At the Heart Autumn 2016

Magazine for tenants and leaseholders Autumn 2016

g n n i s Hou eratio n ial e g Re spec es pag see – 6 3 13 12 –

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At The Heart Autumn 2016

Contact us

You can report, apply and pay for a variety of housing services online.

For all enquiries please visit www.havering.gov.uk/ askhousing Send your comments about At the Heart or ideas for future issues attheheart@havering.gov.uk

Visit our office Chippenham Road Harold Hill RM3 8YQ 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday

Dear residents Providing modern homes for all generations of Havering residents is a key aim of Havering Council’s Housing Services and in this edition of At the Heart we are focusing on some of the work we are doing to achieve that aim.

This autumn Cabinet will take the final decision on the regeneration of 12 sites across Havering and we take a look at each of those in a special feature starting on page three.

Together these schemes will provide around 2,500 new homes for rent or low cost home ownership for Havering people.

The proposals are that on four estates – Maygreen Crescent and Park Lane in Hornchurch; Napier House and New Plymouth House in Rainham; Oldchurch Gardens and Waterloo Road in Romford – there will be complete regeneration of the sites.

At Chippenham Road, Farnham Road and Hilldene Avenue, in Harold Hill, we are proposing to put some light-weight buildings on top of the existing flats above the shops.

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We are also proposing to build two older persons’ villages on the sites of Royal Jubilee Court in Gidea Park, and Serena, Solar and Sunrise Court in Hornchurch. These villages will provide a range of facilities for older people all on one site.

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At Brunswick Court, in Cranham, following suggestions from residents at the existing sheltered housing scheme, we are proposing to build a new extra care sheltered housing complex on the site.

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Four other existing sheltered housing schemes – Delderfield House, Dell Court, Maygreen Crescent and Queen Street – will close under the proposals and the sites redeveloped for general needs Council housing.

In all cases meetings have been held for residents and newsletters giving information about the proposals have been distributed as well as individual web pages created.

One to one meetings with Council officers have been available for each tenant so individual family needs can be recorded.

Work on the sites is unlikely to start until 2018 and will be phased over a number of years.

In the meantime we still need to provide new Council homes for local people so we are continuing our programme of smaller schemes on former garage sites or unused land on different estates.

In this edition we highlight the schemes at Lexington Way and Roseberry Gardens in Cranham and at White Hart Lane in Collier Row. This “infill programme” will provide around 500 new Council homes.

Together these schemes are probably the most ambitious house building programme of any council in the country and reflect our commitment to making sure we have a good supply of social housing in our borough.

Councillor Damian White Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Housing

Published by Havering Council | Job no. D4769 Autumn 2016

www.havering.gov.uk

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Building homes for Havering people »» Closure of seven sheltered housing schemes so the land can be used for new Council housing, including redevelopment of two sites as older persons’ villages.

The aim is that on each site, as a minimum, the number of new homes built will replace existing Council housing and those sold under the Right to Buy.

Consultation Inside new homes built by Havering Council at Ongar Way

During the next 10 years Havering Council is planning to build around 2,500 new homes for local people, in one of the most ambitious local authority home building programmes in the country.

Since Right to Buy started, around 4,000 Council homes have been sold and these need to be replaced.

The land being used is owned by the Council and will remain in Council ownership.

Most of the 2,500 new homes will be for rent but some will be Low Cost Home Ownership, where the Council retains a share in the property and it must be sold back to the Council when the owner moves.

At the moment Havering Council has around 100 households in bed and breakfast accommodation and a further 100 in hostels. Such accommodation, while giving people a roof over their heads, is not ideal for the families involved and is expensive for the Council.

This year saw changes in the Housing Allocations Policy, which means people have to live in Havering for a minimum of six years before being eligible for Council housing.

Family homes, with two or more bedrooms, are in particular demand. All the new properties are being built to high standards and are energy efficient, with many having solar panels installed to help keep fuel costs down for tenants.

Using unused land Across the borough there are many small pockets of land where a number of new homes can be built and together they total around 500 new homes.

These include unused garage sites or small areas of waste land, which often attract anti-social behaviour or fly-tipping.

By building on this land these problems are removed, while at the same time providing homes for local people.

Most of these can be built without a significant impact on local services, such as schools, medical facilities or drainage systems.

Major schemes The remaining 2,000 new homes are to be built through a major regeneration programme which includes:

Extensive consultation will take place with residents in the areas where development is proposed. In many cases, residents’ groups are being formed so they can comment on design ideas and make suggestions for improvements.

One to one meetings with tenants on each regeneration site are being held to identify their individual needs.

For each of the regeneration schemes, and for some of the smaller infill schemes, newsletters are being produced to keep residents informed of what is happening and web pages have been developed on the Council’s website.

Local Lettings Plans are being developed and will be on each website page during September giving details of how residents can bid for alternative accommodation and the priority they will receive. Each tenant on each estate will also receive a personal letter giving details of what they need to do.

»» Total regeneration of the Waterloo Road estate in Romford »» Total regeneration of the Maygreen Crescent and Park Lane estate in Hornchurch »» Total regeneration of the Oldchurch Gardens estate in Romford »» Adding two more levels of flats to existing flats in Chippenham Road, Farnham Road and Hilldene Avenue in Harold Hill »» Demolition of Napier House and New Plymouth House in Rainham, with the land being used for new Council housing

The outside of new homes built by Havering Council at Ongar Way

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At The Heart Autumn 2016

The timetable Reports on the informal consultations already held with residents will be made to Havering Council’s Cabinet at a meeting in autumn 2016.

If approval is given, a development partner will be sought to be in place during winter 2017/18.

Throughout 2018, designs and plans for each site will be prepared for discussion and eventual approval leading to submission of planning applications.

Residents will be able to comment during the planning process.

Work is unlikely to start on any of the sites until 2018/19 and the programme will be phased with some sites starting later in the five year programme.

More info www.havering.gov.uk/askhousing

Waterloo Estate As part of the Romford Housing Zone development, the proposal is to demolish the Waterloo Estate and regenerate the whole area to provide a modern estate where people will want to live.

