Redlands Liberal Democrats

Redlands 'Eco Home'

Today I went to visit a new Eco Home in Redlands. The property (pictured) on Addington Road is owned and managed by Catalyst Housing association which have a number of social homes to rent in Reading and across the South East.

This is the first major scheme in the development of Catalyst Housing's sustainability strategy for existing housing stock - we are very chuffed that they chose a property in Redlands to pilot this work!

The project comprises the eco-refurbishment of two, three-bedroom, semi-detached Victorian properties in Reading (12 Palmer Park Avenue and 47 Addington Road). Both homes were void and dilapidated and had been identified as suitable for sale on the open market because o the high costs of bringing them up to scratch.

The house I visited on Addington Road is a 'performance house' where budgetary constraints have been secondary to the overal building performance. It is being seen by Catalyst as a model for what can be achieved  when additional funding becomes available.

As well as studying how effective retrofitting an existing property can be, the project will also monitor the way in which new tenants interact with their homes and this should provide valuable information about how individuals can improve their environmental performance by changing their behaviour.

I had a tour of the property - main features are as follows:

• Insulation - all external walls were insulated either internally or externally.
• Micro generation - electricity-generating photovoltaic tiles were installed to the front section of the roof. Solar thermal panels were also installed together with a range of efficient mechanical and electrical installation.
• A green roof was installed to the new rear extention - these retain 70-90% of precipitation.
• Rain watering harvesting systems mean that no surface rainwater will be sent to the local drainage system.
• SUDSCAPE sustainable urban drainage system was used to reduce risk of flooding.

The property itself has undergone extensive internal and external renovation. The house was transformed inside and outisde. It is great to see a national organisation investing in a property in our area. It will now make a very welcoming, warm affordable home for a Reading family and make a great addition to the Redlands neighbourhood.

These improvements mean that 47 Addington Road actually exceeds the energy efficiency requirements of new housing - this is some achievement although clearly it is very costly not only for housing associations but individuals to achieve this.

The SAP Rating on 47 Addington Road is now 87 (up from 17 before retrofitting) and there will be an estimated 91% reduction in CO2 emissions.

The Government's Green Deal is designed to help people cut emissions and cut their fuel bills. It will be rolled out later this year.

Aside from the work that has been done turning the property into an 'eco' home, I was pleased to see that Catalyst have worked hard to reduce the impact on the local environment. Where possible, all deliveries to site were combined

• Cycle stores have been fitted in the gardens will encourage the use of bikes
• Transport to and from site meetings were shared
• Information on local transport will be given to the new residents
• Local labour was used throughout the project

Wouldn't it be great if all local developments could be like this!

Carbon emissions from existing homes account for the majority of carbon emissions in the UK. Well done to Catalyst Housing Association a landlord of 20,000 for showing leadership on this issue. 

Currently there is no funding available for housing associations to retrofit their stock in this way. I will be raising the issue with Andrew Stunell MP to see if there is more the Government can do to encourage and incentivise housing associations to improve the energy performance of their stock.

Apparently officers from Reading Borough Council's housing and sustainability teams visited the house - hopefully we will see more exciting innovations like this across our Council housing stock and in privately owned and rented homes soon.

Helping Residents Make Their Voices Heard on Houses of Multple Occupation

Last week the Council held an open meeting inviting feedback from residents on plans to make changes to planning rules affecting houses of multiple occupation.

I attended the event and spoke to the small number of residents who attended.

We know from talking to residents on the doorstep that the issue of HMOs in the University area is of concern to more than just the handful of residents who attended the meeting last week.

We would like as many residents as possible to have their say on this important issue so we have set up an online survey.

We will pass on all comments on to Reading Borough Council.

The deadline for comments is 30 November 2011.

HMOs in Redlands - Public Exhibition to be held in October

Back in July I blogged about plans by the Council's Labour-run administration to consult residents about introducing a possible Article Four direction to potentially limit the number of new Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMOs) in the University area, a date has now been set for a public exhibition on the issue in Redlands.

The power that the Council is consulted on is called an Article Four Directive. It would require people to seek planning application in a particular area should they wish to convert it into an HMO.

This event is designed to provide members of the public with more information and to gauge local views towards this proposal.

Councils are required to consult before bringing forward changes to the local planning system such as these.

We would like to encourage as many residents as possible who live in the area to attend.

It will be held in St Joseph's College Annexe on Upper Redlands Road on Thursday 13 October, between 4 and 7.30pm.

Other events are planned in Katesgrove and Park wards.

The Green Party has belatedly come out in strong support of the proposal.

However, this is not a panacea which will fix every problem we face connected with high numbers of HMOs.

