IMPROVEMENTS are being made to more than 50 properties in Boscombe's Churchill Gardens as part of a Bournemouth council scheme.

Residents of the conservation area were sent leaflet 'A short guide to improving your property' during the summer.

Homeowners are urged to carry out works to their addresses, including repainting front doors in a 'dark colour', removing 'unnecessary' satellite dishes and aerials and re-paving paths with terracotta and black tiles.

Three months on, works have been completed at 13 properties. Works have also started at 40 further addresses.

In August, the Daily Echo reported that council officials said they could take legal action against half of all properties in Churchill Gardens.

Of 98 homes in the area, 90 required improvement. Of the 90, 46 were said to be in "such a poor state of maintenance" that the council could take enforcement action.

Kelly Ansell, head of housing and community enforcement for the council, this week said: “The vast majority of property owners have been in contact with us, undertaken the works or provided timescales of these works.

"We are keen to work with property owners and are mindful that additional help may be needed to ensure the works carried out are not harmful to the conservation status.

"Adequate notice to residents and tenants is also required to ensure there is minimal impact on their daily lives and therefore we are working with owners to agree timescales for work completion."

There are still homeowners who have failed to engage with officials. she said.

"Where works have not been started and we have had no engagement from owners we are pursuing enforcement actions," she said.

"Owners will receive a formal warning letter and failure to comply within the given timescale will result in a full notice being issued.”

Ms Ansell said the scale and detail of work required differs "significantly" for each of the properties.