Emergency gas safety checks needed to be carried out at more than 900 Redditch Council properties

A notice of motion will be put forward at the Redditch Council meeting next Monday, January 30, calling for Labour Councillor Mark Shurmer to quit.

Proposed by Councillor Brandon Clayton, and seconded by Councillor David Thain, the motion says: "This Labour administration has once more proved incompetent and demonstrated its complacent attitude to its Council housing responsibilities.

"Statutory council house gas safety tests were previously not completed on time, resulting in confusion, worry and considerable inconvenience for several hundred properties. Redditch Borough Council has had to pay out huge sums of money for audits, investigations and the subsequent work to ensure the safety of residents.

"After being investigated by the HSE and HCA, all councillors need assurances that this will not happen again.

"We therefore propose a vote of no confidence and call upon the Portfolio Holder for Housing to finally shoulder his duties, accept his responsibilities and resign."

In 2015 the Advertiser reported that emergency gas safety checks needed to be carried out at more than 900 Redditch Council properties after the council admitted it had breached its duty to tenants.

Council chiefs called for immediate action after it was revealed that essential safety inspections were overdue at 927 of the council's properties.

Because of the failure bosses had to try to contact more than 900 tenants to arrange immediate safety checks.

An investigation concluded last year with new safeguards put in place.

Speaking to the Advertiser Councillor Shurmer steadfastly said that he would not resign.

"Things go wrong in all walks of life," he said.

"We acted with complete openness and worked with officers to look at how to put it right.

"Work was then put in place to put the situation right."

He added: "I'm puzzled as to why and how this motion has come about."