Councillors secure important repairs to School Lane

SLE' windows boarded up

After years of requests from Councillors and residents, the Council Housing department finally replaced the glass and temporary boarding in two of the stairwells on the estate. The work is using new materials and while there is concern over the light quality this solution should prove to be durable enough to signal the end of boarded up light wells and a massive improvement to the general safety in the staircases around the estate.

At the same time work is being undertaken to repair or replace the floor coverings in the stairwells following complaints by Councillor Nick Kilby that a resident could easily be tripped up by the floor covering lifting.

Nick said: “The state of our housing is shameful and after 7 ½ years of the Lib Dems running the council nothing has improved. This work should have been done years ago and the reality is that this is the easiest and cheapest item on a growing list of repairs. And that is before anyone gets to issues that we could improve! I am pleased we have this work being done but the residents do deserve better and we will have to keep pushing until we finally resolve the financial crisis the Housing department is in.  I am grateful to the council officers for their help;  it cannot be fun having your hands tied knowing how big the need is.”

Paul Johnston, Surbiton Hill ward Councillor and Chairman of the Housing Consultative Committee said: “This is good news but I share Nick’s disappointment about the lack of progress for resolving the Housing department’s finances. I have been working with the Residents’ Association in School Lane and elsewhere across the borough for the last three years and still we have had no clear leadership from the Lib Dems. It would be funny if it was not tragic for all those who suffer from the lack of investment.  School Lane has a strong RA and I dread to think what would happen if they, combined with Nick and me, didn’t keep fighting for every penny! ”

SLE: work in progress