Wigan Council To Consult On Scrapping ALMO

Wigan Council will consult on scrapping its ALMO and bringing housing management back in-house. The council reviewed Wigan and Leigh Homes and a subsequent report published by consultancy Deloitte concluded an in-house housing service would work better than the current ALMO set-up. Wigan and Leigh Homes was set up in 2002 and manages 22,600 homes. A report to the council said: “At the time, the formation of the ALMO was the correct decision, and was the only way that the council could have secured such significant investment in its housing stock.” Read more on Inside Housing.

Will 'World First' Energy Pilot See Tenants' Fuel Bills Fall?

Hundreds of council tenants are set to benefit from cheaper energy bills thanks to a world first trial, Wigan Borough Council has claimed.  More than 300 council homes in Wigan Borough  will be fitted with state-of-the-art smart energy systems developed by Japanese experts, in a trial that could lead to £20 million being invested in the local economy. The homes' current heating systems will be replaced with air source heat pumps which effectively act as air conditioning units in reverse, compressing air to produce heat and hot water. Read more on 24dash.