Phew, what a night … !
I’ve just literally got back from this quarters’ Residents Meeting.
And I think — think — it was a bit of a hot one.
No, don’t ask, it’s a bit of a long story.
Too long to go into, here, I think … !
Let’s just say it got heated, and leave it there, shall we … ?
Yes, lets!!!!!!
But, suffice to say, that at tonight’s residents meeting got … heated …
Yes, that’s the word for it.
Heated, and definitely — to an extent — going ’round in minor circles.
After all, the fact that a majority of us recently voted for Rollason Way’s clamping scheme, has meant the government’s recent announcement of their up coming Freedom bill, along with it’s clauses banning wheel clamping on private land.
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You know, it’s just occurred to me that’s you’re probably wondering what the hell I’m talking about, aren’t you … ?
I really wouldn’t be surprised.
Let me give you a quick summary, then.
I live on Rollason Way, just in case you hadn’t guessed.
Which is a fairly recently built street, forming part of an estate in my home town of Brentwood, near Brentwood Station.
Rollason Way, itself, is a mixture of socially rented flats — owned and managed by South Anglia — and part-buy flats: jointly owned by South Anglia and their occupants.
And originally developed by Crest Nicholson, who also built the privately owned part of the estate, ’round the corner from Rollason Way, in Wharf Road.
Keeping up … ?
Jolly Good!
And every three months or so, we have a Resident’s meeting, so that Sara Bartleman — who’s South Anglia’s Housing Officer for those of us who are renting — and Stuart Clarke — who’s the South Anglia body who handle’s the part-buy folk — can let us know what’s happening at their end. And to get feedback from us about the estate, and hear any of our complaints.
LORDY but they hard their jobs cut out for them, tonight!
Because, understandably, we’ve — between the bunch of us — managed to get something — however minimal — done about the parking, in the area.
Or, at least, managed to get the clamping schemes introduced for the Rollason residents car-parks.
And then ALL got collectively hacked off by the fact that central government’s mentioned it’ll be banning wheel clamping schemes on private land.
That got a lot of talk generated.
Didn’t it just … ?
But I think we can safely say that people were upset — understanding, but upset — that Sara was able to tell us that South Anglia was investigating options for alternatives, as and when the need arises.
Although I’m not convinced she was too happy that some sort of barrier scheme seemed to be the preferred optioned.
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Actually, that’s one thing I do know: we were joined at tonight’s meeting by two of Brentwood’s finest, tonight: Councillor Joan Holmes, who helped book up the King’s Chase Bowls club for the evening, and by the ever bubbly Councillor Chilvers, who was able to help out by providing details of the exact relationships between Brentwood Council and Brentwood Police: and managed to emphasise to everyone, tonight, the exact ways that we, as residents, should go about documenting anti-social behaviour in the area.
Which is something of a major thing: from what I could gather, tonight, some of my neighbours have had trouble from badly behaved kids, seemingly from Railway Square, just ’round the corner.
We also got joined by James Moody, the MD from none other than Crest Nicholson: the developer’s who originally built the estate!
Who — in-between exploding neighbours, councillors and housing officers — had a hard time trying to explain why his company hadn’t put barriers on all of the estates car-parks*.
To be fair, though, he did manage to confirm something I’d originally been told by Councillor Dudley Payne, Brentwood’s former mayor: that the fact the amount of parking spaces — ¾ of a space per flat — was policy under the previous Labour government, to try and encourage more public transport.
And also confirmed that Crest Nicholson were putting in extra parking spaces in the block of flats at the other end of Rollason Way: mostly in an effort, as he put it, to “address the historical parking issues in the street”.
Take up the slack, in other words.
Phew!!
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Or, strictly speaking ‘GAAAAAAAHH’
It’s getting rather late, and my eyeballs are starting to feel like they’re melting.
Which is a bit of a side issue, but there you go … !
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At ANY rate, that’s where things started to go in a different direction.
Because the next item on the agenda … ?
Was the ground maintenance.
Which I don’t think’s pleased ANYONE … !!
I do know I’ve seen at least two of my fellow neighbours have commenting on the state of the weeding and plants — generally ok, although popular opinion held that whoever was doing it could maybe do with an extra pair of hands or two.
Oh, and Sara’s idea for a Litter-picking day, next Tuesday … ?
Wasn’t exactly enthusiastically received, but did at least get people saying we should help out.
But what really seemed to get people’s goat was simply the state of the common areas of each of the flats.
I know I’ve certainly said to Sara that the communal areas of the flats are capable of looking good …
If cleaned well.
And for the past few weeks … ?
It’s not seemingly been done as good as it’s been done in the past.
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At any rate, that’s where I think I’m going to leave things.
It is, after all, getting a touch late, after all.
But one thing I do know … ?
Is I feel quite happy to have had the chance to mention to Sara Bartleman the little problem many of us are having with a certain Hideous Horrible THING … In the Kitchens … !!!!
Good night, all …
Sweet Dreams … !
* Broadly speaking, the private parts of the estate have them, whilst we in the socially housed parts, don’t. Which I think is like putting a huge sign over the car parks concerned saying “Jack My Tires”, but that’s just me. (Boris Johnson, tactful … ? Naaaahhh … )
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