Autumn 2010

inside:■ Need to talk?

■ How we’re doing

■ Leaseholders’ Corner

■ New Tenants’ Forum Members

Sure Start fun!

2 HousingNEWS Autumn 2010 Contact the Housing Services Team on 01233 330688

www.ashford.gov.uk

council contacts

Housing Services TeamTel: 01233 330688

Email: housing@ashford.gov.uk

Repairs Hotline: 01233 330366

Civic CentreTannery Lane, Ashford, KentTN23 1PL

Open: 9am – 5pm Monday to Thursday 9am – 4.30pm Friday

Tel: 01233 331111Typetalk: 01233 330744

Lines Open: 8.30am-5.30pm Monday to Thursday8.30am-5.30pm Friday

Out of Hours/Emergency:01233 629911

24 Hour Payment Line: 01233 330625

Benefit Fraud Hotline: 0800 026245

The AshfordGateway Centre14 Park Mall, Ashford, Kent TN24 8RY

Tel: 08458 247247Typetalk: 08458 247905Fax: 01233 638012

Ashford Borough Tenants’Forum: TFG@ashford.gov.uk

Housing NewsAshford Borough Council, Civic Centre, Tannery Lane,Ashford, Kent, TN23 1PL

Editor: Philippa Dale

Telephone: 01233 330365

Fax: 01233 330610

Email: philippa.dale@ashford.gov.uk

Housing News is printed onpaper made from managedsustainable sources.

editor’s note

contents

PhilippaDale

Pat Pearman

3 Need to talk?

4 Housing Surgeries

6 Tell us how we’re doing

9 Development updates

10 Message from the Chair

4

8

9

Cover Picture: Tom and Jade Neal at SureStart’s Teddy Bears’ Picnic.

Sharing best practiceA conference in July saw representativesof resident groups from eight localauthorities and housing associations insouth east Kent come together to sharebest practice. Ashford was represented byStella Cowland and Pat Pearman.

The main theme of the day was getting to gripswith local offers which all social landlords arerequired to make with their tenants. This was

achieved very effectively thanks to facilitatorSheena Field, who provided tools and tips forresident groups to use in conjunction with theirlandlords.

There were lots of ideas which we can use inAshford, and the Ashford Borough Tenants’Forum can help with talking to other tenants onestates about what their priorities are and thestandards they expect.

If you know someone who is blind or partially sighted who would like

to listen to Housing News on cassette or CD, then please contact

the Editor on 01233 330365.

Housing News has been designed and produced by Xi DesignTel: 01303 770729 www.dxin.co.uk

Printed by: Headley Brothers Ltd, AshfordTel: 01233 623131 www.headley.co.uk

Welcome to the autumn edition of Housing News. Ihope you will have a look at the feedback section inthe middle pages, where we are reporting back onsome of the surveys you have taken part in over thelast three months.

We hope it shows that we are listening to what you are telling us,and hopefully improving the housing service as a result.

In these times of belt tightening it is really important that we makethe best use of limited resources and we need your feedbackto help us do this.

For the 2011 calendar we are hoping to incorporate thenew Annual Report for our tenants and leaseholders.This will set out the standards you have told us you wantus to achieve and the Ashford Borough Tenants’ Forumhave suggested using the calendar as a way of givingheadline dates of when promises are due to be met. We alsoaim to ensure a new style calendar will also give you more room towrite down your appointments, something you have asked us for.

The pictures in the 2011 calendar will show the range of work weare doing with residents throughout the borough, and hopefully itreflects a ‘typical year’ - if there is such a thing!

Philippa Dale Editor

Call the Racial Incident Hotline on 0800 138 1624 Autumn 2010 HousingNEWS 3

housing newshousing news

Need to talk?If you have a problem with your tenancy, neighbours,rent or other housing issues, the Housing Servicesteam is here to help.You can talk to an Area Manager by…• Popping to the nearest Housing Surgery • Going along to your local Estate Inspection • Making an appointment for us to visit you

in your home • Dropping us an email at

housingservices@ashford.gov.uk • Or giving us a call on 01233 330688

Your friendly Area Manager teamRebecca WilcoxHousing Operations Manager 01233 330233Anthony Crossley 01233 330464Barry Moss 01233 330376Carole Winder 01233 330377Kat Aylward 01233 330372Paul Hills 01233 330373Ray Whitewood 01233 330379Sam Diggins 01233 330374

Teddy Bears’ picnic successThere was fun for all the family at this year’s Sure StartAshford Children’s Centres’ Teddy Bears’ Picnic in June.

