ODS to stop non-emergency housing work

ODS to stop non-emergency housing work

Oxford City Council is working in partnership with ODS to ensure that, during the current coronavirus outbreak essential building services will continue.

We are therefore putting the following measures in place to safe guard employees and tenants, maintain and deliver emergency services as the situation develops and support the Oxford Community Hub.

As of today ODS will stop all non-essential building repairs so that staff and resources can be diverted to deliver and maintain emergency and critical services. Emergency services will comprise:
•         gas safety and compliance
•         heating
•         electrical safety and compliance 
•         serious structural work, including roof leaks
•         running water, plumbing and toilets
•         disabled adaptions to free up hospital space 

Non-essential services that will stop are:
•         fencing
•         kitchen and bathroom work
•         glazing, except for emergency or security repairs
•         non-emergency pest control 
•         minor or routine maintenance
•         external works

Cllr Nigel Chapman, Cabinet Member for Safer Communities and Customer Focused Services said: "In these challenging times ODS needs to focus housing service resources on the most essential work. Whilst we understand tenants will be disappointed that they will have to wait longer for non emergency repairs we're sure that our customers will understand this and help us to ensure that we can continue to get emergency work done."

To report a housing repair visit www.oxford.gov.uk/info/20109/housing_repairs.

When booking an emergency repair please tell us if you have a suspected or confirmed coronavirus case in the household.

For more on the Council’s response to coronavirus visit: https://www.oxford.gov.uk/coronavirus.