Issue - meetings

The Housing Strategy and Development Officer explained that part of the Bolsover Tenants Challenge and Change Group was to provide a direct link for tenants to provide feedback to the Council.  Mr. S. Bramley had been invited to address the Committee.

Mr. Bramley explained he was 1 of 6 tenants in the Challenge and Change Group, adding they had chosen to review the Voids Process as their priority; they would ask what the standard was, what the speed was, and whether tenants were satisfied with the work being undertaken by the Council.

A number of site visits had taken place; the offices at Doe Lea to look at the systems and processes and 3 void properties at different stages of the void process.

At Doe Lea, the tenants saw how the Council and Dragonfly Development Ltd. handled the work.  A whiteboard system was in place which helped portray the start-finish timeline, with Mr. Bramley noting the statutory steps required such as the removal of asbestos.  Mr. Bramley stated he and the other tenants had been very impressed with the handling of the work involved, with the next step witnessing the work being undertaken in practice; this involved the site visits of 3 void properties.

These visits took place independently and away from the Council’s own inspections team; this was to not confer and influence the tenants’ views.

A property on Westfield Bank, Barlborough, where the previous tenant had passed away with no next of kin, needed clearing of all furniture and personal possessions before any/all repairs could take place.  During the visit, the tenants had carried out their inspection with guidance from the repairs co-ordinator; a worksheet was used to categorise the repairs required.  The repairs co-ordinator explained that these works would be ordered on the computer system which would automatically produce a costing, including a separation of materials and labour costs.

A property on Elmton Road, Creswell was partway through a refurbishment.  The works were major with a new bathroom, kitchen, and rewire.

A property on East Street, Creswell, was almost complete, with major works having been undertaken; a wet-room installed and a rewire of the electrics.

There had been the intention to visit a fourth property, but due to time constraints this proved not possible.  The tenants had been told major work had been undertaken, with a wet-room, replacement windows, full decoration, and rewire taking place.

At a following meeting, the tenants had been able to see the full costing and planning involved, as well as the work undertaken by Dragonfly Development Ltd. and the various contractors; the latter enabled fair comparisons to take place.

A number of recommendations had been forwarded by the tenants, including the need for a greater number of electrical sockets be made available and for more documents that were easier to read for tenants.  An exploration of a voucher programme for decorating could also take place, enabling new tenants to choose their own styles.

Mr. Bramley noted the standards of the Council were  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7