Open House - Issue 100 - Summer 2016
The newsletter for Croydon Council tenants and leaseholders
Front page
Around 1,000 new and affordablehomes planned for borough
An ambitious house-building programme has been launched by the council to help boost the supply of new and affordable homes in Croydon.
It has established a development company, Brick by Brick, to help build much-needed housing on council-owned land across the borough. Croydon's population is growing and set to rise even further, which is having a huge impact on the demand for homes and the affordability of those homes, leaving many local families struggling to buy or rent.
Croydon is one of a handful of local authorities that is taking innovative commercial approaches to house building by setting up development companies in order to address housing shortages and meet increasing demand in their own communities.
The council is a significant land owner and around 50 sites have been identified that potentially could be used to build around 1,000 new homes by 2018. A percentage of the new homes will be let locally to estate residents on the housing waiting list.
Work is now underway to draw up housing schemes for many of these sites. Where suitable sites have been identified, the council is engaging with local people about any possible residential development in their area.
Councillor Alison Butler, cabinet member for homes, regeneration and planning, said: “With many parts of the country in the grip of a serious housing crisis, Croydon is taking control and getting back into the house-building business to help our local communities and address the shortage of homes.
“We can no longer afford to sit back and let the market take its course, as it is just not delivering enough homes to meet demand, leaving many of our residents homeless or stuck in temporary accommodation, unable to afford to rent or buy. Although the private sector has a huge part to play in helping Croydon to achieve its targets, the council also a direct role to play in making sure we are providing enough new and affordable homes for local families.”
Complete our star survey and you could WIN £100
As part of our commitment to listening to your views a postal survey is being carried out to find out how satisfied you are with your home and the services you receive from us. This important information will be used to help improve future housing services.
Approximately 4,000 tenants will be selected at random and sent the survey by Acuity, which specialises in carrying out resident feedback surveys.
If, during the next few weeks, you are one of the selected tenants who receive the survey we would very much encourage you to complete it and return it in the pre-paid envelope supplied. There will also be an option to complete it online.
Three questionnaires will be drawn at random from those returned, and the lucky winners will each receive £100 shopping vouchers.
The results of the survey will be published on our website and in a future edition of Open House.
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Open House hits 100Croydon Council's magazine for tenants and leaseholders has hit a special milestone with the publication of Open House's 100th edition.
Begun in the 1990s as a four-page newsletter only for New Addington council tenants, Open House originally covered topics such as how to get housing advice, how to get into shared ownership, information on housing insurance and updates on Government policy.
Open House now covers the whole borough with eight pages of housing news, ranging from gardening competitions and tips on applying for council grants to updates on housing repairs and warnings against doorstep scammers. Open House also has a sister title 2Views, which provides information on everything from children's summer activities to lunchtime clubs.
This 100th edition also marks a new change in the history of Open House, as this is the first edition that is digital for everyone except those who request a paper copy.
Michael Hewlett, who is chair of the tenants' and leaseholders' panel and was on Open House's original editing board, said: "It has always been a good magazine for residents, bringing them up to date on the latest information."
Mark Meehan, Croydon Council's director of housing need, said: "Open House is a great way for the council to keep our residents informed about important subjects affecting them, as well as more light-hearted pieces. Our regular surveys consistently show that our readers value Open House, and I look forward to the day when we reach the 200th edition."
Mulalley wins Considerate Constructor award
Council housing planned repairs contractor Mulalley received a Bronze Considerate Constructor Award at a ceremony in London on Thursday 28 April for their work delivering the Government's decent homes programme.
The awards recognise and reward hard work and effort made by all sites registered with the scheme which has raised the bar for considerate construction and set thebenchmark for others to follow.
The Considerate Constructors Scheme (CCS) monitor commented: "The commitment to best practice is always observed at this office and operating base where a happy workforce feels valued by their employer to the gold standard set down by the Investors in People programme. Support of all CCS activities is observed with their keen support of charitable programmes and recent charitable initiatives. A recent celebration of 10 years' working in partnership with Croydon Council bears testament to the involvement within the community and embodies most aspects of the Social Value Act. A central CCS champion has ensured that all business units are aware of high performance."
