News

Weir Estate Residents Association could meet one its major priorities for 2010, early this year following a new link with Lambeth’s Youth Offending Service (YOS). The estate is set to become a project to paint the railings across the estate by young offenders as part of their community pay back.

WERA’s Chair has approached the service to rejuvenate the tired looking railings across the estate, which have not been painted for some time. The young people who have been given a community punishment order by a court for varying crimes from street robbery to theft, serve their order by working as part of YOS. Community Pay-Back is a way for young offenders to give back to society for their crime, serving between 5 and 35 hours a week. The youths are always supervised by members of the YOS, and are aged between 10 to 18 years old. Youths will start painting the railings by the play park, brightening the area for children after years of neglect has led to the appearance of railings looking tired and run down. The estate will be the first project of its type over this side of Lambeth.

WERA now aims to work with the Youth Offending Service supported by the Safer Neighbourhood Team to give a new lick of paint expected to start later on this month as part of the borough wide ‘Fresh View’ programme to improve Lambeth housing estates. This is then expected to continue across the estate to paint the other railings across the whole estate. Dave McEvoy, WERA’s Chair spoke of his excitement at the new partnership “Our estates appearance has already been transformed and we now want to grow upon this and continue to improve our estate for the benefit of residents. I am thrilled that we can do this by assisting young offenders to give back to the community.”

The railings now stand out as Lambeth Living does not have the funds to paint the railings. Weir Estate which has the lowest crime figures for the whole of Lambeth has the support of the local safer neighbourhood team, who believe this is a great way to change the face of the estate while giving young criminals the chance to re-pay their debt following conviction in court.

Residents can rest assured that anyone who is high risk will not be part of the programme and those on the project are supervised by members of Staff from the Youth Offending Team which is run by Lambeth Council.

During a recent meeting, a member of YOT assured WERA that “Most offenders just want to get on and do the task at hand and get their time over-with, this is a great project to allow them to do that”

WERA will now seek donations of materials from the business sector and local contractors. Fresh View takes place where contractors target an area to clean it up. Removing graffiti and cleaning of rubbish and recycling bins. However this time Weir will get its railings painted in order to brighten and improve the estate for residents for many years to come.

Chair, Dave McEvoy added “WERA is striving to make our estate the best it can be and this is one more step to really making the area we live in fantastic for all those who visit the estate.” He also urged residents to get involved and support the project.

Young Offenders will work for about six hours and will be welcomed into the Weir Link for refreshments as a kind good will gesture by the Centres Trustees.

Newspaper reports have suggested that, the controversial company managing residents housing in Lambeth will be dismissed in a year if it does not improve on its performance. Their performance has angered some residents and leaseholders, after what some say was an inconclusive consultation result.

The council’s Labour administration has said if it is re-elected in May, it would effectively give Lambeth Living 12 months to achieve a two star Audit Commission rating, or the Arms Length Management Organisation (ALMO) would be given the boot.  Should Lambeth Living achieve a two star rating this would unlock £250m of decent homes funding set aside by the Government – this is an equivalent of £8,000 to improve each council home with new kitchens and bathrooms to thousands of Lambeth homes.

Leader of the Council, Steve Reed said: “Council tenants and leaseholders have put up with substandard housing services for too long.  The decent homes funding is vital to turn around housing in Lambeth. If they do not get the two star rating within a year, they will be sacked, it’s that simple.” The crucial Audit Commission inspection is set to take place next summer. Brixton Hill Councillor and Leader of the current administration controlling Lambeth Council, Cllr Reed said ‘Lambeth Living would only be saved after a failed inspection if it was obvious a further inspection within six months would provide the two star rating.’ He commented he was however confident after discussions with ALMO bosses the target could and would be achieved. The ALMO has proved massively unpopular with tenants and leaseholders, who have seen the quality of housing services they receive, deteriorate over the years Lambeth Living has been operating Lambeth’s Housing stock.

It has also been previously rocked by a string of scandals including residents being charged twice for maintenance works, being vastly overcharged for bills, and with just two of over 100 tower blocks having valid fire safety certificates, said to be one of the worst records across London. A scathing Audit Commission report last year said housing had worsened under Lambeth Living.