The Romford Housing Zone has received ÂŁ34.9 million funding from the Mayor of London.

If you are a leaseholder on the estate you can start the process of selling your property to the Council now. Each leaseholder should have received a letter giving details of how to sell; more details are on the web page.

More info www.havering. gov.uk/WaterlooEstate

Napier House and New Plymouth House

Maygreen Crescent and Park Lane Estate The proposal for Maygreen Crescent and Park Lane will see the demolition of existing flats and the sheltered housing scheme.

Residents in sheltered housing have been offered the opportunity to visit sheltered housing schemes which are remaining open so they can choose where they would like to move to.

One to one meetings with tenants have been held during August and a consultation meeting is scheduled for Thursday 6 October to update tenants and leaseholders on what is happening.

More info www.havering.gov.uk/MaygreenCrescent

Demolition of these two tower blocks has been welcomed by residents, as they no longer provide housing that meets modern standards.

One to one meetings with tenants have been held during August and a consultation meeting is scheduled for Wednesday 5 October, to update tenants and leaseholders on what is happening.

The portacabin in the car park area has been removed as it was not used as a social centre by residents and the lease was due for renewal.

This has saved ÂŁ9,500 a year for the Housing Revenue Account.

More info www.havering.gov.uk/ NapierandNewPlymouth

www.havering.gov.uk

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Oldchurch Gardens The proposal for Oldchurch Gardens involves regenerating the whole estate.

One to one meetings with tenants are scheduled during September following an informal consultation meeting due to be held on Tuesday 6 September to update tenants and leaseholders on what is happening.

More info www.havering.gov.uk/OldchurchGardens

Chippenham Road, Farnham Road and Hilldene Avenue The proposal is that light-weight, modular maisonettes be built off site and then lifted into place on top of the existing flats above the shops.

This would provide an extra two levels of accommodation above the existing flats. The system of building would minimise disruption for existing residents.

As part of the same ÂŁ17 million programme, work would be done on the existing properties, including installing lifts, improving security, replacing windows, improving weather resistance and insulation.

One to one meetings with tenants have been held during August and a third consultation meeting is planned for October to update tenants and leaseholders on what is happening.

More info www.havering.gov.uk/Hilldene

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At The Heart Autumn 2016

Building homes for Havering people Havering Council is looking to use former garage sites and other under-utilised land to build new homes for Havering residents.

This “infill programme” will provide an extra 500 new properties as part of the Council’s overall programme, which will see around 2,500 new Council homes built in the borough. Current schemes in the pipeline are detailed below.

Lexington Way, Cranham

Roseberry Gardens, Cranham

Work should start during September on building 12 new Council properties in Lexington Way, Cranham as part of a scheme which received planning approval earlier this year.

The development includes two two-bedroom flats, three two-bedroom houses and seven three-bedroom houses.

Some of the properties will be for rent and others for Low Cost Home Ownership (LCHO).

Each of the 12 homes has its own on-site parking in line with planning policy, and a further four visitor parking bays are included.

To help resolve some parking issues in the area it is anticipated that around 30 extra parking spaces will be created as part of this development.

The scheme also includes extensive landscaping.

More info www.havering.gov.uk/Lexington

Roseberry Gardens

Havering Council is proposing to build three two-bedroom bungalows on Council-owned land behind 111 to 117 Roseberry Gardens, Cranham.

Scale: 1:1000 Date: 08 December 2014 Size: A4

London Borough of Havering Town Hall, Main Road,Romford, RM1 3BD Tel: 01708 434343

© Crown copyright and database rights 2014 Ordnance Survey 100024327

The scheme will be a mews style development providing much needed family homes for local people.

The new properties will be built to a high standard, be energy-efficient and have adequate on-site parking for the residents.

One consultation has already taken place with residents’ comments having been gathered and assessed.

A planning application was made on Thursday 30 June and residents have the opportunity to formally comment as part of the planning process.

More info www.havering.gov.uk/Roseberry

White Hart Lane, Collier Row The Council is proposing to build 24 new homes on two sites in White Hart Lane, Collier Row. The two proposed sites are: • the land behind Cumberland House, Devon House, Durham House and Kent House • the garage area behind the shops at 37 – 59 White Hart Lane.

Comments made during the consultations have been taken on board and site investigations are taking place this month to ensure that the latest information on ground conditions is available.

Plans are being prepared ready for submission to the Council’s Planning Committee later this autumn.

More info www.havering.gov.uk/WhiteHartLane

www.havering.gov.uk

Family fun for the summer During the school summer holidays every Wednesday saw a Family Fun Day activity, run by the Housing Services Community Engagement Team, taking place in different parts of the borough. Every Thursday saw members of the team helping run activities at different childrens’ centres in Havering.

As this photo feature shows everyone had lots of fun.

More info www.havering.gov.uk/askhousing

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At The Heart Autumn 2016

Community Wardens “I found that on the whole people were more reluctant to be as abusive in front of the camera which was welcome. I receive a large amount of abuse in my role and the footage has given me evidence. When it comes to returning to the office to report to my supervisor on difficult situations, I wonder if he sometimes believes how difficult it can be, but now it’s backed up - I have the evidence!

BBC film crew with Senior Community Warden Claire Clayton and Warden Nadeem Mohiuddin

Havering on TV Havering’s Parking Wardens and Community Wardens will be starring in three TV shows; BBC’s Dom on the Spot, Housing Enforcers and ITV’s Parking Wars, in episodes due to be aired over the next few months.

priority. In the heat of the moment parents can very easily lose sight of that, as they have forgotten why we are there in the first place. When schools are on holidays, it means we can focus our concentration on other problem areas. “

Parking Enforcers

Kam’s story

Parking wardens or Civic Enforcement Officers, as they are now termed, are not everybody’s favourite people, however once you see what they have to go through on a daily basis your view may start to change.

Kam said: “I was excited at first as was just expecting a single day of filming, that quickly became several days, but I soon adjusted.

