Manchester City Council has welcomed the government's confirmation of more than £25m to fund home improvements in Collyhurst and West Gorton.

The announcement was made by Government ending a period of uncertainty.

Manchester was provisionally awarded £29.245m of Decent Homes funding over four years in February 2011 but only 2011/12 (£3.1m) and 2012/13 (£0.5m) were confirmed with the bulk of the funding (£5m in 2013/14 and £20.645m in 2014/15) ‘backloaded' in the later years.

Since then the council has improved 213 homes with an initial £4m of Decent Homes funding giving them a new lease-of-life with enhancements including the replacement of single-glazed windows and doors with new energy efficient double glazing, replacement kitchens and bathrooms, the installation of energy efficient boilers and better insulation.

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The announcement means that the council will be able to move ahead with home improvements for Collyhurst residents beyond October 2012 when the current years Decent Homes funding was due to run out. It means contractors will be able to stay on site and continue with the programme of upgrading the stock. It also means that the Council can start to demolish recently emptied poor quality housing in the West Gorton are.

Councillor Jim Battle, deputy leader of Manchester City Council, said: "Securing this funding is great news for the area and we welcome the announcement and the Governments continued interest in what we're doing here.

"Securing this funding means that we can get on with the improvements which Collyhurst residents need and deserve and removes uncertainty. It also gives confidence to residents in West Gorton that we are able to continue the major improvements we have started there by demolishing poor quality empty stock on the estate."

(CD/GK)