POOR quality flat conversions are the "bane of our life" - according to Bradford Council's housing standards team.

The team is responsible for inspecting rented properties in the District in order to ensure compliance with housing legislation, and gave an annual update on their work to members of Bradford Council's Regeneration and Environment Scrutiny Committee on Tuesday night.

In 2018/19 the service received 2,179 service requests relating to poor quality housing. In the first nine months of the 2019/20 financial year there were 1,651 requests.

The Committee was told that the most frequently scored hazards they encountered were fire, damp and mould, electrical hazards and excess cold.

During 2018/19 the team served 917 notices requiring works to be undertaken.

Housing conditions were improved in 1,229 properties and 11 prosecutions were taken for non compliance.

Over £150,000 in penalty notices were handed out.

Bradford Council team ensures that rented homes come up to standard

There had been a number of intensive sessions in some areas where poor quality housing and associated issues, like fly tipping and overcrowding, were a problem - including Great Horton.

Other work has seen the team monitor the quality of properties above shops in areas like Leeds Road, Manchester Road and Manningham.

Councillor Ralph Berry (Lab, Wibsey) pointed out that housing quality was a difficult issue to tackle in Bradford, as the District had a high number of old houses.

He repeated concerns he had raised at a previous meeting about the number of poor quality office to flat conversions in Bradford city centre. He had said these conversions are often cramped and poorly constructed.

Under current Government legislation, developers can convert empty offices into flats without planning permission.

Julie Rhodes, from the housing standards team, replied: "These conversions are the bane of our life."

She said many of these flats have "complex" ownership issues that can make it difficult to track down who is actually responsible for their upkeep.

She added: "We are trying to get involved with these developments at the earliest opportunities to the standards we'll hold them to, and what will happen if they don't meet them."