A decision to hold it at the weekend to enable more dads and malecarers to join in the fun with their children proved a real success withmore than 500 mums, dads, carers, grandparents and children comingalong to the Ray Allen Centre in Stanhope. (See the front cover.)

There were lots of activities on offer including a mobile farm where thechildren could pat the pigs, stroke the goats and count the chickens plusarts and crafts, healthy cake tasting, sensory play, bouncy castles,dancing and banging on African drums to name but a few. Andthankfully the occasional shower didn’t dampen the fun.

Adult Education came along and saw over 50 parents register interestfor courses they have on offer. Other agencies joining in the fun includedSouth Kent College, Ashford Police with their Hawkeye van, PCSOs andCommunity Wardens with Bike-it giving demonstrations on bikemaintenance and safety.

The event coincided with National Breastfeeding Week. To help promotethe week Breastmates, Sure Start’s Breastfeeding Peer Support Co-ordinator and a Sure Start midwife were on hand to offer breastfeedingsupport.

A huge thank you to all those whosupported this year’s event.

More local neighbourhoodshave been cleaned up andmade safer thanks toOperation Clean Sweep.

The initiative to reduce crime andanti-social behaviour, improve publicsafety and smarten up the localenvironment recently saw areas inKennington reap the benefits.

Operation Clean Sweep, organisedby Ashford’s Community SafetyUnit, is a joint venture which seesAshford Borough Council, workingwith Ashford Police, Kent Fire andRescue Service, local PCSOs andCommunity Wardens and manyother organisations to make adifference to local neighbourhoods.

At Kennington, thanks to the YouthOffending Team Services youngoffenders helped to repaint a blockof garages in Nine Acres whileoffenders on the CommunityPayback Clean Sweep and youngpeople from Towers School helpedkickstart a Housing Services pondproject at Goteley Mere. Localconstruction company Denneprovided a skip and the day was agreat success.

Further Clean Sweeps areplanned for this autumnstarting with Shrubcote,Tenterden including PrioryWay and Longfield on 29September 2010.

Making a clean sweep

Helping usto help youOur Help Us to Help Youtenant questionnairefeatured in the springedition of Housing Newswill be hitting the streetsof Hothfield andBiddenden inSeptember so keep aneye on your letter box.

It’s important to complete your questionnaire andreturn it to us so that we can continue to tailor ourservices to best suit your needs – and you neverknow you could win a great prize too as all returnedquestionnaires will be entered into a prize draw.

4 HousingNEWS Autumn 2010 Contact the Repairs Hotline on 01233 330366

housing news

Housing SurgeriesTake up at the surgeries has been mixed thissummer. The Tenterden surgery is proving verypopular, and as a result we intend to increasethese from monthly to fortnightly.

But is this what you want? If you live in Tenterden tell us what you think by ringingPhilippa Dale on 01233 330688.

Mr Brind from Tenterden told us, “It’s good to have thatpersonal contact and be able to put a face to a name. I thinkit will be useful to increase the frequency of the surgeries.”

However the surgeries at The Willow Centre, BrookfieldRoad, East Stour School, Willesborough, The BluebellCentre, Hothfield, The Oaks, Oaktree Road, and PhoenixSchool, Kennington have not been so well used so we arereviewing them.

To do this we really need your help and would like you to letus know what you think about these and other surgeries –have we got the time of day, day of the week or venuewrong?

Is there anything else you think we could do toimprove the service we provide. Please let us know.

Phoenix School,Belmont Road

Monthly1 October, 5 November, 3December

2.30pm - 3.30pm

Oaks School, OakTree Road, AshfordKat Aylward

Monthly16 September, 21 October,18 November

9am - 10am

Bluebell Children’sCentreBarry Moss

Monthly10 September, 8 October,12 November, 10 December

3pm - 4pm

East Stour School,Earlsworth RoadAnthony Crossley

Fortnightly16 September, 30September, 14 October,28 October, 11 November,25 November, 9 December

8.45am - 10am

Willow Centre,Brookfield RoadRay Whitewood andKat Aylward

Fortnightly14 September, 28September, 12 October,26 October, 9 November,23 November, 7December, 21 December

9am - 11am

Tenterden GatewaySam Diggins

Monthly6 October. 3 November, 1December

9am -12 noon

Mobile Gateway Resident RoadshowsDuring the summer Housing Services joined up with severalother agencies to take the Mobile Gateway out to some ofour more remote rural areas.

The aim was to discover which services people need to access,how they would normally do this, and whether having a periodicface to face service would be useful.

The roadshows visited Chilham, Old Wives Lees, Wye, Wittershamand Smarden seeing approximately 50 residents over the four days.