It is worth saying that while they could reduce the number of new HMOs that are created in particular streets these powers if brought in could not be used to turn existing HMOs into single-occupancy homes.

Several streets in Redlands the number of HMOs is about to or in some cases already has outnumbered the number of single-occupancy homes and this has long been a source of frustration for residents leaving near by who have struggles with parking and waste-management issue.

This happened after the Labour government failed to act for a number of years to empower councils in place like Reading to address the issue.

As Cllr Tony Page, Labour Lead Member for Planning & Transport recently acknowledged:

"We are committed to seeing what further use we can make of planning powers to ensure whole roads do not become multi-occupied.

"But unfortunately in some areas the horse bolted some years ago - parts of roads off the Oxford Road for example have been majority multi-occupied for 30 or 40 years, as long ago as that, and parts of Redlands and Park near the university."

 I will post more details on the exhibition here when they become available.

Action on Parking nuisance - Hexham Road & Hadrians Walk West

It has been brought to our attention that some drivers are parking inconsiderately in parts of Hexham estate which is causing a real nuisance for residents. One wrote to us and said: 

'[problems] include on Hexham Road parking all over the pavement which means people cannot get through especially at weekends, at nights and early mornings.'

We have also had reports of up to 6 cars parking 'at all angles' on Hexham Road.

Problems like this can create local tensions so it is important that they are tackled before they become serious problems.

I brought this problem to the attention of the local Neighbourhood Officer Ashley Blackwood last week who has responded by saying where cars can be traced back to properties tenanted by Council tenants tenants will be reminded of section 3.3.22 of their tenancy agreement regarding appropriate places for them to park their vehicles.

'Should they fail to adhere to the terms of my letter I will take the appropriate action to address the breach.'

It is more difficult for officers to take action where cars belong to people living in private rented properties but if problems continue we will encourage them to raise the issue with letting agents.

In Hadrians Walk West residents are reporting cars parking on the grass rather than the road. in addition we have had reports of delivery vehicles from a variety of companies driving along the Walk. Residents are understandably concerned about threats to pedestrian safety.

I have raised these issues with RBC to see what action can be taken.

Due to among other things an increase in rental properties over the years parking is at a premimum on Hexham estate but the Council has worked hard to improve parking for residents following lobbying by ourselves.

If you live in the area and are having problems please do get in touch and we will do our best to help.

Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMOs) in University Area - Have your say!

Back in 2008 I led a cross-party Scrutiny Review into Reading's private rented sector and in particular on the impacts of high numbers of houses of multiple occupation on neighbourhoods across the town - including Redlands.

I did this as for years under Labour the number of HMOs were enabled to grow inexorably to a point where many residents in central Reading felt that communities had become unbalanced and the number of family homes had been overtaken by student housing/houses for rent.

I made clear then and will again that this was not because I was opposed to private rented housing per se - I am not - clearly there is a desperate need for affordable homes to rent. Rather that there should be a balance as far as possible.

The Review I led to a number of important changes in Council policy - including the Review of the Council's Landlord Accreditation Policy (and introduction of a new, more cost-effective model last year) and more generally a recognition that this housing sector required greater attention that it previously had.

I was pleased when the then Labour administration endorsed all the findings of the Review I championed.

Last year when I was Lead Member for Housing, following my track record of action on this issue I pledged that the Council would look at whether or not an Article 4 direction should be brought in.

As part of the work I commissioned officers have been gathering evidence and as part of this a briefing meeting for ward councillors was held this evening.

An Article Four is a local planning policy councils can bring in to require landlords to apply for planning application where they want to convert a property from a family home to a house of multiple occupation for example into a student house.

Redlands has been identified by the Council, along with Katesgrove and Park as areas which have high concentrations of HMOS.

In order this to happen councils need to gather significant amounts of evidence to support a policy change and carry out extensive public consultation.

It is worth pointing out that an Article Four direction can not be applied retrospectively for example existing HMOs cannot be reversed under the new rules.

Also, where they are applied councils will not be able to charge a fee for determining a planning application - which is a pity given the impact associated with some HMOs.

Problems associated with this many residents have told us include overflowing bins, increased parking problems, noise and loss of visual amenity.

I am pleased to see the Labour-run Council taking forward the work I started all those years ago.

As Labour councillors have themselves acknowledged this is 'not a panacea. Indeed it will not undo the damage done to many streets in Redlands which have gone well beyond 50% HMOs years ago.

One of the many issues residents complain about are houses with dormer extensions - many of these fall within 'permitted development' and therefore do not require planning permission.

However, an Article Four could help regulate a formerly unregulated sector when Labour were last running the Council.