Havering officers, Kamaldeep ‘Kam’ Paul and her supervisor Dan Onyewuenwi were followed by a BBC film crew for a number of weeks; At The Heart went to meet them to find out how they felt about their filming experience.

Dan’s story Dan said: “I was anxious of the camera at first but after a while got used to it.

The camera followed us over several weeks and could often lead to long days. Holding your tongue in difficult situations and retaining a calm professionalism is hard, particularly when you are on camera. I found that one of the most important things is to get your message across and to show the viewer that parking tickets are often a last resort.

“We get a lot of abuse, often outside schools where children’s safety is our

Kam on patrol outside the school gates

“I hope that the footage shows that we are not overly harsh with issuing parking tickets. We always give the driver an opportunity first; I often take several pictures around the vehicle which gives the driver more time to return to it. A lot of our abuse comes from drivers who have taken a risk in order to save time or effort and have found that it backfired; they are often angry at themselves and take it out on us.

“Overall, I think we will still be disliked in our roles, but after viewers see the programmes, there may be more appreciation from those who live near schools or a footway for example. It will also help clear up discrepancies; sometimes people make up their own rules on where and when they can park; the difference between single and double yellow lines, the use of disabled bays and so on.”

Kam and Dan are interested but slightly apprehensive about the reaction to their new found fame, and are anticipating what might happen after the programmes airs.

The Housing Enforcers Havering’s housing enforcers have also been gaining some experience in front of the cameras. The film crew have been following a number of teams in the housing department, including the tenancy fraud team who make sure our limited housing stock is occupied by people who need it and is not illegally sublet.

The picture shows a flat left in a seriously unacceptable state by an evicted tenant. The tenancy team have to move in quickly to clear, clean and get it ready so a new and more deserving tenant can move in as soon as possible.

Senior Community Warden Claire Clayton and her colleague, Nadeem Mohiuddin said: “It is a great chance to advertise the Community Warden service, patrolling around the borough estates, to make residents feel safer, enforcing anti-social behaviour orders, and assisting with evictions.

www.havering.gov.uk

Insurance cover helps in emergencies Earlier this year heavy rain saw two rivers in Havering burst their banks causing flooding of some homes, especially in Collier Row. The mess caused by such flooding is always difficult to clean up and having your home flooded, often with the loss of furniture and family mementoes, is never pleasant.

But if you don’t have insurance cover there can often be a big financial cost too.

Flat left in an unacceptable state by former tenant

“It is good to show a wider audience exactly how the Community Wardens are continuing to make a difference in the borough.”

Court Bailiff Officers, John Gresty and Shane James have also been out with the BBC cameras in Harold Hill. In just one morning of filming they collected £300 in unpaid Council Tax at one address, £485 at a second and at a third, a woman was confronted with bills on her current property and the two previous properties where she had been living. The earliest debt was from 2004. She paid a total of £1,448.25.

Bailiffs John Gresty and Shane James

This goes to show that no matter how old your debt, Havering Council will still be looking to recover money owed. We need this money to provide our essential services for children and the elderly as well as those on which we all rely such as emptying bins and sweeping the streets. Havering has an excellent Council Tax collection rate of 97 per cent, one of the best in London, but the remaining three per cent will be made to pay what they owe.

More info www.havering.gov.uk/Housing

The Council does not insure your furniture, belongings or decorations against theft, fire, vandalism and burst pipes.

It is up to you to take out your own home contents insurance either by making your own arrangements or by joining a special scheme exclusively for Havering's council tenants and leaseholders.

From as little as £1 a week you can cover the cost of replacing your belongings and Council tenants can pay weekly with their rent which helps spread the cost.

More info www.havering.gov.uk/HomeInsurance

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At The Heart Autumn 2016

Community Warden News

Warden assists at flats’ fire A serious fire at Andromeda Court, Harold Hill in early June saw Community Warden, Liam Knight, working closely with Havering Council’s emergency duty officer to help residents and the emergency services.

Liam stayed on site to the end of his shift with the police and Fire Service just in case more residents attended.

The fire started just before lunchtime on a Saturday and the Fire Service was still on site more than 12 hours later ensuring the block was safe.

Eighteen flats were evacuated as the fire swept through the roof of one of the blocks.

Residents from two of the blocks needed alternative accommodation for the weekend.

Liam said: “When I got to Andromeda Court the Fire Service was still tackling the fire and residents had been evacuated a safe distance away.

“It was clear that residents wouldn’t be able to return to the flats during the weekend due to the fire, smoke and water damage so I contacted one of the duty managers, Jaya Leal, who joined us at the scene.

Some of the debris following the fire

“We then worked with the Council’s emergency duty officer to ensure everyone had somewhere they could stay for the weekend, got access to flats when it was safe for them to collect vital personal possessions and then we made sure the area was secure.

“Scaffolding was erected to make the building safe and security fencing put up around the site.”

Emergency services officers assess the damage at Andromeda Court

Fast response following car crash Community Wardens, Terry Broad and Liam Knight, were first on the scene when two cars were involved in an accident at the junction of Leamington Road and Petersfield Avenue in Harold Hill.

The wardens acted fast to force open a jammed door on one of the vehicles to check that the driver was ok.

They then called the emergency services, who had to cut the roof off one vehicle to rescue the passenger inside.

While waiting for the emergency services to attend, the wardens directed traffic around the accident.

Havering Council’s Community Wardens are trained in first aid and how to respond in emergencies.

Emergency services remove the car roof to rescue occupants

www.havering.gov.uk

Try a course for fun and qualifications Havering Adult College offers a range of courses this autumn at different campuses including in Collier Row, Harold Wood and Rainham. Copies of the prospectus are available at local libraries and some supermarkets.

More info www.haveringadultcollege.co.uk

Education 4 Independence Your road to success…

Education 4 Independence is a varied and dynamic provision for adults with learning difficulties which helps develop life skills and independence. This includes a range of visits and life-enriching experiences all supervised by a qualified teaching team.

Diploma in Floristry Level 2 - Intensive An intensive version of the Level 2 Diploma in Floristry is available at Havering Adult College this year. This is normally a two year course but is being offered in one year.