Lambeth Living’s recently appointed Chair, Keith Hill remained upbeat despite the threat of Lambeth Living’s dismissal “Lambeth Council is quite right to insist on high standards from Lambeth Living. We look forward to responding to their tough demands, and we are confident that we can improve our performance in the direction of the two stars.”

Councillor Reed said whether the ALMO model would be scrapped should Lambeth Living be sacked would be subject to a public consultation.  He said much would depend on the £250m still being guaranteed if a Conservative Government was elected.

Many residents have complained of poor service from Lambeth Living after it was introduced in 2008. Leaseholders across the borough have also been left fuming after receiving bills for works and contracts that didn’t exist.

However, Lambeth Living is working hard to meet the targets set out by the government auditors. Many residents’ homes are in desperate need of works to bring their homes up to a decent living standard. Should they meet this standard in the next 12 months this will give them much needed income to carry out the works to homes.

Prostitutes who had been using an area on Anfield Close over the past few weeks will no longer be able to carry out the illegal activity, after WERA took decisive action to get the secluded area surrounded by bushes chopped down and opened up to end the blight to residents living close by.

Following complaints by residents, of illegal activity of sex trade workers close to their homes, bushes which had hidden them from view and provided privacy have been removed in order to open up the area and prevent prostitutes returning.

The area which is situated on the corner of Anfield Close and Belthorn Crescent, off of Weir Road had been littered with evidence of activity by prostitutes, with used condoms and empty spirit bottles raising concerns of health and safety.

It also followed reports to WERA from residents of disturbances in the early hours of the morning. WERA took action to get the bushes surrounding the area chopped down and hedges lowered in order to make the space more visible from the road.  Residents had complained of ‘noises’ in the early hours of the morning and had caused damage to the bushes, following the concerns and disturbance to residents WERA’s chair contacted the local safer neighbourhood team who have been monitoring the area, as well as Lambeth Living who instructed a contractor to open the area up as so that the area would no longer be used by sex trade workers.  WERA’s Chair, Dave McEvoy explained “Prostitution brings many other issues with it and causes alarm, harassment and distress to residents living close by as well as the image this portrays of what is a great estate to live on, and therefore we have acted quickly to turf out those using our estate to do such activity. in order to prevent such activity taking place, WERA and residents will not tolerate this and I’m glad that now residents can have peace of mind and we hopefully have seen the last of this sort of illegal activity on our estate.”

Weir Estate which has had previous issues in the past with prostitutes using the estate now has one of the lowest reported crime rates in the borough and WERA continues to keep the estates image safe and free from crime and vow to maintain their image and do all it can to ensure the problem doesn’t return.

The area will now have turf applied after the removal of the bushes, and the bushes along Belthorn Crescent and Weir Road lowered. This will also be maintained to a lower level in future as so the area is visible from the road and the estate at all times. As prostitutes seek to carry out ‘entertaining punters’ in secluded areas the bushes had all the traits that need to be able to remain unseen by the passing public. It is believed they are coming down from the Streatham area where there has been a history of problems with prostitution.

Recently the new borough commander, Nick Ephgrave reinstated the Lambeth Vice unit after it had been axed by his predecessor. The recent activity has now been referred to the Vice unit to monitor in future.

Residents are advised to call the police if they see any further illegal activity and not to approach anyone who may be taking part in illicit sexual activity in the area, however it is hoped that the removal of the hedge will see an end to the sex trade on the estate.

One resident who lives close by to the area which was being used told of her relief at seeing the bushes removed “We as tenants living on Anfield Close have endured the nuisance and eyesore of prostitutes with all that you would associate with that, We asked our WERA Chair, Dave McEvoy to look into this with fantastic results as the bushes have now been removed w, we would like to thank him for this and we now have peace of mind.”

The area is expected to be cleared by the end of the Easter holidays and grassed over in the next week.

WERA will now continue to monitor the situation and work closely with the local police to ensure that such illicit illegal activity does not return to the estate in the future.

