RESIDENTS living in council houses in Winsford will now have only emergency and urgent housing repairs carried out.

Cheshire West and Chester housing management provider ForHousing announced the new policy today and it will be in place for the foreseeable future.

This applies to all council housing tenants in and Winsford and tenants at the council’s Gypsy and Traveller sites.

ForHousing has made these changes following Government guidelines on observing social distancing, in order to reduce the spread of the virus and to protect tenants and staff. Tenants can still report all repairs by phone, email or live chat.

If repairs are not classed as an emergency or urgent repair, they will still be logged but it will not be possible, at present, to give a time when the repair can be undertaken.

Emergency repairs include an uncontainable water leak / burst, a total loss of power supply, a blocked toilet (if there is only one in the home) and a gas leak.

Urgent repairs cover a partial loss of power supply, leaks that can be contained, leaks from the roof and a loss of heating or hot water.

READ > Staff at Swanlow Lane Post Office staff thanked for serving the community in the pandemic

Tenants who need a repair and are unsure what category it is in, should message ForHousing on their live chat, email them on hello@forhousing.co.uk or call them on 0300 123 5522.

If anyone whohas an emergency or urgent repair but are feeling unwell, with a cough, high fever or difficulty breathing, please let ForHousing know so that they can put in place measures to come into your home in a safe way.

As part of the social distancing measures, the ForHousing reception service is now closed. Only visits at ForHousing offices by people with a pre-booked appointment can be accepted. Anyone without an appointment should contact ForHousing via email, phone or live chat.

The council fully supports ForHousing in adopting these measures to protect staff and tenants and stop the spread of the virus. The council will continue to work with all of our partners to ensure that all possible actions are taken to minimise the risk to residents and those delivering key services across the borough.