A Government Minister has praised the multi-million refurbishment of council homes in Sandwell which has brought "unbelievable improvements" to the standard of living for council tenants.

John Healey, Minister of State for Local Government, said the work by Sandwell Homes and its partners on the Decent Homes Programme had been "very, very impressive" and was a great credit to the company and to Sandwell Council.

Mr Healey was speaking after a tour of the refurbished Neale House and Macauley House in the Kenrick Park area of West Browmich and watching construction work on the neighbouring Greenford House high rise block.

The Minister said the new-look nine-storey Neale and Macauley Houses concrete framed tower blocks built in the early 1960's - were very impressive - but said he was even more impressed by the comments of tenants in the homes.

"The tenants are so pleased with their improved homes that they do not call them flats any more, they call them apartments," he said. "These blocks were built more than 40 years ago - and yet they look brand new."

Mr Healey was impressed to hear from Sandwell Homes employees that there used to be 120 empty flats on the estate, but now there were only four. "I was also told that there was no reported crimes in January and there were more police in the area," he said.

Tenants had told him that they "really loved" living in their improved blocks and on the estate, he said.

One of them Balbinder Takher, a disabled woman in a wheelchair, approached the Minister and asked him to visit her flat. She said: "I want to thank you for giving me my lovely new home."

Another tenant Veronica Jones told Mr Healey that she was "very comfortable indeed" in her new flat, which had been created out of a former bin store area.

Mr Healey was shown around by Sandwell Council leader Cllr Bill Thomas and John Clayton, Investment Director at Sandwell Homes.

Cllr Thomas said: "We are immensely proud of the work that Sandwell Homes have done and it was a pleasure to show the Minister the standards being achieved for tenants.

"It was very satisfying to hear Mr Healey praise the programme work done by Sandwell Homes and its partners which have improved the standards of living for our tenants.

"We are now reaping the rewards of working so closely with the Government and Sandwell Homes on the modernisation of council homes and are grateful to the huge investment Ministers have provided for the schemes.

"I am pleased that the blocks are so attractive and are changing the skyline and there is no doubt that the whole Kenrick Park area will look so impressive when the work is completed on the other blocks."

The 64 tenants at the eye-catching Neale House and Macaulay House have had a wide range of improvements, including double-glazed windows, ventilation systems, new secure-by-design front entrance doors and improved insulation. The work has been done by Lovells, one of Sandwell Homes partners.

The high-rise programme was started in 2006 and involves mainly external improvements to 44 buildings above five storeys in height.

The overall programme has been done with Sandwell Homes' three construction partners - Connaught, Lovell and Thomas Vale with Urban Design of Sandwell Council administering the project on behalf of Sandwell Homes. Rider Levett Bucknall, supported by BM3 Architecture are consultants, supporting Urban Design.

Other high rise blocks in Sandwell are not covered by the Decent Homes Programme because they were already up to Government standards.