Parkhill Estate Tenants and Residents Association Power...
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PETRA News message from PETRA Chair- man Mike Davis, seen below showing some guests around the estate recently, starting at the top – the rooftop of Parkview House. Our guests were Jan Hughes, a personal assistant to HSBC’s director of finance (that’s HSBC at Canary Wharf, not just the local branch!), Alex Germanis, our consultant adviser from Carbon Leapfrog, and Tony Hatch, a senior civil servant in the Government’s Number 135, January 2013 Parkhill Estate Tenants and Residents Association Department of Communities and Local Government. The visitors heard about our energy- saving ambitions, and all appeared keen to help. Jan Hughes said that, where possible, HSBC was keen to support initiatives that benefit local communities. Tony Hatch said the Government wants to encourage TMOs to engage more residents in their work and to consider taking on more powers. Alex Germanis repeated Carbon Leapfrog’s commit- ment to working with us on energy- saving projects. With the help of people like this, who knows what we will achieve? Solar panels on our rooftops, perhaps? It’s a real possibility – and with our energy bills set to go up and up – why not? Mini library Did you know we have our own library here at PETRA? Ok, “library” might be pushing it a bit, but the bookshelves outside the office are positively heaving with books donated by our residents. We have books for all ages and many interests. Come over and take a look sometime. And if you have a book or two that you en- joyed reading recently, why not donate them? The more we share, the better it’ll be – for all of us. Solar Power to the People Left to right: Mike Davis, Alex Germanis, Tony Hatch and Jan Hughes Anyone for a shower? Estate Manager Jim Brett writes: We have now installed nine showers, with three more due for installation in January. If you have the compatible combination boiler (known as a “combi”) and would like a shower, then let us know. Installation is free to tenants and available at cost price to lease- holders. Unfortunately, at present it is not possible to install them in flats with the old Elson boilers.
Transcript of Parkhill Estate Tenants and Residents Association Power...
PETRA News
The sky’s the limit. That’s themessage from PETRA Chair-man Mike Davis, seen belowshowing some guests aroundthe estate recently, starting atthe top – the rooftop ofParkview House.
Our guests were Jan Hughes, apersonal assistant to HSBC’sdirector of finance (that’s HSBC atCanary Wharf, not just the localbranch!), Alex Germanis, ourconsultant adviser from CarbonLeapfrog, and Tony Hatch, a seniorcivil servant in the Government’s
Number 135, January 2013
Parkhill Estate Tenants and Residents Association
Department of Communities andLocal Government.
The visitors heard about our energy-saving ambitions, and all appearedkeen to help. Jan Hughes said that,where possible, HSBC was keen tosupport initiatives that benefit localcommunities. Tony Hatch said theGovernment wants to encourageTMOs to engage more residents intheir work and to consider taking onmore powers. Alex Germanisrepeated Carbon Leapfrog’s commit-ment to working with us on energy-saving projects.
With the help of people like this, whoknows what we will achieve? Solarpanels on our rooftops, perhaps? It’sa real possibility – and with ourenergy bills set to go up and up –why not?
Mini libraryDid you know we have our ownlibrary here at PETRA? Ok,“library” might be pushing it a bit,but the bookshelves outside theoffice are positively heaving withbooks donated by our residents.
We have books for all ages andmany interests. Come over andtake a look sometime. And if youhave a book or two that you en-joyed reading recently, why notdonate them? The more we share,the better it’ll be – for all of us.
SolarPowerto thePeople
Left to right: Mike Davis, Alex Germanis, Tony Hatch and Jan Hughes
Anyone fora shower?Estate Manager Jim Brett writes:We have now installed nineshowers, with three more due forinstallation in January. If you havethe compatible combination boiler(known as a “combi”) and wouldlike a shower, then let us know.
Installation is free to tenants andavailable at cost price to lease-holders. Unfortunately, at presentit is not possible to install them inflats with the old Elson boilers.
Chairman Mike’sSOAPBOX
The Government is making somechanges to the benefits systemwhich residents should knowabout.
These changes include a cap forthose in receipt of the highest com-bined levels of benefit, and for thoseof working age only, the replace-ment of all benefits with UniversalCredit from October 2013.
Also, if you receive council tax ben-efit but are of working age andassessed as able to work, you willlikely be expected to make somecontribution to your council tax billfrom April 2013.
The so-called “bedroom” or “spareroom tax” is the most controversialchange. Unless you are old enoughto receive a state pension, theamount of housing benefit you willreceive if you are a social housingtenant and you have a spare bed-room could be reduced.