This is for learners who want to develop their skills of good workmanship and design in floristry and progress to the next level or career in professional floristry. The 10 units covered in this course are assessed by practical and written assignments and learners will produce a portfolio of work to be assessed.

All sessions revolve around the learners’ individual person-centred plans, with a clear focus on developing their future independence. Please contact Brenda Hunt on 01708 433792 for more information.

GCSEs GCSE courses are available in a range of subjects for learners who want to enroll for a variety of reasons – maybe you need a qualification to enhance your employment opportunities, maybe you want to improve on subjects you took back in your school days, or perhaps you want to prove that you can! Havering Adult College offers a variety of core subjects.

Certificate in Sugarcraft Level 2 This accredited course will provide you with underpinning knowledge to develop basic skills in sugar decorative crafts.

Learn through demonstrations and set tasks to produce samples of work and build a professional portfolio which will be produced as evidence.

You will cover four units: Design, Sampling, Fantasy Flowers and Floral Sugar

All the GCSE courses are delivered by highly qualified and experienced teachers to help you achieve the qualification you want.

More info www.haveringadultcollege.co.uk/gcses

Display for Tableware.

Arrangements can be made for resources and materials to be provided at a charge to the learner, otherwise the learner will need to source all their own materials.

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At The Heart Autumn 2016

Providing better housing for older peop Following a review of housing suitable for older people, Havering Council is currently consulting with residents about proposals to provide suitable homes to meet demand for the next 30 years.

Interim Director of Housing, Neil Stubbings, has now spoken at all 19 sheltered housing schemes in the borough, explaining the proposals the Council is considering and inviting comments on them.

Mr Stubbings said: “Havering Council currently has around 800 units of sheltered housing across 19 schemes in the borough.

“Around 300 of those units are not fit for purpose as they are: »» bedsit accommodation which people generally do not wish to rent »» in schemes without lifts to all floors »» in schemes which are very expensive to maintain due to their condition and situation »» in schemes which have inadequate communal facilities.

Review “A review of provision of accommodation for elderly people in Havering has been prepared,

identifying what will be needed for the next 30 years including extra care, housing for the elderly and housing with specialist dementia care provision.

“Part of the review includes proposals for investment in 12 sheltered housing schemes in Havering to improve the facilities and enhancing the scheme manager resources, so they can become community hubs for elderly people living nearby as well as within each scheme.

“The proposals also include the suggestion that seven of the existing schemes will close. It is proposed that:

Investing in the future For the schemes which will remain open, a programme of investment is planned to ensure they provide the highest possible level of housing and support for residents.

This will include investing in lifts so that all floors are accessible and that the lifts are reliable, improved communal areas, improved toilet facilities for people with disabilities and, where possible, providing ramps instead of steps in garden and other communal areas.

»» the Royal Jubilee Court site and the Serena, Solar and Sunrise scheme could each become an older persons’ village

Following the success of the painting of communal areas in Garrick House to make them more friendly for people with dementia, similar painting schemes will be introduced elsewhere.

»» at Brunswick Court the existing scheme, which is not fit for purpose, is replaced with a newly built extra care sheltered housing scheme.

There will also be different projects identified for each scheme as part of the consultations taking place and these will be reported in the newsletters for each scheme.

»» the sheltered housing schemes at Delderfield House, Dell Court, Maygreen Crescent and Park Lane, and Queen Street would close with the land being used to provide Council housing for Havering people.”

Sheltered Housing Team Leader, Sharon Nunn, chats to residents at Brunswick Court

Community Hubs The proposals include making communal areas at sheltered schemes community hubs so older residents living locally can join in

Ga in

Neil Stubbings talks to residents at Serena, Solar a

www.havering.gov.uk

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ple activities and make new friends to reduce social isolation.

commitment to reducing isolation among older people in the borough.

A review of the sheltered scheme officers’ role will also take place with the aim of giving them time to make contact with older people in the community as well as those living in sheltered housing.

Decision

This is part of the Council’s

arrick House communal areas have been painted n dementia friendly colours

and Sunrise sheltered housing scheme

A full report on the consultation responses will be made to Havering Council’s Cabinet in the autumn when a final decision will be taken on what

will happen at each scheme.

When that decision is made, a special newsletter will be issued for each of the seven schemes giving details of what will happen next.

More info www.havering.gov.uk/shelteredhousingdevelopment

Queen Street sheltered housing scheme

Details of each proposal For all the schemes regular newsletters are being issued and meetings held.

Each scheme also has its own web page which is regularly updated and the best way to keep in touch with the latest news: Brunswick Court Delderfield House Dell Court Maygreen Crescent and Park Lane Queen Street

www.havering.gov.uk/Brunswick www.havering.gov.uk/Delderfield www.havering.gov.uk/Dell www.havering.gov.uk/Maygreen www.havering.gov.uk/QueenStreet

Royal Jubilee Court

www.havering.gov.uk/RJC

Serena, Solar and Sunrise Court

www.havering.gov.uk/SSS

The schemes remaining also have their own web pages Bards Court Beehive Court Charlbury Court Cockabourne Court Cole Court

www.havering.gov.uk/Bards www.havering.gov.uk/Beehive www.havering.gov.uk/Charlbury www.havering.gov.uk/Cockabourne www.havering.gov.uk/Cole

Cottons Court and Fambridge Court

www.havering.gov.uk/Cottons

Garrick House

www.havering.gov.uk/Garrick

Holsworthy House Poplar Street

www.havering.gov.uk/Holsworthy www.havering.gov.uk/Poplar

Ravenscourt Grove

www.havering.gov.uk/Ravenscourt

Thomas Sims Court

www.havering.gov.uk/ThomasSims

William Tansley Smith House

www.havering.gov.uk/WilliamTansley

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At The Heart Autumn 2016

Get a helping hand

Don’t miss out on the news

Havering Adult College can offer you great opportunities to develop your IT skills, through both accredited and non-accredited courses.

You can build your confidence and increase your practical knowledge in our fully equipped IT suite, based at Bower Park campus, Collier Row. Most courses are subject to a pre-course interview with the teacher, so that we can be sure you are placed at the correct level.