Bruce Benson, Mulalley Operations Director, said: "We are thrilled to win this award which recognises our efforts to carry out work in Croydon whilst being respectful and understanding in the communities around us."
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Council launches murals to tackle estate fly-tippingA Croydon estate has become home to eye-catching outdoor murals aimed at cutting the amount of rubbish dumped on its streets in a pilot scheme led by the council and local residents.
Young people who live on the Shrublands estate in Shirley and council officers designed and commissioned the three murals, which were painted at known fly-tipping hotspots.
The murals in Myrtle Road, Broom Gardens and Gorse Road, depicting respectively a kitten's face with flowers; a landscape of Shrublands' buildings and open spaces; and a large pair of eyes with houses beneath, are designed to encourage residents to take better care of their local area.
The behavioural awareness trial follows successful similar schemes in other London boroughs that cut anti-social behaviour, including an 18% reduction in Greenwich near shopfronts painted with babies' faces.
The three designs, painted onto garage and bin store walls on the estate by artists Lisa Price and Ben Connors, were created by Shrublands young people during a community involvement day in June run by the housing department's tenancy and neighbourhood service. Shrublands was chosen for the project because it is the Croydon estate with the highest level of fly-tipping, and the council will consider further murals if the trial is successful.
The scheme is part of the council's Don't Mess With Croydon campaign that combines enforcement with getting people to take more responsibility for their waste. Councillor Stuart Collins, deputy leader and cabinet member for Clean and Green Croydon, said: "These murals may be cute and colourful, but they have a serious purpose to cut fly-tipping on the Shrublands estate.
"Our Don't Mess campaign is about changing attitudes as much as enforcement, and this is about getting fly-tippers to realise how they damage their local area.
"Other London boroughs have very successfully used murals to change similar anti-social behaviour, and if this trial brings results we'll consider painting them anywhere else that's suitable to improve the local environment for our residents."
Sharon Swaby, chair of Shrublands Residents' Association, said: "Everyone absolutely loved it. I think more of them should go around the estate. I think it adds a bit more colour to the community and makes it a bit more vibrant."
Readers give Open House the thumbs-up
Open House magazine for Croydon Council tenants and leaseholders continues to be popular with its readers, according to the latest survey asking for public feedback.
Of nearly 600 replies from readers across the borough, 89% regularly read Open House, and over 95% of those who gave an opinion found it useful and interesting. Fewer respondents (57%) said that they read 2views magazine, with 89% of those who gave an opinion replying that it was useful and interesting.
Thank you to everyone who completed the survey sent out with the last issue. As usual, we gave out £25 Whitgift Centre vouchers in a residents' prize draw for those who completed the survey. The latest prize draw winners include leaseholder Mayumi Brown, of Longheath Gardens in Ashburton, and Margaret Dyer, of Homestead Way in New Addington.
Sign up to suggest ideas to improve your housing
Tenants and leaseholders are being urged to join new groups that examine housing services and suggest improvements.
The council has set up a tenancy and neighbourhood services group, an income and welfare benefits group and a leaseholder group. Two groups are already in place, one focussing on resident involvement and another looking at responsive repairs carried out by council contractor Axis. The tenancy and neighbourhood services group monitors caretaking and estate cleaning, grounds maintenance, and anti-social behaviour. It is open to tenants and leaseholders. The income and welfare benefits group covers rent collection, welfare advice, and letting empty properties. This is for tenants only. The leaseholder group looks at all services provided to council leaseholders.
A commitment to regular attendance at the quarterly meetings is required.
To apply, contact Steve Driscoll on 020 8726 6100 ext. 60463.
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Homefinder UK helps Croydon family to moveA Croydon couple looking to move to Scotland have become the borough's first to benefit from a national scheme that helps people wanting to relocate.
Homefinder UK is an initiative where tenants or people on the housing waiting list who want to move to a new area can find a match through a national database of social properties.
