Officials stick ‘bonkers’ yellow FIRE HAZARD notes on washing strains
- EXCLUSIVE: Woking Council says the communal areas must be ‘sterile’
- Officials plastered fireplace hazard notices on prams, trolleys, wheelchairs and crops
Draconian council officers went on a well being and security blitz on a housing property plastering residents’ belongings left within the communal areas with ‘fireplace hazard’ notices informing them they should be eliminated in 5 days – or they are going to be disposed of.
Doormats, pushchairs, plant pots, and even strolling aids have fallen foul of the brand new rules with the A6-size notes threatening homeowners with the invoice for the native authority taking away their belongings and binning them.
One disabled lady now retains her wheelchair folded up in her tub following Woking Borough Council’s ‘bonkers’ choice to clear communal areas and make them ‘sterile’.
The Liberal Democrat-run council has blamed the brand new hardline method throughout all of its 251 properties on a suspected arson assault, which ripped via a block of flats and left six households needing to be rehomed in the summertime.
The council was successfully declared bankrupt earlier this 12 months after racking up an unbelievable £1.2 billion debt after a collection of disastrous forays into the business property market.
Health and security official pegged a yellow fireplace hazard discover to a washing line to warn the proprietor that it offered a hazard and could be disposed of
Jenny Foster, 77, was fuming that Woking council had ordered her to take away her beloved crops from the communal entrance in Sythwood
Sue Elsley, 72, misplaced her husband to most cancers in May. She lives in close by Pucks Hill and has been informed a desk the place residents used to fulfill for tea and low must go
The word threatens folks could have their belongings eliminated and thrown away – and the proprietor must decide up the invoice
Pictures obtained by MailOnline present a word pegged to a washing line, whereas others have been positioned on high of pushchairs and two discarded Sainsbury’s trolleys.
A video games desk in a single block for folks to socialize and ‘enhance morale’ was ordered again inside an aged lady’s residence the place she now sits at all of it by herself.
Another aged lady now spends most of her days confined to her first ground flat as her husband struggles to heave her wheelchair up and down the steps.
Sythwood, in Goldsworth Park, is without doubt one of the council blocks impacted the place in January weak and aged residents have been left with out heating and scorching water for seven weeks as temperatures plummeted to -7C.
Sara Rance, 44, lives within the flats along with her companion and his 15-year-old son, who has ADHD, and says the issues with the boiler have been ‘on and off’ since.
The mountain bike the schoolboy makes use of to trip to and from college was amongst their objects classed as a hearth threat.
She says the brand new rules are ‘bonkers’ and accused the council of utilizing ‘scare techniques’ so folks take away their cumbersome objects they scarcely have room for inside.
‘I believe it is ridiculous, to be trustworthy,’ she mentioned.
‘I mentioned to the council chief the council needs to be specializing in fixing the heating and scorching water as a substitute of what’s outdoors our properties and private to us. It’s well being and security gone mad.’
Bridgett Hazelwood, 77, and her husband Barry, 78, stay upstairs. Bridgett has now largely been confined inside as she is no longer allowed to maintain her wheelchair beneath the steps
A discarded plastic toy truck left beneath the steps within the communal space at Puck Hill in Knaphill has one of many feared notes on high
Two Sainsbury’s trolleys outdoors a block of flats in Pucks Hill, Knaphill, Woking, are deemed a threat
A padlocked storage cabinet has fallen foul of the brand new rules (left) and the objects inside (proper) will must be saved elsewhere
A pushchair and a desk with teas and low utilized by residents will not be capable of be stored outdoors
Bridgett Hazelwood, 77, who lives in an upstairs flat, has now largely been confined inside as she is no longer allowed to maintain her wheelchair beneath the steps within the downstairs communal space as a result of new guidelines.
If she has a physician’s appointment or does want to go away her condominium, her husband Barry, 78, has to lug the wheelchair up and down the steep set of stair stairs.
‘It’s an excessive amount of for him, so I don’t make him do it until it’s important,’ she informed MailOnline.
