Hometalk Magazine Summer 2021 [2.6MB]
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
New Forest District Council’s magazine for tenants and leaseholders | Summer edition 2021 newforest.gov.uk In this edition of Editorial contributions from Tenant Representatives and Hometalk Editorial Panel Home Participants Get in touch If you have any ideas for future articles p3 How to stay p26 Wordsearch please contact the editor, Joy Stainer, informed competition Resident Involvement: p4 Update from p27 Thinking of having [email protected] Service Managers a garden fire? Resident Involvement Planned Gas safety checks p5 p27 New Forest District Council, maintenance p28 Advice on starting a Appletree Court, Lyndhurst. SO43 7PA p6 Citizens Advice business Hometalk can also be viewed on our p7 New Forest Food p29 Save time, website newforest.gov.uk/hometalk Larders do it online p8 Domestic Abuse p29 Security items p9 Solent Mind for sale Editor Joy Stainer How to stay informed p9 NHS 111 online p29 Don’t forget to Design Lana Waters-Williamson pay your rent p10+11 Scams Printing School Lane Colour With so much happening across the district it’s Website p29 Making an hard to know where to go for the latest, accurate Our website is the best place to find information about the p11 The Charter for The information contained in this magazine is for appointment services we provide. Our website has been simplified to Social Housing general information purposes only. information. There are many ways to keep up to with a New Forest make it easier to find the information you need. Residents (White date with local news and information from New District Council New Forest District Council assumes no Forest District Council online. In this article we You can access a lot of our services online, including Paper) responsibility for tenants signing up to or Officer explain some of the ways you can be the first to paying your rent, checking your rubbish collection date, volunteering in respect of any independent p13 Appletree Careline get the latest updates. and commenting on planning applications. p30+31 Information organisations appearing in this magazine. All New Forest p14 directory information contained within this edition is Residents emails newforest.gov.uk Disability - correct at the time of going to print. p32 Useful contacts If you would like a summary of all the important updates, Social media Independence you can sign up to receive resident emails, which include You can follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for Matters the latest updates about how coronavirus regulations may quick updates about our services. We use social media affect you here in the New Forest, seasonal tips, advice p15 The Crossings most days to stay connected with residents and it’s one and news. You can sign up to receive our emails and view of the first places we’ll post urgent service updates and p16+17 Building for our privacy policy via the main website: news. the future newforest.gov.uk/emails p18+19 Keeping the @newforestgov neighbourhood we We launched this email service to keep people informed live in clean and during the coronavirus lockdown. Here’s what some newforestcouncil residents have to say about the emails: tidy “I just wanted to thank you for all the updates you @newforestdc p20+21 Make a hedgehog have sent, and continue to send, since the start of the home coronavirus pandemic. They have been most helpful.” We’ve also joined ‘Nextdoor’. This is an online neighbourhood social media hub which works by using “These bulletins are a welcome initiative telling residents p22+23 Active Lifestyles your postcode for information local to you. in brief order about how you are dealing with issues and p24+25 An update on arrangements for the delivery of council services.” nextdoor.co.uk services from “I would just like to thank you for this news service which I Southern Water find very helpful and informative.” 2 Hometalk Summer 2021 Hometalk Summer 2021 3 Planned maintenance programme 2021-2022 Update from Service Managers Description Area Street 2020 was a particularly difficult year for everyone in society. We heard many Kitchen refurbishments Burley Warnes Lane, Meadow Close stories of hardship, difficulty and sacrifices our tenants and services users faced Validation surveys will be carried out Bransgore Westbury Close due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This made us even more determined to keep as to all properties due to have a kitchen Ringwood Merryweather, Wessex Estate, Hurst Road refurbishment and only those that fail and various properties many of our services running safely for all concerned, during periods of time in the Decent Homes Standard will have and out of lockdowns and restrictions, to meet the needs of our residents. their kitchen replaced. Fordingbridge and Various properties surrounding areas Heating replacements - Gas Various Despite tackling social distancing complications, material shortages, the closure Electrical test and inspections Various of our offices and other Covid-19 