Local residents took the opportunity to meet staff from a variety oforganisations using the roadshow to get information on a widerange of topics and discuss issues that affect their neighbourhoodsand lives.

These included people needing help and advice on housing,employment, training and benefits with a number of referrals madeto our Housing Plus service.

There were opportunities todiscuss and find out moreabout youth activities,services provided by SureStart, the CarersAssociation and the countycouncil’s rural wardenservice.

Residents could also reporthousing repairs, and theytook the chance to talk tomembers of the HousingService team about a range of issues including problems withlandscaping and antisocial parking.

A potential Area Plan was identified in Wittersham, while in Wyeinformal discussions began with the Parish Council to have space inthe ‘Hub’, a proposed project to bring services out to Wye on aregular basis.

Although it is difficult to takethe Mobile Gateway out morethan a few times a year, whatwe learnt was that residentswelcome the opportunity totalk to Housing Officers intheir own neighbourhoodsand also that we need tocontinue to try to deliverservices and offer help thatfits in with our customers’busy lives.

Housing SurgeriesSeptember – December 2010.(Please note these are subject to change as we will bereviewing the times)

You can also contact us by emailinghousing@ashford.gov.uk, calling 01233 330688 or writingto Housing Services, Ashford Borough Council, CivicCentre, Tannery Lane, Ashford, TN23 1PL.

Contact the Housing Services Team on 01233 330688 Autumn 2010 HousingNEWS 5

housing news

Stanhope Andrew’s routes: (Ring office for time & meetingplace)Eastry, Sheldwich, Lynsted,Crundale & Sandling Close 24 September28 October25 November

Leaveland, Brenchley,Frittenden, Newenden Close24 September29 October26 November

Naureen’s routes:(Ring office for time & meetingplace)Badlesmere & Kilndown21 September19 October16 November

Otterden Close and Speldhurst Close23 September21 October18 November

Tracy’s routes:(Ring office for time & meetingplace)Bredgar & Luddenham 15 September13 October10 November

Andrew Brackley, Tracy Batten and NaureenUllahYou can reach Andrew, Tracyand Naureen on 01233 647396

Date of inspection Area Covered Area Manager6 September Egerton/Pluckley/Smarden/Little Chart Sam Diggins13 September Newtown Green Kat Aylward20 September Twelve Acres Paul Hills27 September Sevington/Mersham/Smeeth/Brabourne Ray Whitewood4 October Repton Manor/Poet’s Corner Anthony Crossley11 October South Willesborough Sam Diggins18 October Tenants Choice/Revisits Kat Aylward25 October Woodchurch/Bethersden Paul Hills1 November Hampden Ray Whitewood8 November Hillbrow/Clockhouse Anthony Crossley15 November Aldington/Bilsington/Ruckinge/Hamstreet Sam Diggins22 November Bybrook/Bockhanger Kat Aylward29 November Woolreeds Paul Hills6 December Warehorne/Kenardington/Appledore/Stone/Ebony Ray Whitewood13 December Godfrey Walk Anthony Crossley

As we explained in the last edition of Housing Newsthere’s a scoring system based on the actions we carryout against the problems reported to us or spotted byArea Managers.

Each road or area that has been inspected is scoredout of 100. The scoring system helps us highlightproblems or areas that need more attention. Furtherinspections can then be carried out to ensure thatissues have been addressed. For example, any repairsthat had been requested have been completed; bulkrubbish cleared or graffiti that might have been notedhas been removed.

We are pleased to report the average score for these 13completed inspections is 92%.

We are also delighted to announce that play areas thatare on Housing Services’ land are now included in ourestate inspection programme. This is on top of theregular inspections carried out by qualified play

equipment specialists.

Since August the Area Manager carryingout these inspections will check for any obvious defectsor damage to play equipment, play area surface andboundary fencing. Any graffiti, litter, broken glass etcthat’s noted will be reported and removed as soon aspossible.

Once again, I would like to take this opportunity tothank all of you that have been able to spare the time toaccompany your Area Manager on these inspections;your input is very much appreciated. If residents areonly able to attend while their road or immediateneighbourhood is inspected that’s fine. If you wish tocome along please contact your Area Manager to agreea time and location to meet.

Again thank you, your support is very muchappreciated.

Barry Moss, Senior Area Manager

Why not registerto come along?Simply call us on 01233 330688 and you will be contacted prior to thenext estate inspection inyour area.

AUTUMN 2010During the summer we have completed

13 estate inspections.

