Housing News Spring 2022

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News for Bristol City Council tenants and leaseholders

Investing in council homes – a 30-year plan Advice to help reduce your heating costs Find out more about the Clean Air Zone

Spring 2022

News for all Bristol City Council tenants and leaseholders Spring 2022

Housing News If English is not your first language and you need a translation, we can get one for you.

If you would like this information in another language, Braille, audio tape, large print, easy English, BSL video or CD rom or plain text please contact: 0117 352 1444

Welcome to the spring issue of Housing News Where you live matters. Having a stable home and community to belong to are key to feeling positively connected to others and the city.

helping you save money on your bills and reduce your impact on the climate. We also have a range of services that can offer both financial and practical support.

Find out if you are eligible to apply for the Local Crisis Prevention Fund on page nine.

In this edition you will be able to read about our plans for investing in council homes over the next 30 years. There are competing priorities and we have a limited budget to work with within this plan. We have made choices on how we invest, using feedback and input from residents across our city. I would like to thank everyone who took the time to take part in our consultation, to let us know where you would like to see money invested.

We are working to create an inclusive, sustainable and healthy city of hope and aspiration, one where everyone can share in its success. We need you to be a part of this, and that is why I am committed to making sure tenants’ voices are heard at every opportunity. There are a number of ways you can get involved; from coming along to Housing Forums or joining a service user group. If we all work together, we can make sure we create a service that meets all of your needs.

We are also very aware that the national hike in energy prices is having an effect on people across the city. On page eight you can find tips to help you cut down the amount of energy you use –

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Councillor Tom Renhard Cabinet Member for Housing Delivery and Homes

www.bristol.gov.uk/housingnews

Bristol referendum result declared Bristol will adopt a committee system of governance from May 2024 following the declaration of results from the referendum on how the city is run.

Voting took place on Thursday 5 May, with 56,113 voting for a committee system and 38,439 voting to continue with an elected Mayor. The total turnout was 28.6 percent.

Work will be carried out over the next two years to develop plans for the new arrangements and the new system of governance will be implemented in May 2024. Further detail regarding this process and the emerging model will be made available in due course.

How to report an abandoned property Sometimes tenants leave their properties without telling us they are going. This results in a property sitting empty, leaving it vulnerable to vandalism, arson and squatting. Sometimes people move in to abandoned properties they should not be living in. This is called illegal occupation, or squatting, and we will seek to regain possession of the property.

What to do if you think a property has been abandoned or squatted?

The result of the referendum is likely to be ratified at an Extraordinary Meeting of Full Council on Tuesday 24 May. Marvin Rees will continue as Mayor of Bristol until his term ends in May 2024.

If you think a council property has been abandoned or squatted, please let us know.

You can fill in an online form here. Report abandoned council house or flat - www.bristol. gov.uk/housing/form-abandoned-propertycouncil-housing which will be passed on to the estate management team. Or you can call 01179 222 200 (option 4).

Allocation of social housing review – update We are currently carrying out a review of Home Choice Bristol - our approach to letting council and social housing. We know this is important for residents, so we’re trying to make sure we involve tenants in this process to help us work out what we need to change.

The aim is to ensure that people are housed in homes that meet their needs, and to make the application process easier for everyone to follow.

The review will give the council the opportunity to look at who is housed, and why, and develop options for how to let social housing in the future.

One of our greatest challenges is balancing the very high need for homes in Bristol, against a very limited pool of available properties.

We will be looking at different ways we can do things over the next few months, then there will be an opportunity for you to view and respond to any new approaches later this summer.

Like our www.facebook.com/bristolcouncilhousing to keep up to date and look out for information about when the public consultation will take place.

In 2019 we held a series of community engagement events where we met with residents to understand their views on the current approach. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, we had to put the process on hold in March 2020.

Since restarting the review we have run a number of sessions to find out what matters most to a wide range of groups. These include organisations representing; older people, young people, survivors of domestic violence and hate crime, the homeless, people leaving healthcare facilities, people living with disabilities and immigrants. We’ve also had input from the advice services and housing policy experts, as well as talking to our own staff about their ideas. page 3

News for all Bristol City Council tenants and leaseholders Spring 2022

Investing in council homes We are planning to invest a record amount in council homes for the city. We will deliver 2,069 new affordable homes over the next seven years. The 30-year plan allows us the potential to further invest a total of £1.8 billion in new council homes – something we know the city needs and wants.