related Richard Knott Loft insulation Various issues we were committed to re-letting empty Housing Options, Rents, Asbestos removal and low maintenance Various properties to allow people in housing need to Support and Private Sector eaves move to a more suitable home. Our allocation, Housing Service Manager repairs and estate management teams still Roofing Totton Brookside, Bears Lane Close facilitated 358 moves to social housing. Fire doors Howards Mead Birch Court, Forest Court, Holly Court We supported many tenants who found Totton Evergreens, Spicers Way themselves in temporary financial hardship to Ritchie Thomson Replacement windows Fordingbridge Bourne Cottages, Lower Grove get back on track with their rent payments. Housing Maintenance Operation Holbury Burbush Cose, Perrywood Close, Trenley Close Service Manager We maintained your safety with electric and Lyndhurst Canterton Lane, Hillary Close gas servicing alongside weekly fire alarm checks and communal building inspections. Lymington Corbin Court, Corbin Road, Gordon Road, Holes Close, We carried out your repairs and continued Set Thorns Road with replacing windows, doors, boilers, Bransgore Derritt Lane, West Road, Westbury Close kitchens and bathrooms. Richard Fudge Housing Maintenance, Compliance Hythe Ipley Way We delivered 64 new Council properties, and Asset Service Manager Brockenhurst Sway Road including 18 temporary accommodation units and our first homes for shared-ownership, Bathroom refurbishments Totton Allerton Close, Compton House, Elizabeth House, Haltons Close, Honeywood Close, Hounsdown Avenue, Parkside, whilst several other schemes progressed. Validation surveys will be carried out to Players Crescent, Evergreens, Rothbury Close, Bannister all properties due to have a bathroom As the effects of the pandemic subside, we Court, Shakespeare Drive, Shraveshill Close, Spicers Way, refurbishment and only those that fail Tedder Way, Hanover House, Water Lane, Boniface Close aim to return our focus to a number of exciting Brian Byrne the Decent Homes Standard will have projects and initiatives which will benefit Housing Estates Management, their bathroom replaced. New Milton Culver Road, Gore Road, Milton Mead, Well Close, many of you in future. These include greener CCTV, Community Safety and Wren Close, Gore Grange Community Alarms Service Manager housing initiatives and a 10-year strategy to Various One off properties determine how we reduce the carbon impact of our homes and a Tenant Involvement Communal / Emergency lighting Totton Parkside, Powell Crescent structure which provides our tenants and Ringwood Clarks Close leaseholders improved opportunities to get Tim Davis Lymington Barfields, Corbin Court involved, scrutinise our work and feedback Housing Strategy and Development Fordingbridge Albion Road on our plans for the future. We wish all of our Service Manager tenants and leaseholders a safe 2021. Decorating Various Refurbishment of communal areas Windows in Birch and Forest Court – Howards Mead This schedule is subject to change and is part of an ongoing programme. 4 Hometalk Summer 2021 Hometalk Summer 2021 5 Advice is available New Forest to everyone, on CANF Food Larders helped 165 any issue households to Operational since January 2021, food receive £147 larders have popped up all over the New towards their fuel bills Forest from Ashley to Pennington to Hythe Amounting Run by Fare Share and its many Many of the people at the sites to a total of wonderful volunteers, the food are very grateful for the service £24,256 extra larders have served those in need provided with one client telling us help in the New by providing essential foods for that after having surgery and not with everyone having access to Forest area 220 children Citizens Advice New the people of the New Forest. For being able to work anymore, the at least three bags of food every were warmer a low weekly cost of £2.50 for an scheme was so helpful and gave her week with a good variety, including Forest (CANF) regularly (and had less adult, £3.50 for a couple and £5.00 one less thing to worry about. fresh meat and vegetables to sweet for a family of more than four, it is treats. They went on to say that give residents advice stressed parents) After speaking to many people great value for money and up to 25 young, old, single, couples, they about their energy bills. as a result using the larders already, there has CANF advisers also check that products are available plus fruit and have seen a wide variety of people been an overwhelmingly positive The advisers help clients clients are on the correct tariff, offer vegetables on the side! use the service and everyone was response to the scheme with clients who are vulnerable, or comparison searches and help with welcome. switching providers and discuss Coming to each site once a week, describing them as beneficial to in fuel poverty, and offer options in respect of household the aim of the scheme is to help the local area, a godsend and great Such a scheme allows us to reach a holistic approach to energy efficiency.