NEARLY four per cent of private houses in Swindon are unfit for human habit-ation.

And a geographical divide is opening up between the older, inner areas of the town where housing is relatively poor, and the outer, newer areas where houses are of average quality.

The findings have been published this week by Swindon Council following a survey of the town's private housing stock.

About 1,000 randomly selected homes were visited by consultants David Adamson and Partners, who looked in detail at their physical condition as well as considering inhabitants' satisfaction levels.

Another notable finding was that 88 per cent of families living in unfit houses are very satisfied with their current housing, showing residents' perceptions about their homes are often very different to the official conclusion reached by inspectors.

The survey proves that council houses are in better shape than private properties.

According to the most recent surveys, none of the council's properties are unfit for habitation, and the local authority is on target for all of its 10,940 homes to meet the Government's Decent Homes Standard by 2008 two years ahead of the deadline.

The council's own Swindon Standard will also see all its houses fitted with smoke detectors, low energy lighting systems and extra insulation by 2016.

Reacting to the survey of private housing, Paul Simmonds, of Swindon Council's residential services team, said: "The state of Swindon's housing is better than average, and there are much bigger problems in the Midlands and the North.

"But there are still fairly significant levels of unfit properties.

"Where people are living in poor conditions the council has a role to play in sorting it out."

Andy Tate