Archive for December, 2010
ANNOUNCEMENT :: Water loss in West and Weir Houses
Dec 20th
Homes in Weir and West Houses are currently without water due to what we believe may well be frozen external pipes; we are aware of this and are doing all we can to get this resolved as quickly as possible.
The whole of West House and at least three properties in Weir House are without running water and some without heating due to loss of water. This has been affecting properties on both blocks on the estate since late last week.
WERA is now working closely with members of Lambeth Living to ensure the problem is identified as quickly as possible and resolved.
If you are a resident without water please call 0207 926 6666 (Lambeth Service Centre Out of Hours Emergency) as they will be able to provide you with bottles of water until the problem is fixed. Weir Estate Resident’s who have been told to contact a plumber, do not need to do as it is believed that Thames Water are due to attend this evening (as of 9:20pm on 20th December 2010) to check the mains pipes, and we will continue to monitor the situation and take all available action open to us in order to resolve the loss of water supply. Lambeth Living had requested a standpipe, but due to the current freezing temperatures, this is not possible as the standpipe would freeze.
We are aware that there are vulnerable and elderly residents in both the blocks currently affected who should ensure that you have water. If you are unsure how to do this please contact WERA for assistance.
We are aware of the critical nature of this situation and will provide updates on wera.org.uk as soon as we have information.
We will continue to work with Lambeth Living and Thames Water to ensure the supply is re-connected as soon as possible.
UPDATE :: 20 DEC 2010 – 9.30pm Thames Water have checked the mains on Weir Road, and they are fine – therefore it is pipes within the blocks which are frozen, and therefore it is Lambeth Living’s area to deal with.
UPDATE :: 21 DEC 2010 – 10.30pm Lambeth Living Officers, and plumbers have been on-site all day. Water has now been restored to West House and Weir House. Should you have any problems please contact WERA for assistance.
WERA toasts successful year at christmas bash
Dec 19th
Residents were able to raise a glass for the festive season at the end of year celebrations as Weir Estate Residents Association also looks back on another successful year, which has seen the end of works to weather-proof homes and improve the appearance, safety and services of the estate.
WERA’s Christmas toast attended by a handful of residents and one of the local ward councillors, Ed Davie took place earlier this week at The Weir Link. The celebration marks the end of a year where the estate has undergone one of its biggest transformations and extensive works which have been overseen by the association, such as the windows, doors and block works, as well as the repairing of metal fences.
Residents were treated to free wine and festive treats. Those who have supported the association throughout the year were thanked for their on-going support by Chair, Dave McEvoy “We have seen many changes this year and it would have not been possible without the unwaivering support of those residents who have attended our monthly meetings, this celebration is WERA’s way of not only celebrating the festive cheer of the season but also for the work which has gone into to improve our estate. It is shame more residents didn’t attend this event but it was still been a great evening.” More >
Work to tree’s on estate
Dec 16th
Felling notice placed on tree at West House.
Lambeth Council’s Tree Service have been in touch with WERA regarding a ‘felling’ notice, and other work to trees on the estate:
The Tree Service received a request via Lambeth Streetcare from Veolia contractors to attend Weir Estate regarding trees which impede the collection of refuse from the estate. A joint site visit was arranged on a recent collection day so that I could appreciate the tree related problems that the Veolia driver was experiencing in carrying out his task.
The Veolia refuse vehicle is a large purpose built vehicle with an on board hydraulically operated crane which lifts and empties the estates bin pods. The estate roads are narrow and the siting of the bin pods next adjacent to (and under) trees hinders the task of refuse collection. The crane requires significant clearance to safely lift the bin pods from their containers and then position them over the truck for emptying. There were a number of locations where the crane was striking trees; this not only makes the driver’s task more difficult, but could be a hazard if the hydraulic operating cables were damaged and may also damage the actual tree.
There were a number of trees identified as conflicting with refuse collections, these were;
1. Anfield Close – Willow – 3 limbs to be removed, Ash – 1 limb to be removed.
2. Weir House (near Olding House) – Sycamore – 1 stem to be removed.
3. Weir House (near Quennel House) -Birch 1 limb removal, Birch 1 stem removal.
4. West House – Ash removal.
The refuse vehicle crane strikes the tree outside West House; this tree is very close to the structural walls of West House and for that reason has been heavily reduced in the past. When a tree is heavily reduced any regrowth is weak and prone to fail, which leads to constant maintenance and loss of visual amenity. The tree has significant future growth potential and it is prudent to take the opportunity to remove the tree. A new tree will be added to the replanting list and a replacement should be planted at a more suitable location subject to site survey and funding being available. More >
Christmas Crime Prevention advice
Dec 16th
Latest crime prevention advice from Thornton SNT
- Do not put the empty packaging out with the dustbin this shows a burglar what Santa has delivered.
- Don’t let your child take their present to school in the new year. They may not keep it for very long
- Take a photograph of valuable items eg Bicycles and Jewellery in case they are unfortunately stolen
- Register any removable property that has a serial number on the free website www.immobilise.com All you need is the make, model and serial number. This is a national website used by all police. More >
SPECIAL FEATURE: Restructuring of Lambeth Living revealed by Chief Executive Cathy Deplessis EXCLUSIVE!!
Dec 2nd
Lambeth Living’s Chief Executive has spoken of the long awaited plans to restructure the Lambeth ALMO in her first interview given exclusively to wera.org.uk. Staff at the organisation found out on Tuesday what the changes will mean to them and to the services they deliver. Residents can also listen to how it will matter to them and what impact the new restructuring will have on estate services.
In the interview with WERA Chair, Dave McEvoy, Cathy Deplessis denied it was solely to save money and insisted it was as much about improving the services to residents across the borough. “This is about seeking to address some of the key concerns residents have made to us, and the top one is seeing improvements in the repairs service, better standards of customer service and seeing what we do to improve on Anti-Social Behaviour.”
After months of discussions with residents and staff as well as numerous public meetings; a plan has been established to tackle the issues and reduce its outgoing costs in the current political and economic climate.
Here is the Music Player. You need to installl flash player to show this cool thing!
A pilot scheme has already been established and is operating in the central area, in which Weir Estate is part of and forms part of one of the three new lambeth areas which are now North, Central and South rather than split into several areas. Cathy Deplessis said that the pilot was already making huge difference to the services in the pilot area on customer service “We are finding already this is making improvements in the central area where we are anticipating ordinary people will see a far better service, such an example is we have a new designed customer service team we will be doing two things improving the culture of the organisation, we will have a dedicated customer service team in each area.” More >