Birmingham's absentee housing director has said he intends to return to the job despite last week's damning assessment of the council's repairs and maintenance service by the Audit Commission
David Thompson, who joined the Local Government Association on a six-month secondment at the end of August, also denied that his departure from Birmingham council had anything to do with the parlous state of the city's council housing.

In his first interview since his move to the LGA, where he will promote council housing's case for a bigger share of next year's comprehensive spending review, Thompson said the secondment was planned well before Birmingham's current troubles. "There are issues that Birmingham can contribute to nationally, and I will do that here," he said. "I'm looking forward to contributing during a period of government review of housing expenditure – and a return to Birmingham."

Last week, inspectors gave the council's repairs and maintenance service zero stars – the lowest possible rating – for the second time in a row (HT 19 September, page 7).

The commission's assessment came hot on the heels of the council's admission, earlier this month, that it would have trouble meeting seven of its 11 housing service targets (HT 5 September, page 8).

But Thompson, who joined Birmingham in 2000, denied that his directorship of the council had been a failure.

"The inspection report acknowledges that the pace of change was too slow. But I'd like to emphasise there were two judgments: that the service continues to be poor, but it continues to be likely to improve," he said.

The inspection acknowledges that the pace of change was too slow – but that it continues to be likely to improve

David Thompson, on secondment to the Local Government Association

Meanwhile, a performance improvement programme was presented to the council's cabinet at a meeting on Monday.

The plan – which sets out a process for identifying and assigning repair jobs – sets the target of clearing the current backlog of 48,000 repairs by March next year.

A committee chaired by Phil Murphy, Birmingham's cabinet member of housing, is to consider the plan at a meeting in two weeks' time.

Housing consultants from financial services firm Deloitte & Touche have been hired to help the council simplify its current contractual arrangements with its two maintenance contractors – Accord and Serviceteam.

Source

Housing Today