We cater for all abilities – from absolute beginner up to Level Three (A-Level equivalent). The topics covered include email, internet, Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint and how to stay safe online.

In addition to all this, we also offer: »» tailored learning opportunities if

you are unemployed and seeking work on a 1-2-1 basis or classroombased »» Silver Surfers courses for the over 60 »» very popular progressive courses, specifically aimed at developing your knowledge of Excel.

So, if you want to update your skills, support your children, or increase your employment opportunities, do get in touch on 01708 434955.

More info www.haveringadultcollege.co.uk

Every month we email out At the Heart Online to more than 7,580 Council tenants and leaseholders providing them with the latest news and information about housing issues.

There are more than 116,000 subscribers who receive one or more of the 43 email updates produced each month by Havering Council.

Make sure you are not missing out and sign up to receive your copy of the email updates that interest you.

Sign up now to make sure you keep up-to-date.

More info www.havering.gov.uk/enews

ICT support at libraries The 10 libraries in Havering all have computers available and offer support for people needing help to set up email accounts or access the internet. This free support is only available at certain times at each library, shown in the table below. As these sessions are often run by volunteers please contact the library to confirm details and book your place.

Library Collier Row

ICT Session date Due to launch later in 2016

Elm Park

Due to launch later in 2016

Gidea Park

Wed, 10 – 11am Beginners course over five weeks Thurs, 5 – 6pm Intermediate course over eight weeks Sat, 10 – 11am Techy Buddy session Mon, 10 – 11am and 5.30 – 6.30pm Tues, 10 – 11am Thurs, 10 – 11am, Fri, 10 – 11am

Harold Hill Harold Wood

Wed, 10.30am – 12.30pm pre-booking essential Thurs, 2.30 – 4.30pm pre-booking essential

Hornchurch

First Tues of month, 2 – 4pm, Techy Teas

Rainham

Last Wed of month, 10.30am – 12.30pm, Techy Teas

Romford Central

Wed, 10am – noon, ICT Support drop-in sessions, Fri, 10am – 12 noon, Beginners four-week course pre-booking essential.

Sat, 1.30 – 3.30pm

South Hornchurch Upminster

Thur, 10.30am – 12.30pm First Thurs of Month, 10.30am – 12.30pm, Techy Teas.

1-2-1 IT help on dates and times to suit individual needs. Booking essential

Contact CollierRow.library@havering.gov.uk T 434936 ElmPark.library@havering.gov.uk 434919 GideaPark.library@havering.gov.uk T 434978 HaroldHill.library@havering.gov.uk T 434973 HaroldWood.library@havering.gov.uk T 434975 Hornchurch.library@havering.gov.uk T 434903 Rainham.library@havering.gov.uk T 434970 Central.library@havering.gov.uk T 432389 SouthHornchurch.library@havering.gov.uk T 434921 Upminster.library@havering.gov.uk T 434933

More info www.havering.gov.uk/libraries - all telephone numbers 01708-

www.havering.gov.uk

Delta TMO is backed in ballot A massive 94.6 per cent of residents who voted, have backed the continuation of the Delta Tenant Management Organisation (TMO) in a ballot which closed in August.

Under Government rules residents must vote every five years on whether a TMO should continue.

Delta TMO manages 276 flats, bungalows and maisonettes in Durham Avenue and Elvet Avenue as well as four properties in Squirrels Heath Lane, Gidea Park.

Around 185 of these are tenants, with the remainder being leasehold properties.

In the vote 209 people voted to support the continuation of the TMO, with just 12 voting against.

The Delta TMO board, under the chairmanship of Director Sandy Stevenson, are all unpaid volunteers who live on the estate and manage the organisation.

There is also a dedicated Estate Team consisting of a Manager, Office Administrator and two estate operatives who look after the day to day repairs of the properties, grounds maintenance, caretaking and cleaning as well as processing empty properties and responding to reports of anti-social behaviour.

More info www.deltatmo.com

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Jobs Club Success The four Job Clubs run by Havering CAB (Citizens Advice Bureau) on behalf of Havering Council are proving a great success.

In the last year 1,509 people have called in for help, advice and support at one or another of the Job Clubs, which are held weekly at Collier Row, Harold Hill, Rainham and Romford.

Help on offer ranges from teaching IT skills, to help revising, CVs, or mock interviews before going for a job.

So far 24 people we know who have attended the Job Clubs have found work, and a further 48 have gained places on training courses to help them find work.

So if you are looking for a job, do pop in for a friendly chat about how our Job Clubs can help you.

Can you help?

Because the job clubs are proving so popular we are looking for some volunteers to help the manager, Rugova Rexha, provide help to those looking for work.

If you have skills that could help someone find a job and have a couple of hours a week to spare please let us know via the website.

“Very helpful and understanding, I feel so much better now I’ve had help.”

BR, Rainham Job Club

“I have got a new CV and two interviews for training courses, I feel so much more confident.

Thanks again!”

AH, Harold Hill Job Club

“All members of staff were very helpful and gave good advice.”

CC, Collier Row Job Club

More info www.havering.gov.uk/JobClubs

Safety first when using lifts Please take extra care if you have a pet or small children with you when using a lift. These seven tips should help keep you both safe and away from accidents.

4 Any toilet related accidents should be reported to staff so they can organise the necessary cleaning as soon as possible.

1 When entering and leaving a lift, keep your finger on the Door Open button when you are able, to make sure the door does not close on you, those with you, or anyone entering/leaving after you.

5 Training your dog to walk/heel by your side when entering and leaving the lift may lessen any sudden pulling incidents which may result in injury. 'Ensure you let anyone else, who may be responsible for your dog, follows your instructions.

2 Do not rush. If a door is closing, wait for the lift to return.

3 Small animals and children should be picked up and carried into lifts. Carrying a small dog may also reduce the risk of toilet related accidents. If your pet is too heavy, ensure the lead is short to allow maximum

proximity to you. Short leads will also reassure other lift users who may have a fear of unfamiliar dogs.

