Our front door the rubbish dump.

As the recycling bins were designed without any consideration of how they were to be used. The slot is not able to take the bags that residents use to recycle. Leaving the bin open means that off estate residents use it (you will note the orange bag) and it gets full and overflows, again leaving residents unable to use it. Either way it over flows. The council, has been told, and does nothing.

Updates

Scaffolding & Satellite.

I am told that dishes will be moved today and back online. Thursday 22 January 2009.

Front doors.

Tenants are to get new doors. For Leaseholders it will be optional.

Leader Listens.

The council leader is holding an event for residents of the borough today at The Lancaster Court Tenants Hall from 7pm.

Scaffolding and moving Satellite dishes.

Well work has started on erecting the scaffolding to the back of William Banfield House, 19th January 2009.

Well planned? I think not.

Council tenants have been ignored in this project for the last year or so. However we do get the occasional letters telling us what is supposed to happen.

We had such a letter last week, 12th January 2009, from H&F Homes and Balfour Beatty.

There is a FREE phone number for residents to call, that is if you like speaking to a fax machine - 0800 587 60322. This in line with keeping residents in the dark!

It says that any satellite dishes will be moved to the scaffolding and that you will be contacted prior to this. Interesting as we have heard nothing and the scaffolding is going up.

Depending on who you ask the scaffolding is either going all the way up the building today (this may obsure your satellite dish line-of-sight and thus a loss of signal) but only until Thursday. Again this depending on who you speak to, will be the day the dishes are moved. The Balfour genetleman who's mobile number is on the letter also seems to know little about this, his assistant is the person to talk to apparently as he is arranging this.

So what about the Decent Homes team? Did I call them? Yes I did after 3 attempts I did speak to a nice lady but she tried 3 times to put me through to the person I needed to speak to then took my contact details as there is an apparent problem with the phone of our contact.

So "tenant participation", you remember we were promised that, is dead. Unless it seems you are a leaseholder. They have a bill to pay and are in the minority of estate residents. But being a homeowner clearly makes you a more important class of tenant.

Though to be fair, from the leaseholder I have spoken to. Though they get more communication. The situation for them is also just as bad and equally a mess.

If you want to speak to the H&F Homes Decent Homes team call 0208 748 3020 and ask for them.

Decent Homes - Update.

We are into 2009 and the external phase of the Decent Homes is due to start on the 19th January 2009.

However there are some changes that we as council tennants have not been kept up to date on.

Apparently we were getting "Decent Homes Plus" and this has been downgraded now to just the basic "Decent Homes". Not sure when this happened but will ask a question and post back.

What does this mean?

Doors.

We were told in 2007/2008 that we were getting new front doors. We had no choice other than the style and colour. You may remember filling in the questionaire. We then heard nothing.

I caught the council doing their "Door Survey" apparently they are overhauling exisiting doors and only replacing where absolutely necessary. Yet the criteria for this remains a mystery.

I should note that Leaseholders have the choice of a new door so long as they pay for it. It may be related to the cost Leaseholders have to pay. It seems Leaseholders are being kept more in the picture than we are over works. Though they are the minority of tennants. Of course they pay for the works to the external fabric of the buildings for their share and one cannot blame them for keeping an active interest.

It is the council that promised tennant participation and they have failed to deliver.

Scaffolding will be going up and I would remind you to ensure that any insurance company you pay for cover is notified of this. Otherwise, should you suffer a break in and loss your policy may be invaild and you may not be able to claim.

Satellite Systems.

I have been raising issues on this for the last two years and about to submit complaint number 3. The council have avoided answering the issues around this.

They are trying to say that any dish without permission will be removed by them. However as they have not enforced these terms thus far over many years from the tenancy contract. It could be argued that legally they have allowed the "Custom" of tenants having there own satellite dishes purvey and created am implied consent. When I have more I will let you know.