‘It does imply I’m just about caught and it has actually affected and upset me. We have completed what we’ve got been informed as I’m too fearful they’ll take away my wheelchair, after which what is going to I do.
‘I’ve lived right here 23 years, and love the folks, and don’t perceive why the council is making these petty choices that have an effect on us in so some ways.’
Disabled Michelle Chinnery’s tub is getting used to retailer her folded up wheelchair she as soon as left beneath the steps.
She now has to toddle outdoors her door along with her strolling body and battle to put a heavy ramp outdoors the door she makes use of to assist her exit and enter her residence.
The 47-year-old has lived within the block for 15 years and informed MailOnline: ‘Now if I need to use the bathe I’ve to maneuver my folded up wheelchair first.
‘I’ve complained about it however nothing has occurred. The housing officer’s phrases have been “it’s not my decision, it is from the person above me”.’
Michelle Chinnery, OBE, 47, has lived in Sythwood for the final 15 years and mentioned the brand new guidelines are having an affect on folks’s psychological well being
Ms Chinnery stands outdoors her flat holding up a yellow word (left) after she was informed her folded up wheelchair was must be stored inside. She shops it in her tub (proper)
Hazel Bird, 75, (left pictured with Ms Chinnery) used to maintain a video games desk outdoors so folks may socialise. Now it sits inside her flat
She added: ‘It’s affecting folks’s psychological well being. We used to speak to one another and exit and converse with one another. Now we hardly see one another.
‘I believe [the council’s new policy] it is completely disgusting. They ought to have consulted with us first.’
Her subsequent door neighbour, Hazel Bird, 75, used to deal with a communal video games desk within the hallway for the eight completely different residents to fulfill and work together.
But a few weeks in the past she opened her door to search out an offended yellow sticker on one of many puzzle bins saying she had 5 days to take away it.
‘It made me actually upset. I do not perceive why it has to go. Noone sits outdoors and chats or socialises anymore and I spend a lot of the day alone. It makes me actually offended and it’s actually affecting the psychological well being of all of us.’
Ms Chinnery added: ‘It’s now like residing in Prisoner Cell Block H. It has made our lives depressing worrying about what they’re going to come and take away.’
In the block subsequent door, Jenny Foster was fuming that the council had ordered her to take away her beloved crops from the communal entrance.
‘I got here out and so they had caught a ridiculous yellow sticker on my Yukka. It’s been rising right here for years, together with a spider plant, and didn’t do any hurt to anybody.
‘Everyone loved seeing them rising. Now it is outdoors, half lifeless.’
Leanne Sands, 30, at Puck Hill in her backyard, embellished for Christmas
Mrs Elsley sits within the backyard alongside her neighbour Sean Fuller, 58. Ms Elsley mentioned ‘the fairylights on the wall bought a sticker. So did the geckos. Apparently they could fall on somebody strolling previous! How ridiculous when they’re screwed on!’
The 77-year-old added: ‘I additionally bought a sticker left on my walker that I left within the hallway once I went to go to my daughter in an area flat.
‘It’s completely ridiculous that they might even take into consideration taking away then solely means I’ve to get round. If they ever strive that once more, I’m going to sue them.’
Andrea Heslin’s washing line was branded with one of many brightly colored notes and he or she is now fearful the ‘fixed damp’ will trigger mould.
‘Removing the little desk and benches as a result of they’re thought-about potential obstructions is ok. But what’s my washing line bought to do with that?,’ she mentioned.
‘I do have a tumble dryer, however it prices a fortune to run so I want to hang around most of our garments. I definitely don’t need to be utilizing that within the warmth of the summer time. Surely that’s extra of a fireplace threat anyway.’
A pair miles down the highway the yellow stickers have began to look outdoors the 20 flats in Pucks Hill, the place Ellie Sands has been informed to take away all the pieces within the communal space – from the battery and photo voltaic powered lights to her doormat.