6 Do not eat or drink in lifts where possible, this keeps accidents to a minimum and ensures lifts are clean public areas.

7 If you see or hear of anti-social behavior taking place within a lift, please report it to the Community Wardens on 01708 726685.

16

At The Heart Autumn 2016

Housing in Bloom

The following are a selection of entries for this year’s Housing in Bloom competition. Judging was due to take place as At the Heart went to print and we’ll bring you the full results in the next edition.

Q

Cole Court

Eve Ndiweni, Sunrise Lodge

Wood Lane

Cross Road Romfor

www.havering.gov.uk

Queen Street, Rita Miles

rd. A Wolton

Mr Roberts, Turpin Avenue

Rock Garden Sue Cotterrill and Bernard Murphy

Mr Bhogal, Sunrise Court

17

18

At The Heart Autumn 2016

Changes to the Home Ownership team Following the Housing Restructure there have recently been some changes within Home Ownership. The new structure of the team is as follows: Name

Job Title

Contact details

Jane Shaw

Home Ownership Manager

Jane.shaw@havering.gov.uk

Brenda Broad Home Ownership Officer

Brenda.broad@havering.gov.uk

Denise Hall

Home Ownership Officer

Denise.hall@havering.gov.uk

Claire Grover

Home Ownership Officer (Part-time)

Claire.grover@havering.gov.uk

Janet Reid

Home Ownership Officer (Part-time)

Janet.reid@havering.gov.uk

Sharon Boyce

Home Ownership Officer

Sharon.boyce@havering.gov.uk

Carole Wall

Right to Buy Officer

Carole.wall@havering.gov.uk

If there is anything we can help you with regarding service charges or the Right to Buy scheme, please feel free to contact any member of the team between 9am-5pm Monday-Friday or email homeownership@havering.co.uk

Moving on It is with sadness that we say goodbye to Claire Bailey, Danielle Thorogood and Kathryn Brown who have now transferred over to Income Recovery. If you wish to discuss your service charge account please email them on leaseholdincome@havering.gov.uk Sharon Howe has now moved across to the Capital Monitoring Team to take up her new role of Programme Monitoring Assistance.

Get involved – speak to Sandy Havering Council’s Home Ownership Team, with the help of the Leasehold Focus Group, continuously seeks more efficient ways of working and transfer savings made to leaseholders.

Sandy Stevenson is the Chairman of the London Borough of Havering Leaseholder Focus Group and she can help you bring general leasehold issues to the attention of Home Ownership.

The group meets four times a year with the aim of improving the service provided by the Home Ownership team.

If anything about your lease is on your mind, feel free to email Sandy on sandystevenson@gmail.com

Home Owne

Paying your service charges

by Direct Debit

It’s as easy as 1-2-3 to pay your service charges by Direct Debit. It’s convenient and means you no longer have to remember when your service charges are due.

You are protected by the Direct Debit Guarantee, which gives customers the complete reassurance of being protected by a number of safeguards including: »» An immediate money back guarantee if your account is debited in error. »» You will receive advance notice if the amount due, the payment date or the frequency of payments changes.

Of course, you have complete control as you have the right to cancel your direct debit at any time by contacting your bank or building society.

More info www.havering.gov.uk/pay

Don’t miss out?

Are your contact details up to date?

Please let the Home Ownership Team know of any changes to your circumstances using the online form.

More info www.havering.gov.uk/askhousing

www.havering.gov.uk

19

ership News Right to Buy fraud

Service charge update All leaseholders should by now have received a Statement of Actual Expenditure telling you about your service charge for the period 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2016.

The Actual Expenditure replaces the estimated service charge sent to you for this period in February last year.

The Statement of Actual Expenditure tells you whether the estimated amount we charged at that time was over or under the actual amount we spent on your block/estate.

If there was an underspend showing on your actual statement then this must paid by Friday 21 October 2016, to avoid any recovery action being taken against you.

If we spent less than the estimated amount then your service charge account will be in credit.

Havering Council is continuing to take a tough line with people trying to cheat the system and the new measures, to combat fraud are having results.

Since October 2015, investigations have led to 18 Right to Buy (RTB) cases being withdrawn due to tenancy fraud, which means those homes have stayed available for Council tenants to rent.

There are currently 180 RTB applications being processed and each one will be thoroughly checked to make sure that those making the applications meet all the legal criteria to complete the purchase.

One side benefit of the RTB investigations is that ÂŁ37,919.15 has been collected in Council Tax arrears or due to overpayment of Housing Benefit, with a further four cases currently being investigated.

Bought on the open market If you bought your property on the open market you will have assumed all liabilities on the property, which include paying all service charges due on the property.

Your solicitor should have ensured all service charges were paid up to date before the purchase went ahead.

However, in the situation where an actual account had not been calculated, your solicitor should have made provision with the seller’s solicitors to hold retention until such time as the invoices are raised on the account.

If this is you, please contact your solicitor and provide a copy of the Statement of Actual Expenditure to them so that any retention held can be released.

Also, please ensure all transfer documents have been forwarded to the Home Ownership team as required by

the terms and conditions of your lease, so that all our records are both accurate and correct.

20

At The Heart Autumn 2016

Do It In A Day Getting repairs done quickly and effectively is important, which is why a new system has been introduced so that all day to day repairs in a specific street will be tackled on one day by the Council’s contractor, the Breyer Group.

Housing Services Responsive Repair Manager, Elina Rice, said: “The aim is to improve the repairs service to Havering’s tenants and leaseholders. By having a known day, residents can plan ahead, the Council will do more repairs on time and at the first visit, because we will be in one location if a tenant needs something done.”

Tenants should report repairs in the normal way and the Council will programme non-urgent repairs to be carried out during these special days. Also if there is a repair that hasn’t been reported, we may be able to complete it for you on the day.

The dates for the repair days are listed opposite.