Public consultation sessions in affected areas of the community will take place in the Autumn. I have requested that students are also actively engaged in this discussion.

We will advertised dates and venues for this consultation when they are confirmed.

Hexham Estate - After Decades of Labour Neglect, Lib Dem Campaign Delivers for Residents

Campaigning for Improvements to Hexham Estate

Since 2006 I, along with my colleagues Kirsten Bayes and Glenn Goodall have actively campaigned for improvements in Hexham Estate to improve the quality of life of residents.

It is very satisfying to see that the estate I first visited in 2005 has been completely transformed after the work we did to get the Council to tackle longstanding problems and issues.

These included problems of anti-social behaviour, vandalism, and graffiti that contributed to an overall atmosphere of neglect.

But what is even more satisfying are the results of the Council's second Residents Survey of the estate which shows a significant improvement in satisfaction levels of people that live there - up from 53% in 2008 to 83% in 2011.

The local campaign  we started all those years ago was necessary because when we first got involved in local politics the three Labour councillors for the area failed to champion the needs of residents in the area, and Labour Town Hall bosses at neglected the estate for years - to the huge frustration of many local residents.

Decent Neighbourhoods Fund

My experience as a ward councillor for Hexham estate led me to campaign for better estates in Reading and coin the phrase'decent neighbourhoods, not just decent homes'.

Countless conversations with residents fed up with the state of their area led me to understand that the way estate looks and feels is as important as the way a property looks on the inside.

My campaigning led to a change in Council policy - refocussing spending on investing in improving estates not just meeting government targets.

I was driven to launch this campaign after I saw for myself the problems inherent in Labour's focus on meeting Whitehall targets meant that issues that caused big problems for residents on Hexham estate went unsolved, including:

• Serious anti-social behaviour and drug-dealing leading to security fears in flats
• High number of burglaries as a result of weak security in alley-ways
• Mini-moto nuisance on Bede Walk
• Abandoned cars and rubbish repeatedly dumped on the estate
• Parking issues
• Little or no greenery

In 2008 we succeeded in getting the then Labour-run Council to launch the first ever survey of local residents asking them what they would like to see improved.

Hexham Improvement Plan - Nagging works!

In 2009 a Hexham Improvement Plan was launched by RBC - including a range of steps designed to to improve the quality of life for residents. When I quizzed officers about why after years of ignoring the area the Labour administration finally agreed to take action.

Officers confirmed to me the Hexham Estate Improvment Plan was launched as a result of our nagging - which just proves why ward councillors are important.

Had we not made a fuss week in week out about problems on the estate the Labour administration would have done nothing.

And recent experience of the new (old) Labour administration confirms not much has changed in this regard!

We have worked closely alongside Ashley, Charlotte and Tom in the Housing Team at RBC to ensure the voices of residents are heard in all planned works.

Listening to Residents - Taking Action

As local councillors we survey residents regularly to find out what they think and what action they would like us to take on their behalf.

It seems this was new to the Labour administration as Hexham estate residents were not asked their views once before 2008!

The results of the first Residents Survey in 2008 conducted by the Council confirmed what we had been saying for two years: residents wanted to see action on number of areas and led to a huge range of improvements across the estate to parking, landscaping and block security.

Officers surved residents this May and the findings show the improvements we led have made a real difference to residents:

1.  Residents are much more satisfied overall with the Hexham Road estate as a place to live now as opposed to 2008.
2. There is a clear positive upward trend in residents saying the Hexham Road estate has got better over the past 2 years.
3. More people feel safe living and working on the estate than they did 2 years ago.

In each subject area asked there is a very clear positive upward trend in conditions/living environment in the past 2 years on the estate for:

• ASB
• Vandalism
• Kids hanging  around
• Landscaping
• Bin Areas
• Litter picking
• Graffiti

5.  There has been a big increase in the numbers of residents living in flats who are satisfied with the condition of the block they live in.

6. Over the past 2 years there has been a large increase in those who say the cleaning has got better. This is on top of the survey result in 2008 when 70% of respondents said the cleaning had improved in the 2 years prior to that.

7. Those living in flats say there is a clear upward trend in conditions in the block in all of the areas asked:

• Vandalism
• Security
• Graffiti
• Painting/Decorating.

The future

A public meeting is planned and we are looking forward to hearing from residents more details about changes they want to see in the area.

One area that does needs looking at is the Community Centre. It is grant funded by the Council so should be somewhere residents feel they can go to and use regularly.

The survey indicates that this is a very under-used resource by local residents. The Council needs to investigate what is behind this as there are not many venues for local people to use nearby.