What residents told us When we asked residents from across the city how we should invest in council homes, the top three priorities were: 1. Building much-needed new council homes 2. Work to make our existing homes more energyefficient and carbon-neutral 3. Work to improve the standards in our blocks, communal areas, and estates.

We listened, and our plan includes money to be able to do the things tenants wanted us to.

For the full results from the consultation, please search for the ‘Investing in council homes’ consultation on our Consultation Hub www.bristol.citizenspace.com

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www.bristol.gov.uk/housingnews

How your rent money is spent: Our total budget for this year (2022/23) is £219.45m

The extra income from rent, along with some additional borrowing, has allowed us to be able to invest more in areas where investment is needed. Over the next 30 years of our plan we are now able to spend the below to invest in our homes - in the areas we know need more investment.

Planned spend on improving our homes (in milllions) over the next 30 years includes:

What is the Housing Revenue Account Plan?

The Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Business Plan sets out how we will manage and maintain our council homes over the next five years. It also sets out the 30-year financial plan for how we will invest in council homes and spend the budgets – both on existing council homes and on building much-needed new council homes. page 5

News for all Bristol City Council tenants and leaseholders Spring 2022

Moving Forward Together – what we’ve achieved In 2019 we asked you to tell us about your priorities for the Housing and Landlord Service.

We had over 3,000 responses and this let us know that the following areas were the most important.

As we all know, the last two years have not been without challenges and we have needed to work harder than ever to deliver the services you need. At the same time, we have also made some great progress in delivering improvements and will continue to do so.

Some highlights from 2021/22

Some of the changes we have planned for 2022/23

● Priority calls began to be sent directly to our

Housing Officers – to provide a quicker and more effective service

● More regular tenancy reviews – to make

sure residents get the support they need during their tenancy

● We launched a pilot for a new rapid

response service – to quickly repair faults in communal areas

● Estate walkabouts and standards

– Housing Officers will be out and about, grading our estates and giving neighbourhoods a set standard

● Staff were given equalities and inclusion

training – to help them provide a fairer and more effective service

● A review of how we involve and engage

residents – to make sure you can have a say and influence how the service is run

● We also provided customer service and

communication training – to improve how we communicate with you

● A review of the rents and leaseholder

service – to help make it easier for you to pay your rent and service charges

● Leadership training for all managers – all of

our managers attended leadership training to help support colleagues to provide the service you need

● Continual improvements to the way we

respond to anti-social behaviour cases.

● We introduced a new way to manage our

performance and regular tenant surveys – so we know how we are performing. We will share this with you and improve what we do.

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www.bristol.gov.uk/housingnews

Housing Forums

for Bristol council tenants – get involved!

Evening:

Afternoon:

Monday 20 June 2022, 6–8pm

Wednesday 22 June 2022, 1–3pm

Your opinions help us make decisions!

If you’re a council tenant, you can have your say on how the housing service is run and make suggestions about improvements. For summer 2022, we are hosting online meetings focussing on issues we know matter most to tenants.

● Places must be booked, you can do this online at: www.bristol.gov.uk/LocalHousingForums

● If you are not online but would like to take part, there is also a free dial-in option which you can join using your phone. For more information about how you can access the meetings, contact

● Come along and hear some top tips from the Centre for Sustainable Energy on how to reduce your energy bills and save money. You can also find out more about the types of support available to you if you are worried about the effect of the national price hike

0117 352 1444 tpu@bristol.gov.uk

Take Small Steps towards getting active with Bristol Girls Can Bristol Girls Can is reaching out to mums of young children across Bristol, inspiring and helping them to take small steps towards being more active through its Small Steps project.

Being active is good for our physical and mental health. However, a study has shown that being a mum can have a mostly negative effect on women’s activity levels. For many mums, it’s difficult to find the time to exercise and put their needs first.

The project is also running Small Steps activities for mums to take part in with their children, at children’s centres across South Bristol.

These include Buggy Walk and Talk, Toddler Yoga and Boogie Disco sessions.

To find out more and get involved visit www.BristolGirlsCan.co.uk or join the Facebook community at Bristol Girls Can. If you live in Hartcliffe and Redcliffe, photos featuring Bristol mums being active are on display in the laundry rooms. We hope these images inspire you to take your own small steps towards being more active.