Ashford NeighbourhoodWalkabouts

6 HousingNEWS Autumn 2010 Contact the Repairs Hotline on 01233 330366

housing news

Housing Services is constantly trying to improve and enhance the services it offers and howwe deal with your enquiries. To help us do this we regularly ask our tenants and leaseholderswhat you think of the services you receive, how you prefer to be contacted and how well youthink we dealt with your enquiry. We do this in a variety of ways.

Here are some examples of how we have been listening to you this year.

You tell us how we’re doing

How do you contact us?

51 by phone

No-one said they used email

8 inperson

Your top five reasonsfor contacting us

How you scored our response

Repairs Moving Pay rent Rentquery

Garage

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

The ease of making contact withthe Housing Services Team

The overall impression of theservice you received

The courtesy and politenessof the people you spoke to

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Your query was resolved to yoursatisfaction

A sample group of respondentswas contacted subsequently tofind out if they felt what theycommented on had improved.

Although we get good feedback, wedon’t always get it right for ourtenants. A Mystery Shopper fromChallock said, “In this instance wewere not very happy with the resultfrom the Housing Department – theback of our kitchen unit had rotted, wewere told they would get back to us intwo weeks and they didn’t, and wehave had to sort the problem outourselves.”

Contacting Housing ServicesIn the last year we have had 59 mystery shopper forms returned. The informationyou have provided will help us tailor services now and in the future.

Specific information you provided included how you contacted Housing Services, thereason why and how you thought we did.

1=very poor 10=excellent

1=very poor 10=excellent 1=very poor 10=excellent

1=very poor 10=excellent1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Call the Racial Incident Hotline on 0800 138 1624 Autumn 2010 HousingNEWS 7

housing news

Planned Maintenance work 2009/10New tenant surveyWe also wanted to find out fromnew tenants about theirexperiences of moving in totheir new homes. Over the last three months 28 new tenantsagreed to speak to representatives from theAshford Borough Tenants’ Forum and takepart in a survey.

Questions included whether the propertywas in a good condition, whetherappropriate information was provided, andwhat could have been done to improvetheir experience.

Here are results of some of thequestions they were asked.

Was the property free of rubbish andswept through?

Satisfaction statistics 2009/10The Planned Maintenance section also updates kitchens and heating systems.

Once again we wanted to know what you thought of the service you receivedso we asked tenants to give us feedback by completing a satisfaction survey.

We asked people how they rated the overall end result and the service theyreceive.

Here are the results:

April to June● Kitchens - Excellent 100%

Comment from resident at Denness Road, Willesborough: “Everyone was polite, cleanand helpful in every way, would recommend every one of the workmen.”

● Heating - Excellent 73% Satisfactory 18% Requires Improvement 9%

Comment from resident at Sackville Close, Hothfield: “The workman who worked in myhome was very good and I feel it would be good to pass this on - I am unsure of theefficiency of the system, and the placement of the boiler in the airing cupboard.”

The resident’s comments were passed to our contactors who will be goingback to visit the resident and answer their queries.

July to August● Kitchens - Satisfactory 100% ● Heating - Excellent 80% Satisfactory 20%

Comment from resident of School Road, Hothfield: “The company involved need to warnthe residents of the amount of disturbance the work would involve.”

Comment from resident of Coach Drive, Hothfield: “Fantastic job, everything done to ahigh standard - hats off to the workmen!”

Every resident should be sent an information leaflet prior to work commencingdetailing the extent of the work, and how long it should take.

Were the kitchen, bathroom andtoilet clean?

23 said “Yes”

5 said“No”

21 said “Yes”

7 said“No”

18 said “Yes” 6 said“No”

N/A(4)

26 said “Yes”

2 said“No”

Other

Environmental

Common Areas

Bathrooms

Kitchens

Insulation

Heating

Structural work

Roofing

Rewiring

The Planned Maintenance section completed a number ofcontracts during 2009/10 and the details of the main areas ofwork are shown in the chart below.

Did the window locks work?

Did you get advice as to where thestop cock is and how to operate theboiler and other appliances?

As well as improving your homes, themajority of this work is also carried outin order to ensure that our propertiescontinue to meet the government’sDecent Home Standard.

The Planned Maintenance section overseesthe heating maintenance contract thatensures all gas, solid fuel and oil centralheating systems are serviced and checkedannually. The cost of this work isapproximately £750,000 per year. It is alegal requirement that all properties with

gas heating are checked annually and havea valid Landlord’s Gas Safety Certificate inplace. As at 31 March 2010, of the 3971properties with gas installations only oneproperty did not have a valid certificate dueto access problems.