Anyone who registers with Homefinder UK can search all immediately-available homes and exchanges in the areas they wish to live, and can filter them based on properties that match their household size, personal circumstances and finances. They then bid for the property, and once relevant checks have been done the landlord confirms the tenancy and they can move.
Hayleigh MacLeod was living in a one-bedroom flat in Milne Park East in New Addington with her partner Darren Myall, two children and dog when they found a cheaper two-bedroom house with a garden in Stranraer in western Scotland through a council officer who put them in touch with Homefinder UK. Ms MacLeod said: "We're unbelievably privileged and grateful. It is going to be changing our lives."
Croydon Council's director of housing need Mark Meehan, who is also the chairman of Homefinder UK, said: "Homefinder UK is a missing piece of the jigsaw as far as housing options are concerned. Homeless families and tenants looking to move longer distances can overcome the red tape by finding an immediately available home on Homefinder UK. Find a home and move — it's that easy."
For more information, visit
To view a video of the interview with Hayleigh and Darren on Homefinder visit:
Thousands of housing repairs in last year
Staff from housing contractor Axis responded to 42,500 home repairs and returned 612 empty properties back to the decent homes standard last year as part of its work for Croydon Council.
In the year to April 2016, Axis also serviced over 15,560 gas central heating systems, and improved response times, first-time fixes and resident satisfaction.
In the two years since the council's partnership with Axis began, its staff have completed over 120,000 property and gas system repairs and recruited 12 young apprentices working towards industry-recognised qualifications.
- 42,500 repairs completed
- 612 void homes refurbished
- 15,561 gas servicing
- 98%emergency response
- 99.6% gas service completions
- 87% first visit fix-rate.
- Redecorate and furnish the social rooms in retirement housing blocks
- Repair and improve garages
- Repainting play areas (see below article)
- Support the annual Momentum youth conference
- Fund Christmas parties for residents.
Council recognised after sprinklers save pensioner from fire
Croydon Council has been commended nationally for its investment in retirement housing fire sprinklers that saved an elderly man from a kitchen blaze.
When a toaster caught fire at Glennard Monk's first-floor flat at Truscott House in Broad Green on 14 September last year, ceiling sprinklers automatically doused the flames and limited damage to a small part of the corner worktop.
In December 2014 the council had spent £540,000 on installing sprinkler systems at the block in Stanley Grove and five other special sheltered housing schemes that accommodate residents with care and support needs. The sprinklers help protect people who would not be able to evacuate by themselves in the event of a fire within their own flat.
As a result, in May the National Fire Sprinkler Network gave the council a commendation in the annual Bernadette Hartley Memorial Award for making "a significant contribution to the cause" of promoting the use of automatic sprinklers.
Families get upgraded play area
Selhurst families enjoyed a bouncy castle and games to mark the council upgrading a community playground.
Around 40 people gathered in Berney Road on 5 April at the colourfully-repainted play area, where youngsters also did activities ranging from making egg nests to playing football on the multi-use games pitch in nearby Johnson Road. The upgrade was carried out by staff from the council's responsive repairs contractor Axis on their volunteer days.
The event was also a chance for parents to speak to council staff about signing up for local children's centres and other support services.
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Looking after and improving your homesEvery year, we have a programme of major works to council homes and blocks of flats. This year, the programme amounts to almost £27m and affects homes and estates across the borough.
Typical works include replacing old and inadequate windows, boilers and lifts. Around 750 tenants will have their homes rewired and 1,100 will have modern, more efficient boilers installed helping them to reduce fuel bills and keep warmer. We also carry out works to blocks of flats benefitting leaseholders as well as tenants — this year, we will be painting the outside of 150 blocks, and replacing the flooring in 19 blocks so that it is easier to keep clean.
The main reason for the overall £27m programme is to keep all homes safe, decent, modern and comfortable. This isn't just about repairing things when they break or become unsafe. In fact, the aim is to replace components such as boilers before they get to the point that they start breaking down or fall below acceptable standards. We are committed to keeping all homes at the "decent home standard", a national minimum standard which means that a property should be weather-tight and fairly energy-efficient, in reasonable repair, and with modern facilities (for example the bathroom should be less than 30 years old and in good condition).
