Enfield Council has achieved the highest grade for consumer standards following an inspection by the government’s social housing regulator

Joanne Drew, executive director for housing and regeneration at Enfield Council (left) with Ayten Guzel, cabinet member for housing (right)

Enfield Council has been placed among the top-performing social landlords in the country by a government regulator in what it hailed as a “major milestone”.

The local authority was awarded a ‘C1’ rating by the Regulator of Social Housing, a first for the borough. It makes Enfield only the second council in London to achieve the high grade, and puts it among only four in total nationally.

It means the council has been deemed to be successfully delivering the outcomes of all standards judged by the regulator, including safety, quality, tenancy, neighbourhood and community engagement, and transparency.

The inspection recognised the council’s “proactive approach” to tenant safety, with 94% of homes already meeting the ‘decent homes’ standard and a “clear plan” in place to reach 100% by March next year.

It also highlighted the council’s “effective, efficient, and timely” repairs service, strong antisocial behaviour response, and “commitment to treating tenants with fairness and respect”.

In its summary published online today (Wednesday 30th), the regulator concluded: “Overall, we found that Enfield [Council] ensures complaints are addressed fairly, promptly and effectively.”

The regulator also noted the council was taking “all reasonable steps” to ensure health and safety compliance and had improved the accessibility of repair reporting.

Speaking about the achievement, Ayten Guzel, the council’s cabinet member for housing, said: “We are incredibly proud to receive this recognition. This is a testament to the commitment we have shown to council housing, and the dedication and hard work of our housing teams.

“The strong relationships we have built with our residents puts us in a good position to drive further improvement. But, we are not complacent. A C1 rating is a landmark, not a destination. We know there is always more we can do, and we are committed to learning, listening and continuing to improve the services we provide to our residents.”

Through Enfield 500, a new tenant advisory group launched last year, residents are invited to give feedback on matters related to council housing, including scrutinising services.

Council leader Ergin Ergil added: “I’m grateful to our housing team for all their hard work. It’s great to see that the progress we’ve made is being recognised.

“We want our tenants and leaseholders to have safe homes in good neighbourhoods. We’ll continue to take our housing services from strength to strength. We’ll keep listening to residents and keep working to make our housing estates and services even better. We’re committed to creating a stronger Enfield and this is an important step in that direction.”

In the online summary of its inspection the regulator did not make any reference to the three social housing blocks in Edmonton which are in the process of being decommissioned after being deemed to be “unsafe“. The final council tenants were relocated in March, over two years after the dangers were identified.

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