More info www.havering.gov.uk/repairdays

www.havering.gov.uk Date

Area

31 August 2016

St Helens Court

​​7 September 2016

​​ Napier House, New Plymouth House, Dunedin Road, Gisborne Gardens, Queenstown Gardens New Zealand Way, Christchurch Avenue, Auckland Avenue

14 September 2016

​​Queen Street (6), Waterloo Gardens (1), St. Andrews Road (6), William Pike House (1) Thomas England House (1) Queen Street Villas (sheltered) (6)

21 September 2016​

Highfield Road (13), Hillrise Road (22), Highfield Towers (1), Highfield Link (1) Hendon Gardens (1), Harlow Gardens (1)

28 September 2016

​​Prospect Place

5 October 2016

Suffolk House, Norfolk House, Sussex House, Surrey House, Kent House, Durham House Devon House, Cumberland House, Rutland House, Mawney Close, Rodney Way, Valiant Close Victory Way

12 October 2016

Brunswick Avenue, Macon Way, Lexington Way, Roseberry Gardens, Waycross Avenue, Moultrie Way Griffin Avenue

19 October 2016

Maygreen Crescent, Park Lane

26 October 2016

​Rush Green Gardens

16 November 2016

​​The Rotunda, Fambridge Court, Cottons Court

16 November 2016​

Farnham Road, Hilldene Avenue, Chippenham Road, Kings Lynn Drive, Dartfields Rothbury House, Crediton House, Wantage House, Ingleton House, Stratford House Ripon House, Keswick House, Ringwood House, Morpeth House, Matlock House, Lincoln House Ringwood House, Morpeth House, Matlock House, Lincoln House.Mawney Close, Rodney Way, Valiant Close, Victory Way

​23 November 2016

​Malan Square, Bader Way, Wood Lane, Thomas Sims Court

​30 November 2016

Leyburn Crescent, Leyburn Road, Southall House, Ulverston House, Runcorn House Talgarth House, Wallingford House, Coleford House, Denbigh House, Chesham House Havant House, Atherton House, Middlesborough House, Lampeter House, Enfield House Helmsley House, Langport House, Orton House, Pulborough House

7 December 2016

Carnforth House, Marsden House, Bracknell House, Brackley House, Bedford House Arnside House, Heathfield House, Hungerford House, Lodden House, Marsden House

​14 December 2016

Morecambe House, Minefield House, Macclesfield House, Lynmouth, House, Luton House, Thrapston House, Haslingdon House, Halifax House, Glossop House, Epsom House Gillingham House, Camelford House, Wilmslow House, Wolverton House, Newmarket House Portmadoc House, Northampton House, Nelson House

​​21 December 2016

​St Helens Court

4 January 2017

​ apier House, New Plymouth House, Dunedin Road, Gisborne Gardens, Queenstown Gardens N New Zealand Way, Christchurch Avenue, Auckland Avenue

21

22

At The Heart Autumn 2016

Listings

Housing in Bloom Awards Ceremony Fri 23 Sept 12 noon Town Hall, Main Road Romford RM1 3BB

Volunteer Taster Days Tues 27 Sept 6pm Havering Town Hall, Main Road, Romford, EM1 3BB Book your place via www.havering.gov.uk/ askhousing

Jobs Clubs

Mon 10am – 1pm Mardyke Community Centre South Street, Rainham RM13 8PJ To book a place E infomyca@yahoo.co.uk Wed 10am – 1pm Betty Strathern Centre 41 Myrtle Road, Harold Hill RM3 8XS www.havering.gov.uk/ askhousing Wed 10am – 2pm St Georges Church Centre Chippenham Road Harold Hill RM3 8AX Thurs 9.30am – 12.30pm Highfield Towers Community Hall, Hillrise Road, Collier Row RM5 3DQ Image: The Collier Row Job Club. www.havering.gov.uk/ askhousing

Dogs Trust microchipping and health checks

The Dogs Trust will microchip your dog and give it a free health check on the following dates Wed 19 Oct 11am – 4pm Maygreen Crescent Hornchurch RM11 1EJ Thurs 17 Nov 11am – 4pm Malan Square, Rainham RM13 7JA

Wed 7 Dec 11am – 4pm Hillrise Road, Collier Row RM5 3DG Fri 6 Jan 2017 11am – 4pm ​Kingsbridge Circus Harold Hill RM3 8PB www.havering.gov.uk/ dogchipping

Residents’ Groups

The Highview Residents’ Association meets on the Third Thurs of the month 6pm – 7.30pm New members More info www.havering.gov.uk/ askhousing

Estate Regeneration programme

The following schemes and proposed areas for redevelopment receive regular newsletters and meetings are being held.

The meetings listed below are for the tenants and leaseholders of that estate or sheltered housing scheme only.

Please note that dates are subject to change, please check relevant website for latest information.

Thurs 22 Sept 1 – 2pm Delderfield House Sheltered Housing Scheme www.havering.gov.uk/ Delderfield 3 – 4pm Brunswick Court Sheltered Housing Scheme www.havering.gov.uk/ Brunswick Fri 23 Sept 9.30 – 10.30am Ravenscourt Grove Sheltered Housing Scheme www.havering.gov.uk/ Ravenscourt Wed 28 Sept 11am – 12 noon Royal Jubilee Court

More info www.facebook.com/haveringhousing www.havering.gov.uk/askhousing

Sheltered Housing Scheme www.havering.gov.uk/RJC

www.havering.gov.uk/ MaygreenCrescent

Wed 28 Sept 12.30 – 1.30pm Queen Street Sheltered Housing Scheme www.havering.gov.uk/ QueenStreet

Fri 7 Oct 3 – 4pm Beehive Court Sheltered Housing Scheme www.havering.gov.uk/ Beehive

Fri 30 Sept 12.30 – 12 noon Maygreen Crescent and Park Lane Sheltered Housing Scheme www.havering.gov.uk/ Maygreen

Mon 10 Oct 10 – 11am Cockabourne Court Sheltered Housing Scheme www.havering.gov.uk/ Cockabourne