We will soon have completed two very important programmes. The first of these involves bringing blocks of flats with a communal area up to new fire safety standards set by the London Fire Brigade. The second involves the installation of door entry systems in larger blocks of flats — such as those with more than five storeys (where residents agree). We also spend £1m a year on adaptations to help people with disabilities manage in their home as well as carry out internal decorations for people who could not manage themselves.
Photo:Longheath Gardens resident Paula Yeates enjoys her newly-upgraded kitchen with Mia Ward, lead resident liaison officer from planned repairs contractor Mulalley.
Photo:One of the new kitchens upgraded as part of the pilot scheme to test subcontractors' work to council properties as part of an ongoing improvement programme across the borough.
About 650 tenants can also expect to have their old and worn-out kitchens and/or bathrooms replaced, including new tiling, painting and plastering, floors, extractor fans, cupboards, fuse boxes and worktops.
This follows a pilot scheme in February run by the council's planned repairs contractor Mulalley to upgrade bathrooms and kitchens in six homes so work carried out by its new subcontractors met the required standards.
One of the residents involved in the pilot, Paula Yeates, of Longheath Gardens, said: "I am very happy with my new kitchen and bathroom. All the staff and workmen were very pleasant and respectful in my property."
We survey homes inside and out so that we can estimate when works will need to be done (we don't do everything in a home at the same time, just when it needs doing) — and every year we send a list of properties needing works to our contractors who then write to tenants to make arrangements.
If your home hasn't been surveyed for the past five to seven years, please contact the asset management team 020 8726 6000 ext. 63309 and ask for a visit.
Sign up to get internet-savvy
Up to 85,000 adults in Croydon don't have basic digital skills. If you don't have regular access to the internet, or you don't know how to make the best use of it, you could be missing out on the opportunities that the internet can offer you.
Whether it's applying for jobs, making a doctor's appointment, exploring your hobbies and interests, paying bills, or getting your shopping home delivered, you can make the internet work for you.
So far we've helped residents learn how to use email, register for garden waste collection, use Skype and mobile apps. We've also given Digital Champion training to community groups and helped small businesses learn how to use social media.
Croydon Digital Zones are friendly social spaces where Digital Champions can give you top tips on how to get online. You can find Digital Zones across the borough, including: Access Croydon, Age UK Croydon, Lloyds Bank, Job Centre Plus, EE, and Croydon African Caribbean Family Organisation UK.
For more information, our Digital Zone at Access Croydon in Bernard Weatherill House, Mint Walk, is open every Friday from 9am to 4pm.
If you're involved with a community group that is interested in setting up a Digital Zone, we can help you. Contact us at
Coffee, cake and conversation
Old Coulsdon elderly residents of the Tollers estate are invited to join a Tuesday social group that tackles isolation and loneliness through events and activities.
Members of the Tuesday Club, which has been meeting for over 10 years at the community room off Ellis Road, enjoy bingo, tea and coffee, cakes and biscuits while they have a catch-up.
As well as regular meetings, the club arranges events and days out, including regular trips to the seaside using Croydon Accessible Transport (CAT) which includes club members who are frail or in wheelchairs.
The group's 14 members, comprising men and women aged 67-94, all live on the Toilers estate, including a few who live in the special sheltered block at Toldene Court.
If you live on the Toilers estate, are aged over 60 and would like to join the Tuesday Club, contact Zoe Gaffney on 020 8726 6100 or email:
Have your say on the future of the Housing Allocations Scheme
The council would like to invite you to have your say on the future of the Housing Allocations Scheme. The two key proposals under consultation are:
- Ensuring that people have lived in Croydon for at least the last three years before they can apply for housing (with some exceptions for certain groups).
- Giving a higher level of priority on the housing register to households that respond to help offered by the council's Gateway Service to prevent their homelessness.
Consultation closes on: 5 September 2016
For alternative versions of any of the consultation material, please call: 020 8726 6000 ext. 64327.
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