At the time of writing, it is not clearwhen this last change will be intro-duced, but it could affect asignificant number of PETRA ten-ants.For further information andadvice, we recommend tenantscontact the Citizens AdviceHavering Bureau at HornchurchLibrary, 44 North Street. Openingtimes: Monday, Tuesday andThursday, 10am to 2pm. Website:www.haveringcab.org.uk
The teams working on the twoscaffolds got off to a crackinggood pace early in December,but then just before we brokeup for the Christmas holidaysthey were pulled away fromour estate. Still, I’m confidentthat by the time you read this,they will be making the timeup…hopefully.
Whilst speaking about the scaf-folding, it’s worth reminding allresidents to be very vigilant –especially after dark, whenburglars and others might betempted to climb the scaffold inorder to take your bits and bobs.
Two specific issues have arisen.(A) If you have lost or mislaidyour balcony door key to thelock, please contact the PETRAoffice ASAP. (B) We have beengiven to understand that the con-tractors will be repositioningresidents’ Sky dishes onto thescaffold so as not to interferewith your TV reception, but whenthe scaffold is taken down theSky dishes will not be put backwhere they came from. They willsimply be given back to residentsor left on the balconies.
Finally, on behalf of all thePETRA Committee members andstaff, my I wish all our residentsvery best wishes for the NewYear.Regards, Mike Davis
In with the new…windows
Ready for the“bedroom tax”?
The scaffoldingBuilding sites can bedangerous places, and workon the new windows is likelyto continue through to thesummer. So if you seeanything of concern - poorworking practices, loose ordangerous scaffolding -please report it to the officeimmediately. We will thentake the matter further.
Fair rentfor allWe reported last time on theParkview tenant who hasbeen paying £1.64 a weekmore for his flat thanresidents living in theequivalent properties inUphavering and Overstrand.
This might not seem likemuch of a discrepancy, butthese are tough times whenevery pound counts. That’swhy, later this month, PETRAChairman Mike Davis will beaccompanying our tenant to ameeting with an adjudicationpanel of Havering councillors.
We will let you know theoutcome of that meetingwhen we have it.
PETRA’s website isimproving all the time, aswe add new features,pictures and info.
The latest addition is“Bloggers’ Corner” –where Chairman Mike andother members of theteam will take it in turns topost short snappy articlesand opinion pieces. Therewill be a new one postedevery month, so makesure to visit the siteregularly.
You can add your owncomment at Bloggers’Corner, or send us a
message via the messageboard, which you will findin the “Contact” section.
Also feel free to use themessage board forreporting and requestinga repair, or for makingany other comments orsuggestions to PETRA.
Read all about usonline
Blogging refers to a website or part of awebsite on which an individual or groupof people add articles, often on opin-ions, information and ideas, on a regularbasis.
Blog comments: A section in blog posts(typically immediately following thepost entry) where readers can providetheir reactions to the content of thepost.
Read our first blog post – “Friends inhigh places”, written by Mike – onlinenow at www.petratmo.weebly.com
You can add your own comment at“Bloggers’ Corner”, or send us amessage via the message board, whichyou will find in the “Contact” section.Also feel free to use the message boardfor reporting and requesting a repair, orfor making any other comments orsuggestions for PETRA.
Any good ideas forimproving ourwebsite?Or brilliant picturesof life on the estatethat you would liketo share?Well, you knowwhere to find us!
ContactsPETRAMike Davis (Chair), Natasha Cruick-shank (Trainee Manager), Jim Brett(Estate Manager), and Bradley Pavey(Repairs and Ground MaintenanceOfficer) are based at the PETRA office.Tel: 01708 475358Fax: 01708 469530Email: [email protected]
Out of Hours: Please call 01708756699
Homes and Housing, HaveringCouncilTel: 01708 434000Email: [email protected]
Natasha Cruickshank writes:“Hello and a happy new year toyou all. Thank you to everyonewho was kind enough to sponsorme for my recent Santa Fun Runfor Great Ormond Street Hospital.I raised £403, which is fantastic.
The run was hard and hilly and asI’m an experienced runner, I was abit disappointed with my time (nottelling you!). But it was a fun runafter all. The atmosphere was great,and it was an honour to be partof it.”
Dates
Wednesday 23 January,11-2pm, in the Concierge,Parkview HouseA free session open to allresidents and hosted by aprofessional advisor, where youcan get advice on day-to-daymoney matters – budgeting,smart spending, and saving.
Tuesday 29 January, 7.30pmin the office, Parkview House
Thursday 21 February (duringhalf-term), 1-2pm in theConcierge, Parkview House
Mike Davis and his teamare a dedicated bunch, butjust like the rest of us theyvalue their free time.
PETRA’s office hours are from7-30am to 3-30pm Monday toFriday. In addition, from 3-30 to5pm weekdays, a member ofstaff will answer the phone.
However, if you need to contactPETRA outside of those hours,please do not call Mike, Jim,Natasha or Bradley but insteadcall the dedicated out-of-hoursservice on 01708 756699.Genuine emergencies will beresponded to within four hours.
Thank you.
