Following the great B&NES council housing sell-off in 1999, which saw 11000 homes sold to Somer Community Housing Trust, transferred tenants were promised in the legally binding transfer agreement that their homes would be brought up to the Decent Homes Standard by no later than 2010. ie: new double glazing, heating systems, kitchens and bathrooms which were replacing items that had reached the end of their 20-30 year life cycle.

In 2010 with over 1500 homes and flats still not brought up to a decent standard Somer Housing promised the outstanding work would be completed between April 2011 – April 2012. Work was subsequently started on a small number of properties in the Fox Hill area of Bath but suddenly stopped half way through in late 2011.

In early 2012 Somer Housing promised work would be completed between April 2012- April 2013 This did not happen.

Now tenants are being told that only the properties in Foxhill will be completed between April 2013-April 2014 while the rest will have to wait until April 2014-April 2015 before the work is carried out.

As these works are categorised as essential repairs ie: replacing items that have reached the end of their life cycle eg: kitchens installed in 1970 with a life cycle of 25 years, then tenants have a clear case to put to the Bath County Court requesting that an urgent repairs notice be issued against Somer Housing forcing it to comply with its legal and moral obligations to its tenants. Apart from that tenants have very strong grounds for bringing their concerns to the Housing Ombudsman eg: repeated broken promises, lack of proper facilities adversely impacting on their lives etc.,