A cash pot of more than £5 million is to be spent upgrading council housing in the Braintree district.

The investment is part of a drive to ensure everyone has access to decent, affordable property and to reduce short-term repair costs.

Eileen Davidson, Braintree Council's lead member for housing, said: "Good quality housing is a vital part of people's quality of life, which is why this is such an important area. It can also affect their health.

"We are constantly striving to improve the quality of our accommodation because people have a right to expect a decent house.

"Recently, for example, we have been spending money fitting double-glazed windows in our houses as part of a drive to save energy."

The council has spelt out its intentions in a new 16-page booklet called At Your Service 2000. In it, the following ambitions are revealed:

To consult tenants on priorities and enable certain groups to decide their own spending

To form stronger partnerships with local housing associations

To consider charging for certain repairs

To introduce better DIY allowances to tenants

To bring in cost assessment of heating, especially for tenants on low income.

Housing chiefs also plan to get tough with tenants who deliberately damage council property.

Mrs Davidson said: "In the past we have been in the habit of helping people, like when they lock themselves out, and not always charging. We have got to put a limit on things like this.

"Last year, £4.4 million was spent improving council housing in the district and I was very pleased with our performance. It is especially satisfying in this day and age because housing is expensive and in relatively short supply."

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.