elenaDove Wed 06-Nov-19 17:27:41
HelenaDove Fri 24-Nov-17 00:52:36
HelenaDove Thu 23-Nov-17 23:11:22
DISABLED SALFORD MAN BARRED FROM HOUSING MOBILITY SCOOTER
Star date: 6th September 2017
"MOBILITY SCOOTER RIGHTS AGAIN UNDER SCRUTINY AT SALIX HOMES
"You've got a right to freedom of movement but mine is curtailed..."
In what is now becoming a growing problem, a disabled man living in sheltered accommodation at Salix Homes' Heraldic Court says he has to charge his electric mobility scooter at his carer's as he is not allowed to charge or park it where he lives.
Three times a week he has to get a taxi to the carer's house to pick up his scooter so he can use it..."Without it I wouldn't be able to get out" he says "I struggle to walk fifty yards with my sticks."
Add message | Report | Message poster HelenaDove Thu 23-Nov-17 23:12:04
"James Hayes is chronically disabled and can hardly walk, due to a degenerative spinal injury in his lower lumbar... "I struggle to walk fifty or one hundred yards with my sticks" he explains "I have to stop and lean against a lamp post as most of the time I'm unaccompanied."
The only salvation for James is his mobility scooter, which allows him to get out and about and do his shopping in big stores while sitting down. In February it became necessary for him to move into sheltered accommodation at Salix Homes Heraldic Court, off Langley Road South, but was told that he couldn't take the scooter onto the property.
He left it in a yard for six weeks and then confronted Salix... "They said 'You can bring it on the premises but you can't charge it'" James recalls "I can charge it in my flat but that's on the second floor and I can't charge it in the communal area, so I've had to take it to my carer's house."
A Home Safety Guide, issued by Salix Homes last year, brought complaints and accusations of discrimination, with guidelines stating that "Mobility scooters must not be stored in communal areas in blocks and sheltered schemes" and "We do not currently provide charging facilities for mobility scooters..."*
Instead, James has had to charge the scooter at his carer's house, which entails getting a taxi for a double journey three times a week at £6 a time... "It's costing me loads and I haven't got a lot of money" he says "But without it I wouldn't be able to get out...You've got a right to freedom of movement but mine is curtailed without it."
Now James and his advocate, Bill Smid, are further confronting Salix with Section 149 of the Equality Act 2010 which states that public bodies have a 'general duty' to 'have due regard to' a list of considerations, such as the need to advance equality of opportunity.
Indeed, James believes that Salix Homes could help its disabled tenants by looking at practical solutions. At Heraldic Court - scene of protests when Salix increased service charges recently** - there are three former bin bunkers which could be used as a mobility scooter parking and charging point... "It wouldn't need much to adapt them, put points in them and upgrade the facilities" he explains "I've put it to them but haven't had a reply."
He does have a meeting with Salix Homes on Friday, where it is hoped that common sense prevails...
"It's disappointing because I need the mobility scooter, I'm lost without it" James explains "It's been a nightmare..
salfordstar.com/article.asp?id=5048
SALFORD RESIDENT REVEALS OVER £2MILLION SPENT ON FIRE MARSHALS AT DANGEROUSLY CLADDED BLOCKS
Star date: 7th May 2019
"REGIME OF THREATS AND INTIMIDATION" AT PENDLETON TOGETHER BLOCKS
On Sunday afternoon at the Manchester May Day Festival Justice panel, Salford resident Graeme Langton exposed a whole series of failures, faults, draconian management and non-action within the Pendleton Together blocks that still have dangerous Grenfell-style cladding on them.
He also revealed that the fire marshals, brought in to improve safety while the cladding is still in place, have cost £25,000 per week, or over £2million so far
What was meant to be a much improved lifestyle in an up-to-date, modern housing estate has been reduced to a life of frightening insecurity in what continues to be a series of highly volatile high-rise tinderboxes..."