The message of the Bristol Girls Can campaign funded by Sport England and delivered by Bristol City Council – is to start small and do what works for you. A walk around the block, 10 minutes hula hooping, or a kitchen disco while cooking the tea – it all counts, and it can be fun. You don’t need to join a gym or buy expensive kit to give it a go. If you have young children at home, exercising with them still counts and can help start healthy habits for life. page 7

News for all Bristol City Council tenants and leaseholders Spring 2022

Saving on your energy bills With the national energy price hike, many are worried about the impact that higher bills will have on their household. You can check if you’re eligible for help at www.bristol.gov.uk/benefits-financial-help

There are also lots of ways to reduce your bills by cutting down on your energy use. Here are 10 tips to help you reduce your energy bills.

5. Avoid the tumble dryer

1. Switch off standby

6. Spend less time in the shower

You can save around £55 a year just by remembering to turn your appliances off standby mode.

Keeping your shower time to just four minutes could save a typical household £65 a year on their energy bills.

Dry clothes outside when possible or on racks to save £55 a year.

Almost all electrical appliances can be turned off at the plug without upsetting their programming.

You may want to think about getting a standby saver or smart plug which allows you to turn all your appliances off standby in one go.

7. Swap your bath for a shower Some of us might enjoy a long soak in the bath but swapping just one bath a week with a four-minute shower could save you £11 a year on your energy bills.

2. Draught-proof windows and doors (and holes around pipes)

8.

Unless your home is very new, you will lose heat through draughts around doors, windows and gaps around the floor, where utility pipes enter your house and chimneys.

Professional draught-proofing of windows, doors and blocking cracks in floors and skirting boards can cost around £200, but can save around £40 a year on energy bills. DIY draught proofing can be much cheaper with a wide range of products easily available.

3. Turn off lights Turn your lights off when you’re not using them or when you leave a room. This will save you around £20 a year on your annual energy bills. Replacing all the lights in your home with LED bulbs could help you save even more.

4. Careful with your washing You can save around £28 a year from your energy bill just by using your washing machine more carefully. Use your washing machine on a 30-degree cycle instead of higher temperatures some manufacturers now even advise cold washes, and only wash full loads.

Be savvy in the kitchen

Kettles are one of the most used appliances in the kitchen. But many of us will admit that we at least occasionally boil the kettle with more water than we’re going to use. Avoid overfilling the kettle and save yourself £11 a year on your electricity bill.

9. Fill your dishwasher Only run your dishwasher when it is full to reduce the amount of water you use. Reducing your dishwasher use by one run per week for a year could save you £14.

10. Top up the insulation Effective insulation of your hot water cylinder is important: even if you have thin spray foam or a loose 25mm jacket, you can benefit from increasing the insulation to a British Standard Jacket 80mm thick, saving £35 a year in the process. These are available from most DIY stores.

Reducing your energy use also reduces your carbon use, so you’ll be benefiting the climate as well as your finances. page 8

www.bristol.gov.uk/housingnews

Help for heating costs It is estimated that due to the recent price increase, bills could increase by more than 50 per cent.

As well as the tips on the previous page, the government has taken action to help support households affected, this includes:

● Since 2013, the Centre for Sustainable Energy

has delivered the Tenants’ Energy Advice service in partnership with Bristol City Council, supporting over 6,200 households to reduce energy use, and offering help with switching tariffs and accessing available grants. They also offer many residents support to clear fuel debt, install energy saving measures and provide advice to reduce condensation, damp and mould in the home.

● A council tax rebate for households in Bands A-D

For more information visit www.bristol.gov.uk/council-tax/council-tax-rebate

● Interest free loans from utility companies of up to

£200 (accessible through your energy supplier).

● A range of help sheets and information on a wide

Bristol City Council also offers a range of services for residents:

range of energy topics can be accessed here: www.cse.org.uk/advice/advice-and-support You can contact them directly by email: info@cse.org.uk or on 0800 082 2234.

● Local Housing Crisis Prevention Fund provides

help for households in financial crisis. You can find more information here: www.bristol.gov.uk/ benefits-financial-help/emergency-paymentslocal-crisis-and-prevention-fund or contact them on phone: 0117 922 4500, Monday to Friday, 9am to 12pm.

● There is lots of useful information on our

web-site Benefits and financial help www.bristol.gov.uk/benefits-financial-help If you have any concerns about paying your rent or other debts please contact us on 0117 922 2000.

Information about this year’s rent increase Government policy currently allows us to increase rents for the next financial year by 1 per cent above inflation, which is 4.1 per cent. This year that meant an average increase of £3.34 a week for residents.

