There is an estimated £120 million backlog of repairs needed in private housing in Derby. It is not possible or appropriate for us to offer to help in all cases.
Homeowners are responsible for maintaining their homes and most will have to pay for their own repairs without grant help. Doing nothing, however, would have serious consequences for the city. Areas where people are least able to afford repairs would decline even more, leading to falling house prices, abandoned properties and slum conditions. Eventually there would have to be large-scale demolition costing millions of pounds.
Our policy is aimed at investing in Derby’s private housing – a major public asset in the long term – in areas of decline.
We will keep improving old, inner-city areas with housing problems using a rolling programme of designated areas. When taking the tough decisions on which areas to tackle, we consider housing, socio-economic and environmental conditions, land use, the views of residents and businesses and the Council’s wider regeneration priorities.
In these areas, major work is for immediate and long-term improvement to an area. These are usually group repair schemes, environmental improvements and sometimes selective demolition.
If you live in a designated area, you don’t need to contact us or be on a ‘waiting list’; although it may be useful to have your details and interest on file. We will deliver newsletters to tell you what is happening generally and contact you directly if your home could be part of a particular scheme.
Osmaston Housing Improvement Zone
Work started in June 2003 and is ongoing. Click above for more details of the area and progress so far.
Hartington Street Renewal Area
The Hartington Street Renewal Area was officially declared on 11 June 2002 following a nine-month long study and consultation period. Click above for more details of the area and progress so far.
Rosehill Housing Improvement Zone
Work started in January 1999 and was completed in June 2003. At the end of the project, 328 houses had been improved through 16 group repair schemes.
Pear Tree Renewal Area
The largest urban renewal programme to be completed so far in Derby saw 1755 houses improved through 96 group repair schemes. Work to the first scheme started in Autumn 1992 and in March 2003 - ten years later - the final scheme was completed. Click above for more details of the area and how it was improved.
St Mark's Renewal Area
This was the second renewal area declared in Derby. Work started in Autumn 1994 and was completed in January 2001. In just over six years, 317 houses were improved in 37 group repair schemes.
Group Repair Schemes
Group repair schemes are major external renovation and refurbishment of a whole block or street in one contract. Click above for more details of how group repair and other area based schemes work.
Normanton Home Zone
Derby City Council was awarded £1 million in January 2002 from the Government’s £30 million Home Zone Challenge Fund for the Normanton Home Zone. This was one of the highest awards for any council in the country. Click above for more details of the Home Zone.
Links to other Private Sector Housing web pages:
Home Maintenance Guide
Home Energy
Empty Properties
Housing Standards - private rented accommodation
For more advice and information:
Please contact us using the details below, or you can use the contact form at the bottom of this page:
Pear Tree Home Improvement Centre
182 Pear Tree Road,
Derby
DE23 8NQ
Telephone: 01332 718800
Fax: 01332 293129
Minicom: 01332 256666
Email: housing.grants@derby.gov.uk