At the Manchester May Day Festival on Sunday, there was a panel discussion on Justice, in which Terry Renshaw spoke about the horrendous 47 year fight of the Shrewsbury Pickets to clear their 'criminal' name; Ben Clay talked on behalf of the Tenants Union and its fight to stop 'no fault evictions'; while Ruth London, from Fuel Poverty Action, argued that almost two years after Grenfell little had changed...
Her point was underlined by Graeme Langton, a resident of Malus Court in Pendleton which, along with seven other blocks managed by Pendleton Together and owned by Salford City Council, still has the cladding on, as many residents are subject to a regime of 'threats, intimidation and broken promises' by the authorities.
As Graeme listed the failures under the title of A Nightmare On Ellor Street, the audience laughed and shook their heads in equal measures, some barely believing such events could happen in the wake of Grenfell....a 'Trident' safety report that no-one can see; fire alarms fitted in the wrong place; wrong fire doors fitted; a whole list of repair failures and confusing evacuation procedures, and fire marshals being employed for the blocks at a cost of £25,000 per week, or over £2million so far.
Just as worrying was the lack of action from Salford City Council and the Salford Mayor, and the 'disrespect' shown by Pendleton Together to residents and even Salford MP Rebecca Long-Bailey.
"Today, two years later, City Mayor, Paul Dennett, has not been back to speak with the residents about his failure to remove and replace all the cladding" said Graeme...
"As you will appreciate, I personally – and many of my neighbours - feel very far from safe at the moment and with little belief in either Salford City Council, who owns the properties, or Together Housing Group, who manages them under the Pendleton Together P.F.I. contract. We have had so many broken promises
Salford Mayor, Paul Dennett immediately met with residents of the affected blocks to reassure us that this cladding would be removed and replaced as soon as possible. He promised an expert survey would be carried out to evaluate the state of the problems with each of the blocks and that the resulting report would be shared with residents as soon as it was completed. This report became unofficially known as the 'Trident Report', after the name of the company undertaking the survey.
Today, two years later, City Mayor, Paul Dennett has not been back to speak with the residents about his failure to remove and replace all the cladding. City leaders are adamant that there is no Trident Report for residents to see. Only the first three floors of all nine blocks have had their cladding removed, but replaced with temporary cement boards, to mitigate the risk from low level vehicle fires. The blocks look like the kid who forgot his trainers for P.E., and had to wear a really naff pair from the lost property box!
Only one of the smaller, medium-rise blocks has had all its cladding removed. This was done in the period leading up to Christmas and it not only left the block without the vital insulation it needed to keep the homes warm and for the heating system to operate effectively, but it also left all the window framework jutting out from the wall. Removing the cladding caused water to seep into flats over winter when it rained. This revealed that the windows had not originally been made independently watertight. Residents were offered some financial recompense for their inconvenience - provided they applied for it!
The residents of the remaining 8 blocks are still in a state of limbo and at risk. Several safety measures have been put in place to bridge this vacuous state, with the employment of Fire Marshals, who patrol the blocks and grounds continuously 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days of the year. The weekly cost for this service? Approximately £25,000! The Fire Marshals are armed with air horns or Klaxons to sound as an instruction to evacuate the building in the event of a fire.
Fire Alarms have now been fitted on every floor, as previously we were instructed to stay put in the event of a fire and the fire alarm was silent. However, the Fire Marshals are needed because most residents cannot hear the new Fire Alarms! This is because the alarms were fitted in the stairwells on every landing. We are told they are as loud as regulations allow them to be. However, this is not the issue. They are in the wrong place! The sound has to pass through at least TWO fire doors to get to residents in their flats. Duh! Pendleton Together have been told of this multiple times and by numerous residents. Yet, there have been no changes!
As you will appreciate, I personally – and many of my neighbours feel very far from safe at the moment and with little belief in either Salford City Council, who owns the properties, or Together Housing Group, who manages them under the Pendleton Together P.F.I. Contract. We have had so many broken promises;
"Some persons make promises for the pleasure of breaking them." - William Hazlitt.