The increase for 2022/23 of 4.1 per cent meant our average rents increased to £84.84, which is still lower than the national average of £88.09*.

As part of our Big Housing Conversation, we asked our residents if they would support an increase in their rents to allow us to invest more in their homes. Two-thirds of the residents who responded, supported an increase.

We know the cost of living is increasing. If you are struggling, we help you. Please see information about ways we can support you and tips for reducing your heating charges on page 8 and above. *Taken from the Regulator of Social Housing ‘Local authority registered provider social housing in England - stock and rents, October 21’.

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News for all Bristol City Council tenants and leaseholders Spring 2022

Can you welcome a Bristol child into your home?

Children in Bristol urgently need foster homes.

By fostering with us, you help children stay close to their friends and family.

To make fostering a more financially viable option and help with the increases in the cost of living, Bristol City Council has increased its fees and allowances for many of those who open their homes to the children and young people of Bristol.

Did you know that you don’t need to be married, own your house, or have specific qualifications to be a foster carer?

In return for your time and care, you’ll receive: 1. a weekly allowance per child plus weekly payment 2. dedicated support from an experienced team 3. regular contact with other foster carers 4. regular training and opportunities for development

If you can provide a safe and welcoming home, have compassion, kindness and a sense of humour, you have what it takes!

Beware of bogus callers

5. free access to Bristol City Council gyms and other citywide discounts.

To find out more about fostering a child in Bristol, visit our website: www.bristol.gov.uk/fostering or call our Fostering Recruitment Team on 0117 353 4200.

If you would like to make a complaint, the ICP is both accessible and easy to use. If you do find yourself wanting to report a problem in your home, please let us know as soon as possible. You can do this in several ways, including:

We have become aware that there has been an increase in companies, known as claims management companies, contacting our tenants, and encouraging them to pursue compensation claims against the council for poor standards in their home.

● Contacting your Housing Officer ● Filling in a complaints form on the council

www.bristol.gov.uk/complaints-and-feedback/ housing

● Sending an email to

complaints.feedback@bristol.gov.uk

Contact is being made in a number of ways, including telephone calls, social media, leafletting or door knocking (‘cold calling’). Sometimes, they even falsely claim to be acting on the council’s behalf.

● Writing to Customer Relations (100 TS),

PO Box 3399, Bristol, BS1 9NE

● Going in person to the Citizen Service Point

These companies will pass tenant’s personal details to ‘no- win-no fee’ solicitors offering to act for tenants in their claims against the council. What they often fail to mention, is the possibility that tenants may still incur legal costs if they withdraw or lose their claim. Or that the money they receive if they win may be less than the amount they would have been offered for a genuine claim, if they had used the council’s free internal complaints procedure (ICP) or a direct complaint to the Housing Ombudsman.

● You can report a problem out of hours by calling

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0117 922 22 00

www.bristol.gov.uk/housingnews

A Day in the Life Name: Sally Price.

Job Title: Mobile Warden.

How long have you worked for the council?

I have worked for the council for 14 months. I started on a one year fixed term contract but have recently been successful in applying for a permanent position on the team.

Describe your job: I work in a team of 21 mobile wardens. Part of our role is to deliver a 24/7 alarm response service to older residents in sheltered housing. We respond as a team to over 1,000 calls a year and provide a lifting cushion service for residents who have fallen if they are uninjured - this reduces admissions to hospital.

We work with residents to complete individual plans which support independent living. We link to a range of services in the community to either prevent hospital admission or help with hospital discharge to enable tenants to remain living independently in their own homes.

I carry out regular well-being checks with residents to make sure they are ok and link people to advice or support if needed. Sheltered housing sites all have a community room for residents to use and meet up in if they wish.

I supported residents at Farrringford House with a singing event which we held with a group from the Bristol Beacon in the communal garden, everyone

really enjoyed it and it was good to be together after all the COVID-19 restrictions. The look and feel of the communal areas in sheltered housing is very important to residents. I regular inspect these when I am visiting sites to pick up on any issues and get them dealt with.

What is your favourite part of your role?

Visiting residents and spending time getting to know about them and their story - building up trust with them. I have got to know the residents I visit very well, this helps me to contribute towards any assessments needed as well as to work with other services who support the resident. This is very useful, especially when residents have no next of kin or relatives to act as a voice for them when needed.

One part of the job I enjoy the most is being able to make a difference to a resident’s life and this comes in many differing shapes and forms.

