Hi all,

When Sheffield Homes first started modernising council properties, this included driveways, re-tarmaccing and building walls and finally gates to make the properties more private and respectable. Now, apparently, unless you live at Arbourthorne or Firth Park, this is not being done anymore :loopy: Apparently the cash supplied for these improvements has 'run out!'

Id like to hear from anyone in areas apart from the above mentioned if youve had your driveway done in the last 12 months please, it would be a great help. Im trying to get mine done for reasons of security and privacy.

Not just council properties had these improvements, many private houses did too, before the money ran out :rolleyes:

Thanks in advance :thumbsup:

Some properties in the Wordsworth area of Parson Cross had this done.They look quite good but they do lose all privacy in their front gardens.

I'd expect a "why should my tax be used to make your property better" backlash....

I'm fairly sure the money for gates and drives has nothing to do with 'Decent Homes' - I think it came via Sheffield Council, who probably got the funding specifically to improve certain areas.

The Decent Homes Standard on Sheffield Homes website says homes will be:

Be free from damp
Have a kitchen less than 20 years old
Have a bathroom less than 20 years old
Have an efficient heating system and insulation
Be in a good state of repair
Have double glazed windows
Have secure external doors

Walls, gates and drives appear to be an extra in some areas, but I don't think it was expected that every council house would get them. I'd ask for a clear explanation about whats happening in your area from Sheffield Homes, or contact one of your councillors.

Hi all,

When Sheffield Homes first started modernising council properties, this included driveways, re-tarmaccing and building walls and finally gates to make the properties more private and respectable. Now, apparently, unless you live at Arbourthorne or Firth Park, this is not being done anymore :loopy: Apparently the cash supplied for these improvements has 'run out!'

Id like to hear from anyone in areas apart from the above mentioned if youve had your driveway done in the last 12 months please, it would be a great help. Im trying to get mine done for reasons of security and privacy.

Not just council properties had these improvements, many private houses did too, before the money ran out :rolleyes:

Thanks in advance :thumbsup:


I live in a Sanctuary housing house , they told us the same thing, now they're saying that we can only have wooden fencing with no gravel boards underneath, no drives for anyone on our rd.

I think they promise all these things so as to get the money from the EU, then when they get it it's bye bye promises. What they do with the money they get is anyones guess. :suspect:

I'd expect a "why should my tax be used to make your property better" backlash....

:rolleyes:youre probably right, but if council and private properties have had them done, then the tax thing shouldnt be an issue really. Taxes are used for worse things IMO.

I'm fairly sure the money for gates and drives has nothing to do with 'Decent Homes' - I think it came via Sheffield Council, who probably got the funding specifically to improve certain areas.

The Decent Homes Standard on Sheffield Homes website says homes will be:

Be free from damp
Have a kitchen less than 20 years old
Have a bathroom less than 20 years old
Have an efficient heating system and insulation
Be in a good state of repair
Have double glazed windows
Have secure external doors

Walls, gates and drives appear to be an extra in some areas, but I don't think it was expected that every council house would get them. I'd ask for a clear explanation about whats happening in your area from Sheffield Homes, or contact one of your councillors.

We've only been in the property for 6 months, but the previous tennants had the offer of walls and gates, they must have refused them for some reason. My point is its my tenancy now, so why refuse to do it when they offered to do it before?:confused:

Im going to see the area councillor next Tuesday to see if anything can be done, Im not letting this go.

santuary are laying drives and building wall and fitting gates at one end of
hartley brook rd and telling others on the same rd they cant have them.h

santuary are laying drives and building wall and fitting gates at one end of
hartley brook rd and telling others on the same rd they cant have them.h

This is the same as they are doing on Hartley Brook Ave, It will look awful, the fencing they put in is horrible :gag:

Ms Macbeth is totally right - this work is not related to Decent Homes and the money comes from a completely different area, the Housing Market Renewable Fund (HMRF) and I'm pretty sure that it was made up of EU grants. Particularly in Arbourthorne, this work is being carried out alongside the Decent Homes refurbishments, hence the confusion I think.

The money for this work has always been very limited which is why the bulk of it has been spent in so-called "pathfinder" areas such as Arbourthorne and Firth Park. The funding was allocated by the government on the basis that it was used to lift the look of certain estates, which is why privately owned properties were included in the scheme too. There was also an opportunity (based on certain criteria) of private owners having a new front door and new uPVC windows to the front of their house, again with the idea of sprucing up the estate and making everything look shiny and new.