Cornwall Council and its arm’s length company Cornwall Housing have admitted they face making “difficult choices” when it comes to vital repairs to the 10,300 council homes in the Duchy.

Both bodies have started a review of “all the options available to minimise the impact of budgetary pressures”.

The comments come after we asked the council if it was true that Cornwall Housing was in the process of asking Cornwall Council for permission to stop all planned repairs on its houses, which would mean, if approved, the company would respond to urgent or emergency repairs only.

Earlier this year, the council admitted that a third of its homes didn’t meet the Government’s standard of decency, with hundreds of people living in houses and flats with ongoing damp and mould issues.

A spokesperson for the council told us: “The social housing sector across the country is currently operating in challenging financial circumstances. For Cornwall Housing and Cornwall Council this has prompted a review of all the options available to minimise the impact of budgetary pressures.

“Last year we undertook a detailed review of our housing revenue account finances to maximise the funds available to improve council homes. Whilst over the long term there are funds available which will deliver significant improvements, the short-term position is extremely challenging.

“Through conversations with residents and reflecting statutory requirements we have prioritised the safety of our homes. Over the past year we have made significant improvements in the standards around gas and electrical testing and will continue to drive forward other changes supporting safety. Since April this has included tackling damp and mould-related issues in more than 1,000 homes and carrying out more than 14,000 repairs and 60 disabled adaptations, as well as installing 346 new fire doors.”

The spokesperson added: “However, the complexity of the work and increased costs of delivery mean that our costs have increased and we have to make some difficult choices about what we can do to ensure that we can respond to those most in need.

“We want to reassure residents that their safety continues to be our top priority and, should a decision be made to change our repairs process, tenants will always be able to contact us 24 hours a day, seven days a week for emergency repairs.”