Works to transform homes and blocks has continued to move across the estate quickly in recent weeks with the removal of paint on exterior block walls in open blocks, the completion of most window installations in the last block, Quennel House. Also many more residents now have brand new secure doors to their homes.

Weir Estate which has been undergoing major work to homes with the installation of much needed new double glazed windows and doors since October last year,  has now moved into one of its final vital phases of brightening all internal areas of estate blocks with a new coat of paint.

The four open fronted blocks have now been stripped of the old paint and are due to get a similar colour applied in the next couple of weeks.  Works to paint communal areas in closed blocks has already been largely completed.

Recently scaffolding on two more blocks along with Weir House, West and Jewell House has been taken down revealing a brighter looking appearance after windows were installed to communal stairwells and homes which has reversed years of deterioration of Weir Estate bringing a new era to the area, much to the delight of residents.

WERA has continued to monitor the progress of works as it has continued to move across the estate as well as working closely with Contractor Breyer Group. Chair, Dave McEvoy said of the works “Everyday we are seeing fantastic progress and the results of the changes being made to our Estate, I am delighted to see a much brighter future not to mention the security this will bring to those living on our estate.”

Works are not expected to finish on the estate before the middle of this year as more scaffolding is removed.
Painting works had been hampered by damp and long term damage to the brick works in estate blocks which has had to be corrected before a new coat of paint can be applied to the open fronted blocks.

Residents have seen drastic changes to the condition of their homes following the installation of Windows such as the reduction in heating bills and improved security.

Works which have been part of a program of works to five estates across Lambeth and funded as part of Lambeth Living Major works took place after pressure by WERA to bring much needed change after 60 years of metal windows which in most cases had buckled and bowed as well run down and tired looking blocks. The new coats of paint will bring a long awaited improvement to the appearance of the estate and residents will be invited to join WERA for a ribbon cutting event to mark the end of the works and new beginning for Weir Estate.
Dave added “I believe this is a significant change to our estate and we should celebrate the new era that this will bring to so many and to a whole estate, I am hoping residents will join us in commemorate this.”

Residents will be able to read a new update in the coming week from Breyer group.

West House residents have become some of the first properties to get the long awaited new securer doors fitted to their homes.  The new stained coloured individual property doors were installed to number of flats in West House last week, which is now the last phase of the major works on Weir Estate.

The new doors with various glass panel designs have been installed at a number of flats on West House, alongside the new secure double glazed windows which were installed at the end of last year.

After months of waiting, works to make residents homes safer and securer got underway this week as twenty percent of properties have been given the new front doors and this now rolls out across the rest of the estate in the coming weeks.

Residents, who had been given the choices by ballot last year, had voted by majority in favour of the stained effect with a different glass panel which consist of large square, diamond, four squares or plain. Works have progressed to at least 8 flats so far to date and is expected to carry on in West and next Weir House.

The doors which are secure by design and will see all homes on the estate safer and better insulated than ever before, the doors which are part of the works taking place on the estate, take just a few hours to install and is the final new addition to be made to properties on Weir Estate.

Recently re-elected Chair, Dave McEvoy who has been involved in getting the works and throughout the works has told of his delight and seeing the new doors installed “This signals a fantastic change for residents as well making their homes safer and warmer. I am thrilled that the final vital part of work has begun and will now hopefully continue to a successful conclusion. It has drastically improved the appearance and security of this estate and our community. WERA has worked hard to see this happen and to actually see it happening is a real sense of achievement”

The doors which are part of other works in blocks such as the new windows, re-decoration  to internal communal areas as well as some external re-decoration. This has also involved additions of Carbon Monoxide detectors and new extractor fans.

It is expected the works to install all properties with the new secure by design doors will end within the next few weeks, signalling the end of the programme of works.

Appointments are being made at the moment by Breyer Group’s Resident Liason Officer, Shuzna Begum.
Closed blocks will have there own choice of colour and design.

The doors which are triple locking and approved by the Association of Chief Police Officers, will now give residents a relief from drafty wooden doors that had long passed there use.

The new doors will now change the very face of Weir Estate.