Alongside all this stands a long list of failures to address repairs and the replacement of gates, doors and windows, outstanding from the poor standard of refurbishment work carried out by Keepmoat under the P.F.I. deal that are still to be corrected. We understand litigation is taking place over who should pay for these corrections, but residents should not be inconvenienced because of it. Repairs and restorative work should be undertaken and the argument over who pays determined in due course. We have been put out enough!
Just one of these is that many new window frames and their opening/locking mechanisms are faulty. Instead of replacing the windows that are clearly not fit for purpose, the onus is being put on residents who are being instructed by Pendleton Together not to fully open the windows, but only have them on "vent". They have been instructed not to open the Juliet balcony doors – on pain of attracting a Tenancy Warning for any infringement.
One female resident, the mother of a disabled child with breathing problems, was awarded such a written warning, but this was later rescinded following the intervention of her social worker, who had been present at the time of the incident and was a witness. What would or could have happened otherwise?
Many other residents, including myself, have experienced a similar regime of threats, intimidation and over-zealous enforcement from Pendleton Together for making legitimate complaints. Residents are not the only people to receive this level of disrespect. Our MP, Rebecca Long Bailey, who wanted to arrange meetings to investigate mounting concerns from residents was ignored and disrespected. This resulted in her request having to be escalated to Council and Mayor level to get answers from Pendleton Together.
Their continued failure to address residents' complaints and repairs just goes on and on. How can this situation be allowed to continue? Pendleton Together seem to be untouchable, they certainly think that from their actions or lack of them. They seem answerable to nobody and able to rule with a rod of iron. They operate from Brotherton House, but we now call it Big Brotherton, because they always seem to be watching us and they are the 'Thought Police'!
After Grenfell, the Fire Evacuation instructions were changed from "Stay put in your flat" to "Full evacuation - with one central assembly point near the Housing Office at one end of the estate." For many elderly or infirm residents to walk that distance, up to 0.38 of mile, would be impossible at any time let alone under evacuation conditions and potentially wearing very little!
However, a minor fire broke out recently in the Bin Room of a nearby block. Confusion reigned as some residents were evacuated, while many on the upper floors were seen standing at their windows uncertain of what was required as no klaxons had been sounded on their landing by any Fire Marshals. Certainly not a glowing endorsement of the Fire Evacuation Procedures under the circumstances and all the money being spent on the Fire Marshals themselves!
One resident who lives on the ground floor of the block in question has several disabilities, but was just ignored by those who should have known about him from the Fire Evacuation Risk document held in a metal cabinet located in the entrance to the building. When he became aware of people standing around on the grass outside he came to the front door, looked around, and then went back to bed. No Marshals tried to direct him to a place of safety. Later, when questions were asked about this, residents were told "we only evacuate the floors above and below the fire." In one of the resident Newsletters produced by Pendleton Together the evacuation was given a glowing report and it stated that everything had gone according to plan, but a few items needed further thought.
To date residents have yet to be told of this complete change to the Fire Procedures. We are supposed to go to Pendleton Gateway, a library and medical centre, opposite "Big Brotherton", as a muster point. This is not feasible for some residents, who are disabled or elderly, who could not walk that far. Even if people reach the Assembly Point, there is nowhere to sit, no toilet facilities, nowhere to get hot beverages to keep you warm or combat shock and no blankets to keep you warm either. You would just be stood there in the open air, for how long who knows? Probably until Pendleton Together staff arrived, if out of hours. We have told them this is not acceptable again and again. One of the slogans that came out of Grenfell was; "Residents die when landlords don't listen"!
All in all it has to be said that from the days leading up to the start of the P.F.I. contract when there was an award winning, high level of cooperative working between the landlord and the residents, the quality of life has fallen a long way due to Pendleton Together's overly draconian estate-management style and residents' trust in them has become seriously affected.
Communications and tenant participation are at an all-time low. What was meant to be a much improved lifestyle in an up-to-date, modern housing estate has been reduced to a life of frightening insecurity in what continues to be a series of highly volatile high-rise tinderboxes.