Bradford Council has been forced to pay £1 million from its hard-pressed house repairs budget after being threatened with court action by hundreds of tenants.

The soaring bill has prompted opposition councillors to brand the repairs budget as "out-of-control".

Today, Housing Minister Hillary Armstrong, in Bradford for a national conference, stepped in with a promise to try to sort out the crisis.

The huge financial drain means improvements like double glazing which some people have waited for years will now have to be rationed, a housing chief warned. But in an exclusive interview with the Telegraph & Argus, Mrs Armstrong said she was determined to tackle the issue which is dogging councils around the country.

She added that the Government was releasing £800 million to councils through capital receipts.

She said: "I understand from the Telegraph & Argus that there are people who have not even applied to have the repairs done. It is money which has always been hard to get. My concern is that money which has been made available for councils to catch up on repairs could go on legal fees."

Mrs Armstrong said the Government wanted to improve the quality of life for tenants but recognised the importance of a housing planning system to get value for money. The £1m has had to be found from the £9m repairs budget which includes items agreed with tenants at the start of the year.

It has left the budget in chaos because hundreds of tenants have acted through solicitors serving legal notices on the Council to do work or go to court.

The Council, which has about 250 cases in the pipeline, says the heavy costs are in officer time, legal advice and surveys. But solicitors deny the costs to the Council are so high and say tenants have the right to take action..

Strategic director of housing Patrick Howley said the authority had to do repairs, often minor, rather go to court, which had resulted in:

work at houses being rationed; and

staff being diverted from essential duties.

Liberal Democrat leader Councillor Jeanette Sunderland said she was shocked about plans to ration work.

David Parker, chairman of Bradford East Tenants Federation, said: "The Council should not be talking about rationing. If it takes that attitude it is going to lead to even more court cases,"

Tory group housing spokesman Councillor Simon Cooke said: "The Council is not keeping the housing stock in a good enough state. It needs to put more in the repairs budget."

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