The 50-year-old requested her housing officer the place they have been meant to maintain all of their belongings and if the council may present storage, however claims she was informed ‘the council has bought no cash’.
She mentioned: ‘How many individuals in England have gotten doormats and we’re informed we won’t maintain one outdoors our residence?
‘We take pleasure in our homes and have simply been informed to place it inside. The complete of October we had no heating or scorching water as a result of the boiler went however we have not bought any compensation and it’s nonetheless not fastened.
‘We’ve bought garbage piling up in our bins as a result of the realm by no means bought emptied final Thursday. I reported it and nothing has occurred. Surely that could be a well being and security concern, particularly when somebody as soon as discovered a rat.’
Others had been informed to take away all the pieces from pushchairs to fairylights and even a pair of decorative gecko’s nailed to the wall of their communal areas.
Sue Elsley, 72, who misplaced her husband to most cancers in May, mentioned: ‘In the summer time or when the climate is good, all of us used to sit down in chairs alongside the walkway and chat and catch up. But now we’ve got been informed all of it has to go, together with the desk the place we put our tea and low pots on.
Puck Hill in Knaphill is certainly one of 251 properties Woking borough council has been conducting fireplace threat assessments at following a suspected arson assault on one other constructing in the summertime
‘The fairylights on the wall bought a sticker. So did the geckos. Apparently they could fall on somebody strolling previous! How ridiculous when they’re screwed on! Even the plant pots need to go.
‘Basically, something that makes the grounds look good and fairly. The council is making us all really feel totally depressing and we’re distraught.’
She added: ‘We had no heating or scorching water for 5 weeks between October and November. You’d suppose they might be concentrating on finding out actual issues like that – right this moment the heating went off once more – it’s so irritating and an absolute overreach by the council.’
Liberal Democrat councillor Ian Johnson informed MailOnline the council determined to undertake fireplace threat assessments throughout its property following recommendation from Surrey’s fireplace service.
It got here after a hearth investigation at a suspected arson assault in Ash Road in August discovered the blaze unfold as a result of ‘flamable elements’ left within the communal areas and on balconies.
Cllr Johnson, the portfolio holder for housing, informed MailOnline: ‘The thought is to cease folks from leaving issues as a result of it was assessed as being a explanation for spreading the fireplace. That was the aim of it, easy as that.
‘Clearly just a few folks have complained about this and I’m aware of the actual fact tenants aren’t completely satisfied for no matter motive however it’s my precedence to make folks protected.
‘We have to recollect what occurred at Grenfell and the very last thing I need is to have an issue with a hearth and to not have handled it. I’ve a duty for folks’s lives.
‘Whilst you might be proper there are folks complaining, I’ve had different folks saying “thank you as we’ve been a bit worried about this”.
‘People need to really feel protected and I need them to be protected. Nothing is ever excellent in life however I’m doing my finest supporting the officers coping with all of this and decreasing the chance of fireplace.
‘I make no apology for that for taking care of the residents.’
When requested by MailOnline why individuals are nonetheless having issues with heating and scorching water if maintaining folks protected was a precedence, Cllr Johnson admitted some communal boilers weren’t working.
But he mentioned he wasn’t conscious of ‘something excellent’ for the reason that points in January.
‘But we are attempting very arduous to try to repair it,’ he mentioned.
‘We will not be making an attempt to make folks’s lives troublesome, we are attempting to avoid wasting lives. The baseline needs to be security and that’s what we’re doing.’
A spokesperson from Surrey Fire and Rescue Service informed MailOnline: ‘Surrey Fire and Rescue Service advise residents to maintain widespread areas free from objects, which is a legislative requirement to stop unfold of fireplace and cut back arson.
‘We additionally advise maintaining areas round a constructing clear, not having something on balconies that might be set on fireplace, chaining up bins to allow them to’t be moved and the removing of flammable substances from round doorways and entrances.
‘This is common recommendation and we don’t request different businesses comparable to native councils to implement this on our behalf, nonetheless, native councils could have their very own legislative powers that they will use to scale back arson.’