What is the most challenging element?

Some of the residents I support have challenging and complicated needs. I wouldn’t necessarily call this a ‘challenging’ element to the job, but it can be a time consuming and exhausting element of the role. However, when you see the end result and the positive difference you can actually make to a tenant’s life and wellbeing it makes it all worth it.

What advice would you give to someone wanting to become a Mobile Warden?

If you would like a job that is never the same two days in a row, have good negotiation skills, enjoy meeting people and being able to make a difference to people’s lives, then this may well be the job for you. It’s a very rewarding job where you get out what you put in.

Could you get cheaper home broadband?

For households on certain benefits, BT has launched the BT Home Essentials package to try and improve digital inclusion. This package is £10 per month for phone line only, or there are two broadband packages to choose from costing £15 or £20 per month. These packages are only for people receiving: ● Income support ● Income-based Jobseekers Allowance ● Pensions Credit (Guaranteed Credit)

● Employment and Support Allowance

(Income-related)

● Universal Credit (and are on zero earnings)

Find out more You can also check other telecoms service provider for any social tariffs they have. For example, Virgin Media offers free calls to older and vulnerable people.

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News for all Bristol City Council tenants and leaseholders Spring 2022

Working together Since January 2022, we have been working with the Tenant Participation Advisory Service, residents, and colleagues to review resident engagement with our service. We’ve spoken to more than 2,000 residents through telephone, online workshops, tenant panels and surveys. Thank you to everyone who took part.

Your views, comments and suggestions will be used to help shape the future of resident engagement in housing and landlord services.

From the recent resident engagement survey:

34% agree

that Bristol City Council listens to views

28% agree

that Bristol City Council acts on your views

33% agree that

Bristol City Council tells you what it has done in response

What next: The Tenant Participation Advisory Service has written a report which tells us how we are performing against national tenant involvement standards. We will review their recommendations and identify actions for improvement.

Over the next few weeks, we will also be reviewing survey responses to make sure that we hear from residents across the city.

In the autumn we‘ll invite residents to take part in focus groups to work together to create new and improved resident engagement activities that truly influence what we do and are tailored to your needs and what works for you. We would like to work with you, so if you would like to be involved in focus groups, please contact the tenant participation team on 0117 3521444 or email tpu@bristol.gov.uk or join our involvement register www.bristol.gov.uk/housing/tenant-participation-ways-to-get-involved

Do you know about the Housing Ombudsman Service?

As a resident of social housing you have a right to use the Housing Ombudsman Service when unhappy with how we have handled a complaint. They offer a free complaint resolution service and have recently been reformed to be given a more important role in housing.

You can also contact them for general advice about housing complaints and your rights when complaining. Their website has data and reports on complaints in social housing, including on Bristol City Council at www.housing-ombudsman.org.uk You can call them on 0300 111 3000 Monday to Friday, 9.15am to 5.15pm or email info@housing-ombudsman.org.uk Recently they asked all social landlords to look at how they currently handle complaints. We were pleased to find that we resolve most of your complaints at the first stage of our investigation, however we are aiming to improve how quickly we respond when things go wrong. We have published our self-assessment at www.bristol.gov.uk/complaints-and-feedback/complaints-procedures

We always want to improve and learn from our mistakes. If you have any feedback about how we have handled a complaint or service we would love to hear from you at www.bristol.gov.uk/complaints-and-feedback/housing

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www.bristol.gov.uk/housingnews

Understanding your tenancy obligations

At the point of signing up for your tenancy you would have received an agreement which gives full details of your tenancy conditions. This is a summary of those conditions: ● Your tenancy must be your main home - you

must occupy the property as your main home and not live elsewhere. If you wish to take in a lodger, then you need to let us know the details, but you shouldn’t overcrowd the property. It is important that you remain living at the property.

Spring Booster Spring boosters are being offered to people who are at greatest risk from COVID-19 infection. Which includes: ● everyone aged 75 and over

● Absence - if you are going to be absent from

the property for more than a month, you need to notify your Housing Officer.

● people who live in care homes for

older people

● people aged 12 and over with a weakened

● Responsibility for actions of your household

- as the tenant, you take responsibility for the actions and behaviour of anyone you allow to live with you or visit you. It is your responsibility to make sure that the terms and conditions of your tenancy are met.

immune system, for example, due to cancer treatment. This will be the fifth dose for people who are severely immunosuppressed.

