WIGAN Council breached consumer standards in social housing after failing to carry out safety inspections in more than 1,000 homes.

Last month, the Regulator of Social Housing announced that Wigan Council failed to meet a range of health and safety requirements in a number of tenants' homes.

The report states that the council did not carry out annual gas safety inspections in more than 1,000 homes across the borough, which has since been reduced to around 700.

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Leigh Journal: The report was published last monthThe report was published last month (Image: Regulator of Social Housing)

The report also found that while the council had installed around 16,000 carbon monoxide detectors in its tenants’ homes, it had failed to install them in another 10,000.

Further to this, around 275 homes did not have valid electrical inspection certificates and more than 150 high-risk fire safety actions were overdue.

The council is said to have put a programme in place to address the issues highlighted, which will be monitored by the Regulator of Social Housing.

Kate Dodsworth, Chief of Regulatory Engagement at RSH, said: "Wigan Council and Woking Borough Council both failed to meet our consumer standards and need to put things right promptly for tenants.

"It is vital that all social landlords have accurate, up-to-date health and safety data and use it to ensure their tenants’ homes are safe.

"As well as our ongoing investigations, we will be out on the front foot from next April inspecting landlords to make sure they are providing good-quality homes and services."

Speaking about the report, a Wigan Council spokesperson said: “Ensuring our residents have access to good quality, affordable and safe homes is a key priority for Wigan Council.

“We have been engaging with the Regulator of Social Housing to ensure that the Council is ready for the upcoming new regulations which come into force in April 2024.

“We acknowledge there is some work to do before then to ensure we are fully compliant with its existing consumer standards and will continue to work with the regulator to ensure this is completed as soon as possible.”