Bushes continued.

Speaking to the council following further exchange of letters the bushes above the car parking area are to be added to the horticulture schedule and be cut back to the top of the boundary wall.

This will hopefully but an end to the organic debris falling and more importantly marking our cars parked there.

So I complained about the bushes (again) & other issues.

You will note that even though we are supposed to have our own Estate Housing Officer now, this compaint was not even handled in our local office at Fulham Town Hall.

I have edited the response as it is unfair to name council individuals.

How not to deal with a complaint.

Click on image to enlarge.

My initial letter.


The H&F Homes response - not even our housing office ????



My escalation - any wonder?

Estate visits and notice boards.

Did you know that the estate visits are still ongoing?

Did you know we have a new estate officer?

Have you noticed the new extremely large notice boards placed at the entrance of every block?

In the spirit of ongoing better communication between H&F Homes and the residents. The information on Estate Visits has been removed from buildings several months ago.

The notice boards contain no information on anything. How much did these cost? As they are not being used is this not a waste of money?

Yes we have a new Estate Officer, second one in as many months.

The only reason I found out Estate Visits were still continuing is I happened accross a group of people looking at the estate buildings and asked.

Satellite Systems.

You will know that I have been concerned about the plans to have a communal satellite dish per block and the mass removal of individual Sky and other satellite dishes.

I objected to the planning application for this on the basis that tenants will have individual contracts where relevant, or have gone to the expense of investing in Free to Air (FTA) or Freesat dishes on their properties.

That enforcing this change on tenants may place the tenant to become in breach and liable under their Sky contracts. Or the loss of the investment for other systems installed.

In my case. When I moved into the estate, several years ago, I invested in my own antenna on the roof to recieve freeview.

There is no need for the council to touch my antenna it is not part of the existing communal system. However they are insisting on proceeding.

I have asked them to compensate me for this loss. So far this point, after 2 years has still been ignored.

The last correspondence on the Satellite front was January of this year. It notes further thinking on the points raised but again the result of this process has not been forthcomming.

Legally, as the council have allowed through in action over several years. People to erect their own satellite systems. I believe they have no right to enforce any removal of existing systems and dishes.

Not everyone will want access to a communal Sky dish - will they have to pay a monthly fee for this anyway?

Those who use other satellite systems to access foreign language or FreeSat will need dishes on the roof to point to the various satellites are they going to be provided so that we have a roof of communal satellite dishes?

What I have noticed from Decent Homes.

Over the last few months, talking to those I know on the estate. The main criticism of the Decent Homes project has been the confusion or lack of communication between the contractor & residents.

Plans seem to have been poorly drafted. Residents undertstood they would be consulted about what was going to happen in their homes. However once the builders are in. Some cases have left many angry that the works have left them with less storage space, no proper showers, external vents have been left exposed for pigeons to roost in.

One resident battled with the contractors to retain some tiles they had already installed and wanted to keep. Thankfully they won out. However this was not without the stress of fighting for it.

Yes this work will create stress and frustration as is the nature of the works. The council seems to sit back and let the contractor deal with the residents. Both unfair on these parties.

It was the council that made the caveat with residents that they would be involved in the decisons concerning their homes. For they are at the end of the day - peoples homes.

So many have told me that they will have to buy in time new kitchen cabinets as those supplied are too small. Replacing existing cupboard space with considerably less.

Would it have been cheaper for the council not to have provided cupboards and had a grant system where tenants could have gone and purchased the cabinets they need for their space requirements?

I also wonder about the elusive representative we have on the Decent Homes board. Supposedly representing tenants.

This is a large capital program and yes the works are needed but I cannot help but wonder about the amount of waste, financially, in the delivery.