In addition the section carried out 289adaptations for the disabled at a total costof £161,000.

The section also looks after emergencylights, fire alarms, sewage treatment works,fire safety works and door entry systems.

8 HousingNEWS Autumn 2010 Contact the Housing Services Team on 01233 330688

housing news

Leaseholders’CornerIn this edition of Housing Newswe’ve put together some helpfulinformation for leaseholders.

Leaseholders’HandbookLeaseholders now have a handbookwhich includes information on the rightsand obligations of leaseholders, explainshow service and other charges are set,describes the requirement for statutoryconsultation, and explains the importanceof building insurance.

The handbook is a working documentand will be reviewed from time to time toreflect changes in the law, councilprocedures etc.

All leaseholders received a copy of thehandbook. It can be downloaded atwww.ashford.gov.uk/leaseholders.

Leaseholders’ForumA meeting of the Leaseholders’ Forumtook place in June to enable leaseholdersto discuss the Leaseholders Handbook.

Unfortunately the meeting was not wellattended, although those who did attendensured a proactive debate. Part of thediscussion was about the format of themeeting and whether it is the appropriatemethod of coming together to discussleaseholder issues. A further meeting hasbeen arranged, when communicationmethods will form the main agenda item.

Town and CountryCleaning ServicesMatt Anderson and David Harris fromTown and Country Cleaning Servicesattended the Leaseholder Forum in Juneto respond to any queries leaseholdersmay have about the cleaning service.Matt urged residents to use thefreephone number to report problemsand concerns, and confirmed that all callsare logged. They agreed to add the emailaddress to the contact details and arealso carrying out a survey to get feedbackon the service.

To contact Town and Country, emailcsm2@townandcountrycleaners.co.ukor call their freephone number 0800 3894825

More than 250 children and young peoplehave had the chance to enjoy traditionalstreet games this summer thanks to a seriesof play days organised by the Go4Playproject.

Youngsters in Bockhanger and the Shrubcotearea of Tenterden tried out skipping ropes, jacksand chalk-drawing along with more modern funincluding spray art, having a go at face painting,making juggling balls and balloon modelling,getting seriously messy with shaving foam, andjelly and enjoying skateboarding and scooters.

Go4Play is a Big Lottery funded project deliveredby Kent Children's Network Fund in partnershipwith Ashford Borough Council. Each year theyorganise play days and a Family Play Festival forchildren, young people and families in Ashfordand surrounding areas.

The Go4Play Street Play programme involveddelivering 20 play sessions in four communitiesidentified with low play provision. Eachcommunity received a week of play sessions.

For further information about upcoming playopportunities, contact the Play Team at KentChildren's Fund Network on 01233 632957.

Housing Services Area Manager AnthonyCrossley joined colleagues from other agenciesand organisations including Kent Highways.

The event, sponsored by Asda, offered advice onkey safety issues including road safety. Sure Startand Ashford Salvation Army were able topromote their family services and youth clubs,and cycle organisation Bike It offered cyclemarking.

With games and interactive activities to promotecommunity safety youngsters and grown upsalike had a great time while learning someserious messages.

Sure Start have been out and about duringthe summer taking their services to thevillages and making sure they reach asmany young families as possible.

Trips to Rolvenden, High Halden, Stone,Hamstreet, Egerton and Biddenden brought outchildren and parents to make badges, getcreative with play dough and chat about servicesavailable for them. Housing Services took theopportunity to join the events in order to engagewith residents and ask about the issues andconcerns experienced in these rural areas.

Local dad, Aaren, daughter Lisa and friend ElsieMay with PCSO Christine Peel at Biddenden.

Thumbs up forstreet play days

Out and about with Sure Start

Community Safety Day Local people got the chance to learn moreabout staying safe in July thanks to aCommunity Safety Day at East Stour Schoolorganised by Ashford Police and Sure Start.

Play areamake-over

Bockhanger play area is set to have avibrant make-over thanks to funding fromAshford Borough Council and the KentChildren’s Fund Network (KCFN).

A total of £3,000 has been put forward byHousing Services and KCFN’s Go4Play project torefurbish and repaint the existing equipment andfencing and add three new games for youngstersto enjoy.

The new games offer a combination of hide andseek and tag, a version of twister painted on thefloor and the traditional family favourite “What’sthe time Mr Wolf?”

The games, designed by Ashford-basedcompany Hairyhand Graphic, were selectedfollowing consultation with the local community,particularly local children, and are intended toinspire youngsters to try similar activities at homeor safely in their neighbourhoods.

The project is intended to be a lasting legacy ofthe successful Street Play project.

