenants will be individually contacted and a time arranged for the work to be carried out over the next 24 months, with the funding being used for homes with the most urgent need.
Swale Heating customer portal
Did you know you can now book your heating and hot water repairs online? Visit customerportal.swaleheating.com to register. Once you’re set up, you’ll also be able to track the time your engineer will arrive on the day of the appointment.
Our new cleaning contractor
Following a detailed tender process, BlueFrog Cleaning Services will be our new partner for cleaning the inside of our blocks of flats from October onwards. The new contract has been updated following consultation with tenants in 2022. Tenants were also involved in the tender evaluation process. As part of the new contract, we will be introducing new systems for monitoring the quality of the cleaning service, and making it easier for you to give us feedback or report any concerns. Mike Ellis, Founder and Operations Director of BlueFrog, says: “We are looking forward to working in partnership with the Housing team, to provide a great cleaning service to council tenants and leaseholders. We look forward to meeting lots of residents as we go about our work, and we are always open to feedback and suggestions about service improvements.”