This year the Lib Dems fought to ensure £400,000 investment in estates via the Decent Neighbourhoods was safeguarded despite needing to make savings across the Council's budget.

This decision means that investment in Hexham Estate and other estates will continue during 2011/12.

Shamefully, Labour councillors all voted against this.

Given Labour's lavish pre-election pledges and the savings they will have to make to balance the Council's books next year there remains a big question mark over what Labour councillors will do in the future to fund further improvements on the estate.

Their record when it comes to Hexham estate is not good.

If residents want to see further improvements and investment on Hexham and other estates our advice is simple: stick with the local Lib Dem team as ours is the track record of delivering for local people.

Cleaning up Clayton Walk

 
Today as part of our regular walkabouts around the ward I spoke to a resident on Clayton Walk off Hexham Road who took me to see this mess in the alleyway behind his house.

He told me an absentee landlord had dumped the rubbish over a month ago and that despite reports to the Council's Housing Department it was still there.

Residents should not have to put up with this.

I have reported the issue to the Council calling on officers to clear up the rubbish as soon as possible and use the powers available to the Council to take action against the landlord for fly-tipping.

Council Housing Repairs - improving our service to tenants

This week I have been dealing with a few pieces of housing casework for Reading Borough Council tenants living in my ward. Apart from fixing problems for people this helps improve the service we give to all the Council's tenants.

One elderly resident contacted me because he wanted to know when overdue repairs to his property would be completed. This can be very frustrating for tenants and I am pushing the Council to improve communications and reduce delays.

I contacted the Council's housing department about this particular issue and got this response:

"The repairs were part of our external repairs/redecoration programme for 2010/2011 which is carried out by our direct labour team supported by subcontractors. The process for this work is that a surveyor visits early on in the financial year and prepares a schedule of work which is then programmed in over subsequent months depending on the availability of labour and subcontractors.

Ideally all the work would be carried out at the same time but sometimes delivery of the work carried out can be fragmented, in particular when trades are moved on to the communal decoration/repair programme over the winter months.In this case some carpentry works were delayed over the winter months a programmed in for completion before the end of March 2011.

From a tenant's point of you these delays are not ideal and not hearing anything for weeks can be very annoying. As a result of my intervention the Council has issued an apology to my constituent and assured me that as a result of raising this issue officers will review communications to ensure that in future residents can be kept informed of progress and any delays.

If you or anyone you know experience problems with Council housing repairs in Reading please let me know and I will investigate.

Working with students to deliver landlord accreditation in Reading

Following on from the private rented housing scrutiny review I led last year one of the oustanding issues which still needs to be resolved is the long-awaited revival of the Council's landlord accreditation scheme. This is needed to give students and private tenants greater confidence when they hunt for properties to rent and we hope will help drive up standards in the sector further. We discussed this in HHCC Scrutiny Panel last month and yesterday evening I presented a report to Cabinet in my capacity as Chair of the Panel calling for the scheme to be re-introduced to coincide with the start of the next acadamic year in October. I spoke to Sinead Brennan and Megan Pennyfather - officers of Reading University Students' Union to get their views on this before attending the meeting. They said the absence of a scheme at the moment is making finding a home to rent difficult for students in Reading and this is a matter of 'huge concern' to them. I raised these concerns with the Labour Lead Member for Housing, Cllr Deborah Edwards directly at the Cabinet meeting who promised to do everything she could to speed things up (although she couldn't promise that the scheme would be in place by the Autumn, which was a pity). Changes to national legislation has made things even more complicated for officers working to regulate the private rented housing sector in Reading and this has led to delays in the scheme being implemented. I requested that the Council makes contact with RUSU to keep them in the loop and councillors at the meeting from all parties agreed with me that this scheme must be up and running as soon as possible.

Standing up for Reading students - landlord accreditation review

Last night in Scrutiny we discussed the impact of the private rented housing review I championed last year. We recommended last year that landlord accreditation scheme in Reading be re-introduced to give students and tenants more confidence when renting properties and to help raise standards in the sector. Officers told us that a slew of government announcements relating to  planning and HMOs has meant that the review is still not complete - not the Council's fault but it's a pity it's impacted on the revival of this scheme. I contacted Reading University Students Union officers about this issue as they have been lobbying the Council for many years to bring back the scheme. They told me that they had held a meeting with RBC officers in December and discussed a survey which would go out to students asking them what sort of scheme they would like to see put in place. I raised concerns about the time the review was taking last night and councillors agreed that we would recommend to Cabinet that the review must be complete and plans in place by June ahead of the next academic year. I am due to meet RBC and RUSU officers to discuss details soon and fingers crossed things will progress.