Overview
- Communities Secretary Steve Reed wrote to South Cambridgeshire’s leader on 28 October citing deteriorations in rent collection, reletting times and tenant satisfaction with repairs, and requested a meeting to provide assurance on value for money.
- South Cambridgeshire made its four-day week permanent in July after a 2023–2024 trial, with staff on full pay for roughly 32 hours a week while offices remain open five days and the contact centre runs longer hours.
- An independent analysis by the Universities of Salford, Bradford and Cambridge reported that 21 of 24 monitored services improved or held steady, while three housing-related metrics worsened.
- Council leader Bridget Smith argued the housing dips were driven by external factors and contractor performance, and pointed to a 41% fall in staff turnover, a 123% rise in job applications and about £400,000 in annual savings.
- A separate DJS Research open consultation found statistically significant drops in resident satisfaction for nine of 13 services, drawing criticism from local Conservatives and campaigners, while ministers acknowledge they lack legal power to force a policy reversal.