Resident Questions for Housing Area Panel

Reference Number: 2.2

Department

Housing 

Date question raised

22/10/2022

Week of Area Panel

12/12/2022

Area in city

North 

Star rating applied by residents

2 

Deadline for officer response

Wednesday 16th November 2022

Name of officer responding

Geoff Gage

Officer job title

Geof Gage, Head of Housing Investment & Asset Management

Justine Harris, Head of Tenancy

Services

 

Resident Question

Title of Question

Tavistock Down flats: obstructed access to flats and dangerous storage sheds

Issue:

·         Bushes and brambles are obstructing the path to access Tavistock Down flats.

·         The storage sheds at Tavistock Down are in disrepair and posing a danger to residents.

Background:

a)     There are overgrown bushes, brambles and weeds growing over the handrail and path leading to Tavistock Down flats (Hollingdean). Residents are struggling to walk down this path to get to their flats without getting injured. This issue has been reported repeatedly for the past 6 months but nothing has been done.

b)    The concrete in the storage sheds at Tavistock Down has crumbled down to the reinforcing rods, and large chunks of it are falling from the ceiling. One lump of concrete nearly fell on a resident’s head, which could have caused serious injury.

Residents were told by Geof Gage that funding would be found in 2 years to repair the sheds, but this is clearly not soon enough.

.

Action requested by residents:

·         Residents want to know why it is taking so long for the Council to send in a team to cut back the overgrown bushes and weeds obstructing the path at Tavistock Down.

·         Residents want the Council to send in a team to cut back the bushes, brambles and weeds at Tavistock Down, and ensure there is a maintenance plan for this to be done on a regular basis.

·         Residents want either the dangerous sheds to be taken out of service and for alternative storage to be supplied OR for the sheds to be repaired

Officer Response

Officer contact details:

Geofrey.gage@brighton-hove.gov.uk

 

Officer Response:

A verbal update will be given at Area Panel in relation to Tavistock Down. The site is being inspected before the meeting.

 

Geof Gage - With regard to the store rooms this was not reported as a programme for 2 years' time, on receipt of this being reported we immediately allocated our project managers to investigate and determine the repairs required and these have been actioned and are in the process of section 20 consultation with leaseholders, with a programme of repairs anticipated to commence February 2023

 

 

Action:

a. Arrange inspection of Tavistock Down

b.None in hand

 

 

Start date:

b. Started

 

 

End date:

b. April 2023