The refurbishment work is due to be completedby the end of September.

Call the Racial Incident Hotline on 0800 138 1624 Autumn 2010 HousingNEWS 9

housing news

Affordable housingA wide range of new affordable homes have been developedacross the borough over recent months. Housing Newsbrings you up to date with recent developments.

Latitude Walk, Ashford - This landmark development in the towncentre (pictured above) is a mix of 29 shared ownership and 17rented units. The scheme has been developed by Moat Housingand Affinity Sutton and consists of 24 x one bedroom flats, 16 xtwo bedroom flats, 2 x two bedroom maisonettes and 4 x threebedroom maisonettes. Handover of this development in Ashfordtown centre took place in June.

Bath Road and Canterbury Road, Willesborough - Adevelopment of 8 x two bedroom houses for rent has beencompleted by West Kent Housing Association at the old Crown andAnchor pub site.

Brookfield Court, South Ashford - 7 x three bedroom flats havebeen refurbished at Brookfield Court, four of which will be managedby Ashford Borough Council. YMCA has recently signed a lease forthe remaining three flats which will be used as sharedaccommodation for young people managed by YMCA.

Glebe Field, Rolvenden – Housing Association English Ruralcompleted the development of a local needs scheme at Glebe Fieldearlier this year. The development consists of 4 x one bedroomflats, 5 x two bedroom houses and 3 x three bedroom houses andis a mix of 8 x properties for rent and 4 x shared ownership. Thescheme was officially opened by the Bishop of Dover in May. TheDiocese sold the land to EnglishRural to enable this scheme tobe built.

Shrimpton Close, Old WivesLees – A development of localneeds homes completed byAffinity Sutton (DownlandHousing Association) in June. Ithas 11 homes for rentcomprising 2 x 1 bed flats, 5 x 2bed houses, 3 x 3 bed housesand 1 x 2 bed bungalow.

(Right) The Bishop of Dover,the Right Reverend TrevorWillmott, at the opening ofGlebe Field.

Development updatesNew buildAshford Borough Council is one of just a handful of localauthorities to begin building affordable homes once again.

It has been 30 years since the council built its last homes and workis now well under way on the council’s New Build project.

Housing News reports on progress to date

Phase One

The Council has appointed Denne Construction to build 25 newhomes across the borough and to convert the former schememanager’s house at Gerlach House into two self-contained flats.Good progress has been made with the contractor to develop thedetailed drawings to enable the foundation work to start that willenable the sites to reach completion in 2011.

Phase Two

Housing Services continue to progress planning applications for the11 sites which were agreed by Ashford Borough Council earlier thisyear. Five sites have already been approved by the PlanningCommittee with a further five applications to be considered inAugust and the remaining site in September.

As the design solutions for each site have been progressed therehave been a number of changes to the original proposals for thesites including a reduction of the number of new homes in somelocations and changes to the size of some homes in terms ofbedroom numbers.

Six companies have been shortlisted to construct the 11 phase twosites. The project was put out to competitive tender in August.

The evaluation of the tenders will be undertaken, jointly by theAshford Borough Tenants’ Forum and Housing Officers, with theaim to select the contractors by mid September and complete inearly 2012.

StanhopeDecanting of the last block of flats on Stanhope wascompleted mid-July in preparation for demolition.

The development of new homes is progressing well with furthernew properties being completed during the summer.

Powerminster Gleeson Services, who provide the repairs service onStanhope, have become part of the Morgan Sindall Group and arenow trading as Lovell Respond. The repairs service provided on theestate continues as before with the same team of people.

The Stanhope Team, including Moat Housing and Lovell Respond,will be moving into the new legacy building in August. The newbuilding will be known as The Stanhope Centre (pictured below).

Message from the Chair

10 HousingNEWS Autumn 2010 Contact the Repairs Hotline on 01233 330366

housing news

Council gets toughon antisocialbehaviourAshford Borough Council hassuccessfully evicted twotenants on the grounds ofantisocial behaviour.The council’s Housing Service hasbeen working closely with Kent Policeand local residents to gather evidencewhich has resulted in the twoevictions in Newtown Green andBond Road, Ashford.

Housing Services takes antisocialbehaviour very seriously and willalways work with the police and localpeople to ensure these problems aredealt with in the most appropriatemanner which can include mediationand acceptable behaviouragreements to housing injunctionsand eviction.

The eviction at Newtown Greenshows the success of their policy ofhaving all new tenants grantedintroductory tenancies where theyhave a probationary period of 12

months before being given a securetenancy. This means if there is anybreach of tenancy during this periodthe process for seeking possession ofthe property is much quicker.

