In This Issue Celebration at Community Orchard How to Report Anti-Social Behaviour Taking Action on Climate Change Win a Tour of the Albion Stadium
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www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/council-housing in homing Spring 2020 Repairs staff Harry and Nick are ready for the new repairs, maintenance and improvement service which starts on 1 April. Your guide to the new service is included... In this issue Celebration at community orchard How to report anti-social behaviour Taking action on climate change Win a tour of the Albion stadium Welcome Ready for action – staff in the Councillor Gill Williams repairs and maintenance team Welcome to the spring issue and a scheme to pump heat of Homing In. from underground at a seniors In this edition we’re looking housing scheme in Patcham. ahead to the launch of Cutting carbon emissions as the council’s new repairs, part of action on climate change maintenance and improvement is one of the priorities in the service, which starts on 1 April. council’s new corporate plan for We’ve been working hard with the next three years. residents over the last two years Improving council housing, to make sure the switch is as providing genuinely affordable smooth as possible. Thank you homes, and reducing to the ‘Task and Finish’ group homelessness and rough and all the other residents sleeping are also priorities – involved in helping to shape these are all things people the new service. have told us they want to see There is a special guide to the in the city. STAR survey new service included with You can find out more on our Thank you to everyone who took this issue for you to keep for website at www.brighton- part in the Survey of Tenants and reference, with information hove.gov.uk/our-plan Residents (STAR) in the autumn. about what’s changing and We’ve also got ideas for getting We will be using your feedback to what’s staying the same. out and about this spring, and a further improve services and are We’ve also got news of how chance to win tickets for a tour currently taking a close look at we’re taking practical steps to of the Albion stadium! your responses, particularly about cut carbon emissions, by Councillor Gill Williams how you’d like us to improve your installing solar panels on new neighbourhoods. council flats in Hangleton, Chair of the Housing Committee The number of people who took part increased to 1,000, up from Coronavirus 829 for the last survey. The Coronavirus situation is changing all the time. For the latest advice We will share the results with you and updates from Public Health England visit www.gov.uk/coronavirus and propose actions at Area Panels, Service Improvement Groups, and If you are concerned about your health, or have been in an area linked in the next edition of Homing In. with the virus, call NHS 111. 2 homingin www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/council-housing Friends reunited School pals Harry Haines and swapping news from over Ron Redman are making up the years. for lost time after more than The friends met at school in 70 years apart. Whitehawk, but lost touch after Harry and Ron, both 90, were they left school at 14 and went amazed to meet up in the on to National Service. communal lounge at Sanders Ron said: “Harry was the first House seniors housing scheme in person I got talking to when Ingram Crescent West, Hove. I went down to the lounge. The pair had been living in flats We had a bit of chit chat and Friends Ron (left) and Harry are at Sanders House for years, but eventually it twigged that we catching up after 70 years were reluctant to join in social went to school together. Harry events there and so didn’t realise is one of the nicest blokes you they knew each other. could ever meet.” Sanders House is one of 23 council-run seniors housing Scheme Manager Tina Symmonds Harry said: “It’s been lovely to schemes in the city. They are is always encouraging residents meet up with Ron again. We’ve open to over 55s and designed to visit the lounge to meet their had a lot of years to catch up on, to help people continue to live as neighbours and one weekend we’ve been remembering the independently as possible. Harry and Ron did just that. people we knew and some of the For more information visit Another resident introduced characters of the town.” www.brighton-hove.gov. them, they got chatting and the Tina said: “It’s wonderful to see uk/seniors-housing, email rest is history! them socialising and catching up seniorshousing@brighton-hove. Now they are catching up like the old friends they are. It’s gov.uk or call 01273 293030. on childhood memories and given them a new lease of life!” It’s all happening at Our Place! A mix of family friendly theatre, dance, music, games, activities and workshops will be held in Hangleton and East Brighton in May as part of Our Place celebrations. Residents are organising the free Our Place events to bring Brighton Festival to the heart of local communities. They will be held at the Manor Gym in Whitehawk on 16 May and at Hangleton Community Centre on 23 Jen O’Brien/Brighton Festival May. Events will take place throughout the afternoon, finishing with a family party. Fun at last year’s Our Place event in Whitehawk Our Place is now in its fourth year and has grown bigger and more popular each year. The events are put together Brighton Festival takes place from 2 - 24 May. by the local communities of Hangleton, Knoll and East For more information visit: Brighton along with Brighton Festival, the Hangleton and www.brightonfestival.org or ring 01273 709709. Knoll Project, and Due East. www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/council-housing homingin 3 New Homes Update In Selsfield Drive, Brighton, More flats take shape 30 new homes are taking shape on the site of the former housing office. The development is made up of 16 one-bedroom flats and 14 two-bedroom flats, including two wheelchair accessible homes. The homes are due to be completed at the end of the year. Thank you to residents living near Buckley Close and Selsfield Drive for your patience while building work is in progress. More New Homes for Neighbourhoods developments Homes nearing completion in Buckley Close are being planned, and we’ll keep you updated in future issues Twelve new council flats in They include one fully wheelchair of Homing In. accessible flat with a level access Hangleton will soon be ready For more information visit shower, adjustable kitchen and for tenants. www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/nhfn The homes in Buckley Close are a wheelchair storage space. mix of one and two-bedroom The flats are due to be ready flats and will be available to for people to move into in people on the housing register. early summer. Plan to provide more temporary housing The council is planning to buy Gladstone Court, a block of 38 flats in Hartington Road, Brighton, to provide emergency and short-term temporary housing. Gladstone Court is currently student accommodation and was previously used for social housing by a housing association. Colourful posters designed by children at Benfield Primary School are We want to increase the amount of council-owned brightening up hoardings around the temporary accommodation to help people in need Buckley Close site. of housing. 4 homingin www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/council-housing “It was lovely to move into a brand new home” Buckley Close and Selsfield Drive are latest developments in our New Homes for Neighbourhoods building programme, which has already seen 185 new council homes built since 2015. The new homes are making a big difference to the lives of residents and bringing benefits to surrounding communities. Debbie Juden (pictured) downsized from a house to a new one-bedroom flat in Hobby Place, Whitehawk, and loves her new home. Debbie said: “The stairs were getting too much “Everybody gets on with everybody. We all moved for me where I was living before. My flat is lovely. into the flats around the same time, and that It’s quiet and it was lovely to move into a brand helped us to get to know each other. I have no new home. regrets at all about moving.” Residents have their say on community hub More than 200 people took part in our ‘planning for real’ sessions in January and February to help shape proposals for a new A 3D model of the neighbourhood neighbourhood hub and redevelopment used at the planning sessions of a number of sites in Moulsecoomb and Bevendean. Thank you to everyone who took part – your Services that could be located in the hub include a feedback will help us develop plans for a new GP surgery, Moulsecoomb Library, youth services, community building to improve the services and adult learning and a community café. facilities for residents. Bringing services together into a new purpose-built The proposals are to develop a neighbourhood centre would also free up a number of sites to hub building on land next to Moulsecoomb Sports build up to 250 much needed new council homes. Centre, and redevelop the sites currently used by It’s very early days and there are a number of the Moulsecoomb north and south hubs and the stages to go through to progress the plans. If 67 Centre. approved, the development is expected to take There will more opportunities to help shape around four years. proposals in the future and we’ll keep you You can email moulsecoombhub@brighton- updated via the council’s website, social media hove.gov.uk to be added to our mailing list and Homing In.