Many people in these groups had their first booster six months ago and this additional spring booster will help protect them from COVID-19 over the summer months and reduce their chances of needing hospital treatment if they do catch the virus.

COVID-19 is more serious in older people and those with a weakened immune system. The protection provided by the vaccine may be lower and may decline more quickly if you are in these groups. That’s why people aged 75 years and over, those in care homes, and those aged 12 years and over with a weakened immune system are being offered the spring booster.

The NHS will contact you when it’s time to have your spring booster. Your GP will be in touch to invite you to a clinic or you can book an appointment using the online National Booking Service or by calling 119. You can also attend a walk-in clinic. If you are in one of these groups and it has been six months since having your first booster, simply visit www.grabajab.net for details of walk-in clinics and how to book.

Details of all vaccination options in our area can also be found at www.grabajab.net.

● Subletting – you may be committing a criminal

offence if you sublet your home without our permission. (Subletting is when a tenant decides to rent out either a room or whole property to someone else).

● Lodgers - taking in lodgers to live with you in

your council home is ok, but you need to ask for permission or you could lose your tenancy.

● Abandonment - this is where a tenant moves

out of their council property but does not contact the council to end the tenancy. The council has a shortage of accommodation, and many are waiting to be rehoused. It is important that you let us know if you no longer need your council tenancy.

● Ending your tenancy - you can contact the

council to end your tenancy on 0117 922 2000 or online here www.bristol.gov.uk/housing/ how-to-end-your-tenancy

You can view your full tenancy agreement here www.bristol.gov.uk/housing/tenancy-agreement

Report tenancy fraud Report tenancy fraud by emailing tenancy.fraud@bristol.gov.uk or telephone 0117 922 2470

It’s never too late to get vaccinated and protect yourself and your loved ones.

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News for all Bristol City Council tenants and leaseholders Spring 2022

Are you ready for Bristol’s Clean Air Zone?

It’s really simple to check if your car will be charged to drive in Bristol’s upcoming Clean Air Zone.

Bristol’s Clean Air Zone has been added to the national clean air zone vehicle checker.

The online tool has been developed by the government to help drivers plan and check whether they will need to pay a charge in each UK Clean Air Zone.

Bristol’s zone will be introduced later this year. It is a central area where pollution is highest. No vehicles are banned, only older and more polluting vehicles will be charged to travel inside the zone.

Check your vehicle at www.gov.uk/clean-air-zones

Why is Bristol introducing a Clean Air Zone?

A major source of pollution in cities is road traffic, particularly diesel engines. Pollution affects everyone in Bristol, especially children, older people and those with heart, breathing and underlying health conditions.

The UK Government has directed Bristol and other cities to reduce harmful levels of pollution by introducing a Clean Air Zone.

www.bristol.gov.uk/streets-travel/bristol-caz

Financial support The council has received £36 million from government for grants and loans for people on low incomes and small Bristol-based businesses. The money is to help reduce the cost of replacing vehicles that would be charged to enter the zone and can be used to trade-in a vehicle for an equivalent new or second-hand model that meets the zone’s emission standards.

Marvin Rees, Mayor of Bristol, said:

“We have £36 million available to help people to get cleaner vehicles. If your vehicle will be charged to enter the zone then you can contact us to find out what help you can get with either exemptions, a loan or even a grant which you don’t pay back. You don’t need to buy a brand new electric car which are unaffordable for most people – it could be as simple as going to your local second hand dealer and upgrading your 2003 car for a 2006 one.”

Find out more visit www.bristol.gov.uk/ streets-travel/bristol-caz

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www.bristol.gov.uk/housingnews

Estate and Neighbourhood Standard

Are you part of a community group taking climate action or making space for nature?

We are launching a new Estate and Neighbourhood standard that will apply to all of our rented, shared ownership and mixed tenure developments and will help improve the look and feel of our estates and neighbourhoods.

The standard sets out how communal areas in and around the estate or neighbourhood should look.

Housing Officers will lead on monitoring these standards by carrying out regular inspections at agreed times and will use set standard criteria as a guide to grade them.

Bristol City Council has a new £200,000 fund to support community action that reduces greenhouse gas emissions or makes changes that benefit wildlife in Bristol.

The grants are for community groups or small not-for-profit organisations based and working in Bristol.