Fri 30 Sept 2 – 3pm Serena, Solar and Sunrise Court Sheltered Housing Scheme www.havering.gov.uk/SSS 3.30 – 4.30pm Dell Court Sheltered Housing Scheme www.havering.gov.uk/Dell Wed 5 October 3.30 – 4.30pm Cottons Court and Fambridge Court Sheltered Housing Scheme www.havering.gov.uk/ Cottons Thurs 6 October 10am – 11am Charlbury Court Sheltered Housing Scheme www.havering.gov.uk/ Charlbury 11.30am – 12.30pm Bards Court Sheltered Housing Scheme www.havering.gov.uk/Bards 2pm – 3pm Holsworthy House Sheltered Housing Scheme www.havering.gov.uk/ Holsworthy 3.30pm – 4.30pm Cole Court Sheltered Housing Scheme www.havering.gov.uk/Cole 6 – 7pm Maygreen Crescent and Park Lane Estate Resident Consultation

1 – 2pm Garrick House Sheltered Housing Scheme www.havering.gov.uk/ Garrick 2.30 – 3.30pm Thomas Sims Court www.havering.gov.uk/ ThomasSims Thurs 13 Oct 9.30 – 10.30am Delderfield House Sheltered Housing Scheme www.havering.gov.uk/ Delderfield 11.30am – 12.30pm Brunswick Court Sheltered Housing Scheme www.havering.gov.uk/ Brunswick Wed 19 and Thurs 20 Oct 9am – 6pm Waterloo Estate Residents’ One-to-One meetings www.havering.gov.uk/ WaterlooEstate Details of other events can be seen online at www.havering.gov.uk/ events

OTHER FORMATS

Havering Council will consider requests for documents to be translated or converted into other formats.

More info www.havering. gov.uk/askhousing

www.havering.gov.uk

Councillor Damian White said: “I firmly believe that the Council needs to focus on the needs of tenants and listen even more to their views. Most importantly, act on them so they are reflected not just in housing policies but also in our day to day work that has such a big impact on where people live.

“That is why any tenant or leaseholder can contact me directly to raise any housing-related issue they wish.

23

Tell Damian what you think...

YOUR DETAILS Name Address

email phone Your comment

“Whether you contact me by email or post when you send the form back to me I guarantee that it will be seen directly by myself and you will receive a reply from me.

“I look forward to hearing from you."

If you want to get in touch please email.

Damian.White@havering.gov.uk or complete the form on this page and then post it to: Councillor Damian White Cabinet Member for Housing Services, Town Hall, Main Road Romford RM1 3BD.

Cabinet Member’s Surgery Cabinet Member for Housing, Councillor Damian White, is holding regular surgeries across the Borough so Council tenants can call in and discuss housing issues with him. The

surgeries will be on a ‘first come, first served’ basis and any tenants are welcome to come along. All discussions will be confidential. The next surgery dates are:

Date Venue Friday 23 September 2016 Highfield Towers

Address Hillrise Road, Collier Row RM5 3DQ

Time 4pm – 6pm

Friday 21 October 2016

​Macon Way Council Office

98C Macon Way, Cranham RM14 1NY

4pm – 6pm

Friday 25 November 2016

​​Hacton Hall

Haydock Close, Hornchurch RM12 6EA

4pm – 6pm

Friday 16 December 2016

Town Hall Room CR4

Main Road, Romford RM1 3BB

4pm – 6pm

Friday 20 January 2017

Hacton Hall

Haydock Close Hornchurch RM12 6EA

4pm – 6pm

Friday 24 February 2017

Macon Way Council Office

98C Macon Way, Cranham RM14 1NY

4pm – 6pm

Friday 24 March 2017

Highfield Towers

Hillrise Road, Collier Row RM5 3DQ

4pm – 6pm

Friday 28 April 2017

Hacton Hall

Haydock Close, Hornchurch RM12 6EA

4pm – 6pm

Councillor White will also be holding surgeries at our Hostels - these are for the residents of the hostels only. Again this will be on a ‘first come, first served’ basis. All discussions will be confidential

Date

Hostel

Time

Friday 30 September 2016 Abercrombie House, Harold Hill

4pm – 6pm

Friday 28 October 2016

​Queen Street Villas, Romford

4pm – 6pm

Friday 11 November 2016

​​Will Perrin Court, Rainham

4pm – 6pm

Friday 9 December 2016

Abercrombie House, Harold Hill

4pm – 6pm

24

At The Heart Autumn 2016

Traumatic experience prompts Telecare Support

Telecare staff member shows Margaret and her son how the pendent work

However, the accident caused both of them concern.

The ambulance driver, as well as staff at Queen’s Hospital in Romford, suggested they should check out the Telecare service. So that is what they did, choosing a pendant as the best way to make sure Margaret was safe.

Getting up in the night to visit the bathroom is something most of us do but for 77-year-old Margaret Hepburn it turned into a nightmare when she fell and could not reach her mobile phone on the bedside table.

For around 10 hours Margaret lay on the floor of her Rainham home until she was able to reach her walking stick, knock her phone to the floor and ring her son, who lives half-an-hour away in Hainault. He was able to rush over to help his mum.

He arranged for her to be taken to hospital where, thankfully, no permanent injuries were found.

Telecare installer, Neil Bartle, said: “If you have a telephone landline, installation can take as little as 15 minutes as we plug the system into the telephone socket in a way that means you can still use your phone.

“The pendant can operate at a range of up to 150 feet, which for most people includes their garden. When the button is pressed, the base unit dials the call centre in Romford, where staff are available 24/7 to respond. A light comes on too so you know the call is going through.

“They talk to you over the speaker on the base unit to make sure the call wasn’t made accidentally and then send one of their response staff, along with emergency services if needed, to help you.

More info www.havering.gov.uk/careline

“The pendants are waterproof so can be kept on in the shower where it’s easy to slip and fall, so the best thing to do is put it round your neck every time you get out of bed and then put it next to you on the bedside table when you are safely back in bed.”

"I feel a lot safer now I have the pendant and my family know that I now have a way of getting help if something happens without spending 10 hours on the floor again."

Margaret said: “The system is very easy to use and having a monthly test call on the same day as your birthday is an easy way to make sure you remember how to use the system.

“The cost of £4.74 per week is also very reasonable and well worth the peace of mind.