Cllr Neil Bell, portfolio holder forHousing says, “We are delighted thatwith these two cases we have beenable to improve the lives of the otherresidents in these neighbourhoodsand the wider community.”

Employmentadvice availableHave you been maderedundant? Are you long termunemployed? Have you justleft school?

If you are looking for work or trainingopportunities Housing Plus can helpwith free advice and information.

Housing Plus is an Ashford BoroughCouncil initiative which aims to helplocal people with housing,employment and training, debt andbenefit problems. With friendlyadvisers available at both the Ashford

and Tenterden Gateways getting helphas never been easier.

To find out more visitwww.ashford.gov.uk/housingplus,pop into the Ashford or TenterdenGateway, call 08458 247202 oremail info@ashfordgateway.co.uk.

Stanhope jobs andadvice fairIf you’re looking for work ortraining, have money problems orare wondering if you are claimingthe right benefits this is the eventfor you.

Talk to local employers, employmentexperts, debt and benefit advisersplus get help to write a CV, find outabout local apprenticeships andvolunteering opportunities and lotsmore.

Thursday 23 SeptemberStanhope Parish HallOtterden Close11am – 4pmTo find out more call the StanhopeCentre on 01233 647396.

NEWS...NEWS...NEWS

The Tenants Services Authority(TSA) was created by the lastgovernment as the new regulatorfor social housing. After a lengthyconsultation process involvingmany thousands of tenants itagreed certain standards by whichregistered providers of housingwill be judged. A crucial part ofthese standards will be the “localoffer”.

The local offer is an agreement madeby the landlord with tenants over andabove any national standards thatreflect tenants’ views and wishes.These could be age specific, or

geographical such as housing areaplans or cleaning standards in blocksof flats.

Although the new coalitiongovernment has announced plans toscrap the TSA, here in Ashford webelieve there is a great deal of good inus, as tenants, continuing to use thestandards set by the TSA and workingwith the council to establish certain“local offers” that will see servicestailored to our needs and continue toimprove.

To meet these standards the AshfordBorough Tenants’ Forum (ABTF) isworking with Ashford Borough Council

to agreeservicestandards and local offers.

Although the TSA may disappear, andsome regulation with it, ABTF andAshford Borough Council are still keento ensure the housing service inAshford reflects what tenants inAshford want, and for that reason wewill continue to ensure the principles ofclose tenant involvement in the serviceare followed.

Stella Cowland Chair of Ashford Borough Tenants’ Forum 01233 334206

Contact the Housing Services Team on 01233 330688 Autumn 2010 HousingNEWS11

housing news

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Terms & Conditions:Please complete and return this entry form along with your completedwordsearch puzzle to: Housing News, Ashford Borough Council, Civic Centre, Tannery Lane,Ashford, Kent TN23 1PL.The decision of the editor is final and no correspondence will be entered into. Closing date for entries is 30 September 2010

Autumn Wordsearch

Words to find are: PUMPKIN, GHOST, WITCH,

BLACKCAT, CAULDRON, TRICK, TREAT,

BROOMSTICK, SKELETON, SPOOKY

X N M D X H C Y F K B T B V VI N T H R B G S B H S B A X GY F B Q I L N Q O O U D D O PK T R F W A K S H J M V Z U KO I O I H C K G C Z C R F X FO H O J F K P U M P K I N S RP G M V N C L F P L G N S K JS K S J D A W K V B I Z I E BD C T Q K T I F P N Y J W L ZX I I C E L W X C H E T B E KU R C E B V L W I T C H Q T QP T K S K C A U L D R O N O HK A G G O Q R N Z H D V M N NY M O V A L R L T A E R T E SD C Q H Q J L Y L R O X V H S

Dear EditorI’m the East Stour Court Seniors Forum representative andwould like to introduce myself to Housing News readers.

By representing the residents here at East Stour Court I amthe liaison between my fellow tenants and the council.

The meetings I attend with the council enable me to stateany current problems we might have here at East StourCourt and to encourage solutions to take place and I amalways happy to hear from fellow tenants who would likesomething taken up on their behalf.

Correspondence of a general nature is always placed on thenoticeboard for all to see so you can keep up to date withthe latest information.

Eddie Clover

Dear EddieThanks for getting in touch and good luck with your worksupporting your fellow tenants.

You can write to Eddie at: 21 East Stour Court, Willesborough.

New Tenants’ Forum membersThis year five tenants nominated themselves for the sixavailable places on the Ashford Borough Tenants’ Forum.This meant that there was no requirement for a ballot.The new members were confirmed at the Annual GeneralMeeting which took place on 23 August.

