The chairman of Douglas’s housing committee has defended the authority’s record on maintenance after a colleague said it was ’unacceptable’.

Claire Wells was responded to questions from Councillor Sam Hamer as the council published its figures for the second quarter of 2020/21.

Throughout the second quarter the council managed to carry out an average 57.3% of emergency, urgent and routine repairs within the target time. On average 76.7% of void properties, including those requiring major works, were completed within the specified programme.

Mr Hamer said the figures were ’unacceptable’ and asked Mrs Wells if the council’s targets were ’unachieveable’.

Before Mrs Wells responded, Councillor Ian Clague pointed out that the second quarter figures included a large part of the island’s Covid-19 lockdown when staff were unable to enter properties without an exemption.

Mrs Wells said the council was not failing and reiterated that ’when we couldn’t enter properties to carry out repairs, it caused issues’.

She said that the council is also struggling with a low number of resources because of the construction boom in the island which happened post lockdown and has left many firms trying to find staff.

The council is ’struggling against the private sector’, she said but assured councillor that the authority was doing the best it could to carry out maintenance.

Mrs Wells also noted that the council doesn’t set its maintenance targets. They are set by the DoI, which expects a 100% success rate. She said this is likely unrealistic for any housing authority.