The council's new administration has decided to create a dedicated Housing Directorate to tackle complex, long-standing issues concerning housing standards, the delivery of new homes, homelessness prevention, and the increasing demand for temporary accommodation.
Bob Granville has been appointed as the interim Executive Director of Housing, with recruitment for the permanent role commencing immediately. The Directorate will operate under the shared staffing arrangements with Richmond Council, though Wandsworth's housing improvement agenda is the primary driver for this change.
Responsible for over 32,000 managed homes, the new directorate will oversee an extensive Housing Improvement and Transformation Plan. This plan was established following a February 2025 ruling by the Regulator of Social Housing, which mandated significant improvements for Wandsworth.
A key objective is to strengthen the influence of tenants and leaseholders in decision-making processes, alongside enhancing housing safety, repairs, and maintenance. The Directorate will ensure a clear line of accountability from residents to frontline housing services and senior council leadership, ensuring tenant and leaseholder experiences inform service priorities and investment decisions.
Success will be evaluated through improvements in Tenant Satisfaction Measures, leading to safer and better-maintained homes, more responsive services, and stronger resident engagement.
The Directorate will also offer enhanced support to leaseholders. The council plans to review and improve repayment terms for major works for owner-occupier leaseholders, and increase transparency in service charges for both leaseholders and council tenants.
Furthermore, the Directorate will focus on preventing homelessness and reducing the number of households in temporary accommodation, aiming to improve outcomes for these individuals and reduce costs for council taxpayers. This initiative is expected to assist Wandsworth Council in managing its strained budgets by providing dedicated attention to homelessness.
The work of the new Directorate will complement a renewed focus on collaborative efforts with developers to foster the construction of new homes across the borough. It will also bolster support for housing association residents to ensure they receive a decent service.
Wandsworth Council Leader Robert Morritt stated, “A safe and well-managed home is vitally important for all Wandsworth residents, and the foundation stone for a successful, healthy life. This new administration is refocusing the council on delivering higher standards for the benefit of existing tenants and leaseholders. As part of that, we will give residents more say in the management of their homes.”
He added, “The amount the council spends on temporary accommodation every year has risen by almost 700% since 2020. Our new Housing Directorate will give this issue the attention it needs and ensure we get better value for taxpayers' money. The creation of a dedicated Housing Directorate is a huge step forward in addressing the previous failures of the council in Housing, and giving our residents the high-quality service they deserve.”