Jennifer Shaw, Housing Strategy Officer, gave the Forum an overview ofthe new Housing Services presentation which it is proposed will providecase studies to demonstrate the different services the council providesto help improve local lives and communities. Jennifer also spoke aboutthe draft Vulnerable Adult Strategy which aims to bring all relevantpublic services and the voluntary sector together to ensure acoordinated approach to providing services for this large and diversegroup of people.

The Forum welcomed a number of councillors to their meetingincluding Mayor of Ashford Cllr Allen Wells.

The new Tenants’ Forummembers are: •Deborah Dryland •Joyce Lewis •Julie O’Kane•Leigha Wilding•Mark HogbenMayor of Ashford Cllr Allen Wells at the AGM

Wordsearch winnerThe winner of the summer wordsearch was Mrs BerylFloyd from Ashford

Autumn’s here and the theme of this edition’s wordsearchis all things spooky for Halloween.Entries received by 30 September 2010 will be entered intoour prize draw for £20 in shopping vouchers.

Complete the wordsearch and entry form and send to: HousingNews, Ashford Borough Council, Civic Centre, Tannery Lane,Ashford, Kent, TN23 1PL.

win £20WORDSEARCH

Calling all tenants and leaseholders...We want to make it easier for more people to tell AshfordBorough Council Housing Services what they think, andto get involved in the management of their homes andneighbourhoods.

Most people have an opinion about the way the council doesthings. We want you to tell us where you think improvementsare needed, and what you think we do well. To help you to dothis, the council is introducing some new ways for you to talk tous and to make a difference.

We will be keeping a database or list of tenants from all over theborough who have told us how they want to get involved inimproving the Housing Services.

Offering a range of options will mean that if you want to have asay, you can do so in the way that suits you best. We really wantto attract more people from different age groups andbackgrounds so that we get the broadest view possible, andmay ask you to complete a Tenant Profile form if you have notalready done so.

Monitoring Groups Discuss issues and ways to improve services that affectparticular groups – these include the Seniors Forum, the Leaseholders Forum, theRepairs Monitoring Group, the Housing Options Monitoring Group, and the HousingSurvey Monitoring Group [Commitment - one two hour meetings at the counciloffices every three months – training available]

Tenants and Residents Groups Care and campaign for local communities.[Commitment – regular meetings local to your home – training available]

Focus Groups A small cross section of people brought together to provide feedbackon a particular aspect of the service. [Commitment – one-off meetings approximatelytwo hours at the council offices]

Ashford Borough Tenants’ Forum Made up of elected representatives fromthroughout the borough. [Commitment – monthly two hour meetings at the counciloffices – training available]

Editorial Board Write and approve newsletters, leaflets and entries on the website.[Commitment - one two hour meetings at the council offices every three months –training available]

For some people, going to meetings and joining groups is not the way they want toparticipate. You may not have the time, may have other commitments or just not feelcomfortable in that type of forum. But you may still want to have a say about what ishappening in your local area and how Ashford Borough Council Housing Serviceworks. If that person is you we can offer quick and easy ways for you to get involvedand have your say, in the way that works best for you:-

Estate Inspections Officers, tenants and councillors identifying problems in thearea [Commitment – walking around your neighbourhood approximately every sixmonths]

Mystery Shopping A chance to carry out ‘reality checks’ on service and standards.[Commitment – complete and return a form whenever you contact the council]

Postal Surveys We write to you for your opinion [Commitment - occasional contact]

Telephone Surveys We telephone you for your opinion [Commitment - occasionalcontact]

@ Email Surveys We email you for your opinion [Commitment - occasional contact]

Online Feedback Give us your views at www.ashford.gov.uk/housing

Here’s how you can get involved

Ashford Back Chat!

Name:

Address:

Tel:

Mobile:

Email:

✃

Terms & Conditions:All information supplied will be confidential and not shared with anyoneunless permission is given to do so.

Please complete this form and return it in the pre-paid envelope withthe contact details and chosen options identified. All completedforms will be entered into a monthly prize draw to receive £25 worthof high street vouchers.

Estate Inspections

Mystery Shopping

Postal Survey

Telephone Survey

Email Survey

Online Feedback

Monitoring Groups

Tenants and Resident Groups

Focus Groups

Ashford Borough Tenants’ Forum

Editorial Board

Please tick the way/s that you wouldlike to get involved:

We want to make it easier for more people to tell Ashford Borough Council Housing Services what they think, and to get involved in the management of their homes and neighbourhoods.

Ashford Back Chat!