Gardens not accessible to social tenants

[FiddlesticksAkimbo]

Is this sort of thing reasonable?

Social and affordable housing residents are being denied access to the gardens of a multimillion pound West London development despite political promises to ban segregated play areas
www.theguardian.com/cities/2019/sep/27/disabled-children-among-social-tenants-blocked-from-communal-gardens

It seems reasonable to me, on the basis that if you don't pay for it then you can't expect to use it, but I'm interested to see what other people think.

@Whatthedoctorordered
You killed the thread in 2019 and STILL had to come back and get the last word, nearly 2 years later?! Just why?

These developments only get planning approval on the basis that they include some social housing. If the developers then start preventing social tenants from using the amenities, that is circumventing the conditions of the planning approval, surely.

In addition, what sort of shits would deprive kids of somewhere safe to run around and gets fresh air and exercise?

I live on a new build estate that's not been adopted by the council so we're paying for the maintenance of it. There's a green area and children from families who don't live here play on it. Similarly the children who live in the few social houses that are on the development play there I'm sure. No one would dream of segregating those children and I don't see how it's any different.

What happens when one of the children who lives in one of the privately owned houses (God forbid) becomes friends with one of the children who lives in the social housing ? Can they not okay in the okay area together?

The affordable and social residents pay £200 a month service charge per home according to that article. So they are paying towards the grounds, the other owners pay more, but get to keep out the affordable and social kids. Ridiculous.

Ugh. This could be easily solved if the social tenants were allowed to pay an upgrade charge to get access to the garden. As some of the tenants have offered to do. Just let them buy the gate fob.

Ie you rent either flat alone, or flat plus garden for a higher rent. Simple. Sounds like developer is a tosser.

This could be easily solved if the social tenants were allowed to pay an upgrade charge to get access to the garden
Exactly this. There has to be an incentive for those paying full fees to move there too. Otherwise, everyone will demand to go in the social housing list, which is already completely overwhelmed because many already think they should be entitled to everything at a huge discount.

However it is totally unacceptable that people should not be given an option. If they are willing and able to pay as full fee paying residents, they should have the sane rights to access the grounds.

How many of the posters righteously indignant at the idea of children not being allowed into private gardens open their gardens to all the local kids?

Whenever there is a post on here about neighbours' children coming uninvited into private gardens to play on tramplolines and slides, there are always heaps of suggestions on how to keep them out.

Why the difference?

YABU. It is so cruel to the children who live in those developments; they won’t understand why some people can go in to the gardens, but they can’t. They’ll just know they’re being “othered” and left out. It is so nasty and really regressive.

@VestaTilley

YABU. It is so cruel to the children who live in those developments; they won’t understand why some people can go in to the gardens, but they can’t. They’ll just know they’re being “othered” and left out. It is so nasty and really regressive.

Do tell us how many random local children you are allowing into your own garden.

Terrible to 'other' them, I hope you are not being nasty and really regressive.

I think they should be given the option, if they wish to pay the 200 a month then they should have access. I don’t think they should get access for free or that it should be paid for in benefits.

@VestaTilley

YABU. It is so cruel to the children who live in those developments; they won’t understand why some people can go in to the gardens, but they can’t. They’ll just know they’re being “othered” and left out. It is so nasty and really regressive.

Surely their parents can explain it to them? And take them to other play areas?

@TrickyD

How many of the posters righteously indignant at the idea of children not being allowed into private gardens open their gardens to all the local kids?

Whenever there is a post on here about neighbours' children coming uninvited into private gardens to play on tramplolines and slides, there are always heaps of suggestions on how to keep them out.

Why the difference?

It’s known as NIMBY . Not in my back yard.

Surely their parents can explain it to them? And take them to other play areas?

Why should they? They’re communal gardens. Anyway, they’ve been using them for two years now so this is all academic.

register me under disgusted with some attitudes I have read here!
Developers get permission to build property by providing small (!) amounts of social housing on their sites & they make millions doing this & tend to shrink the number they provide to a derisory amount & the quality & they are smaller & more basic-so basically is they weren't there there wouldn't be these nice green community spaces -to my mind this means they have paid for your flat by their very existence.

I have a garden which l have to maintain (weeding, watering etc), pay for (getting the paving re-grouted etc. I wouldn’t be happy about my neighbours using it, they haven’t paid for it

@FiddlesticksAkimbo

I see your point Helena, but how would you suggest the gardens be paid for?

They're already paid for, aren't they? How do they get unpaid for by being used by social housing tenants as well as private?

@TrickyD

How many of the posters righteously indignant at the idea of children not being allowed into private gardens open their gardens to all the local kids?

Whenever there is a post on here about neighbours' children coming uninvited into private gardens to play on tramplolines and slides, there are always heaps of suggestions on how to keep them out.

Why the difference?

Is that a serious question? Whats the difference between a communal shared garden for all the residents of an apartment block, and a private garden for a family house? Rather a stupid question, isn't it?

@EL8888

I have a garden which l have to maintain (weeding, watering etc), pay for (getting the paving re-grouted etc. I wouldn’t be happy about my neighbours using it, they haven’t paid for it

Is your garden supposed to be communal? If not it’s not remotely comparable.

@Blossomtoes yes, we live in a house that was converted into flats and it has a communal garden. We all contribute to it and use it. But l meant other neighbours in neighbouring properties shouldn’t use it and don’t. I should have provided more info in my original post

[quote EL8888]@Blossomtoes yes, we live in a house that was converted into flats and it has a communal garden. We all contribute to it and use it. But l meant other neighbours in neighbouring properties shouldn’t use it and don’t. I should have provided more info in my original post[/quote]
Again not comparable. The development in question was built with communal gardens, it’s mixed housing and the entire point was that the play areas and gardens were shared by all the residents - as they now are, thanks to the splendid local MP.

zombie thread

I think it is up to us as a society what we accept and what we do not. IMO planning permission should not be granted under such circumstances- the cost to the builder of getting the permission to build profitable new apartments should be decent social housing, and access to play facilities. No one should be made to feel like a leper in their own home.

Everyone who thinks it's okay to let others use somewhere that someone else pays for the privilege of using then, please, feel free to put a sign in your own private garden inviting everyone to come and share it.

@quizqueen

Everyone who thinks it's okay to let others use somewhere that someone else pays for the privilege of using then, please, feel free to put a sign in your own private garden inviting everyone to come and share it.

Public parks are constantly used by people who don’t pay for them. Should we ban them or limit them only to people who can present a paid council tax bill for the borough they’re in? I absolutely detest this 21st century aversion to sharing anything.

It's reasonable.