The criteria will be set out in a document which will soon be published on our website. It will outline the areas in and around the estate or neighbourhood which will be scored, including communal areas, car parks and gardens. The scoring system has been developed to provide a clear way for us to provide a grade against the standards. Each element will be given a score from one to four (with four being the lowest score) and we have set a target of two overall for every estate and neighbourhood.

Activities from the grant must result in one of the following: ● A clear reduction in carbon dioxide

emissions. For example; encouraging a switch to means of transport that don’t use fossil fuels, making community services less reliant on fossil fuels, encouraging reuse or repair activities or actions to reduce the number of new products we buy

The frequency of the inspections will depend on the score awarded. For example, those estates or neighbourhoods achieving an overall score of one or two will receive an inspection every quarter, those scoring a three will be inspected every other month and those scoring a four will be visited every month until the score improves.

● Physical changes that benefit wildlife in

Bristol. For example, through improving an area of land for wildlife or creating a new area of wildlife habitat.

You can apply for a grant of up to £5,000 on the Quartet Community Foundation website from 9 May – 23 June 2022: quartetcf.org.uk/apply-for-a-grant or find more info at www.bristol.gov.uk/policiesplans-strategies/council-action-on-climatechange

Housing Officers began inspecting and grading their estates and neighbourhoods in May to establish the frequency of future inspections.

Other interested parties such as residents, councillors, and services who contribute to the look and feel of estates and neighbourhoods, were invited to attend these inspections.

We hope to publish the first set of standards on our website this summer.

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News for all Bristol City Council tenants and leaseholders Spring 2022

Get in touch

You can contact us in several ways. Information about our services is available on our website 24 hours a day, seven days a week at: bristol.gov.uk/councilhousing

Get Involved

www.bristol.gov.uk/caretaking

Find out about Local Housing Forums and other resources: www.bristol.gov.uk/ tenantparticipation

Citizen Service Point 100 Temple Street, Bristol.

Opening hours Monday: 9am to 5pm Tuesday: 9am to 5pm Wednesday: 10am to 5pm Thursday: 9am to 5pm Friday: 9am to 5pm We don’t deal with all housing services face-to-face at our citizen service point, but we will help you contact services online or by telephone.

Complaints or feedback www.bristol.gov.uk/complaints

Email: complaints.feedback@ bristol.gov.uk Tel: 0117 922 2723 (Monday to Friday,10am to 4pm)

Emergency repairs Please call the Emergency Control Centre: 8.30am to 6pm (office hours): Tel: 0117 922 2200 (option 1) 6pm to 8.30am (out of hours): Tel: 0117 922 2050 Textphone: 0117 922 3892

Estate management www.bristol.gov.uk/counciltenants

Tel: 0117 922 2200 (Option 4)

Find it in Bristol maps.bristol.gov.uk/pinpoint

Grounds maintenance Email: bristolparks@bristol.gov.uk Tel: 0117 922 2100 (Option 4)

Housing benefit and council tax reduction www.bristol.gov.uk/benefits

My Account Register for ‘My Account’ Using ‘My Account’ is quick and easy. Find out how you can manage your Council Tax, Rent, Housing Benefit and Landlords services all in one place! Visit: www.bristol.gov.uk/sign-in

Rehousing www.homechoicebristol.co.uk Email:hcb.enquiries@bristol.gov.uk Tel: 0117 922 2400

Rents and housing payments www.bristol.gov.uk/payrent

If you are struggling to pay, call: Tel: 0117 922 2200 (Option 3) (Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 6pm) Manage your tenancy online: www.bristol.gov.uk/ tenantaccount

Report repairs www.bristol.gov.uk/housing/ repairs Tel: 0117 922 2200 (Option 1) page 16

Report street problems www.bristol.gov.uk/report-astreet-issue

Social media facebook.com/ bristolcouncilhousing twitter.com/BristolCouncil instagram.com/bristolcouncil youtube.com/ bristolcitycouncil

Smell gas?

Report gas immediately to National Grid Gas Emergency Service. Tel: 0800 111 999

Tenants energy advice www.cse.org.uk/bristoltea

Tenancy fraud Email:tenancy.fraud@bristol.gov.uk Tel: 0117 922 2470

Tenant services online Available 24/7 www.bristol.gov.uk/ councilhousing

Travel planning

journeyplanner.travelwest.info/ directions www.betterbybike.info

What’s on Bristol museums and galleries: www.bristolmuseums.org.uk/ whats-on

Designed and printed on sustainably sourced material by Bristol Design, Bristol City Council (May 2022) BD14432

Caretaking