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Hounslow Homes

Hounslow Homes are obviously not suffering any cut backs lately as we have just received a letter from the Planning Dept advising us the two properties they own either side of our house which we own are to be cladded and yet theu only painted all their houses in our street a couple of years agoAs I say the letter we first received was from the Planning Dept asking if we have any objections etc though they wont take in to account what a complete waste of money this is of courseThe second letter we recieved yesterday was a seperate pompous one from Hounslow Homes themself saying that they intend going ahead and dont need planning permission anywayDo they and the Council ever communicate these day?Complete shambles

Paul Fisher ● 4979d65 Comments

The other Twickenham road house, in the photographs, doesn't look like it is lived in, just somebody inside whilst the painting was going on - unless they had gone home leaving the windows open....hoping the light at the back would fool a squatter?

Sarah Felstead ● 4788d

Yes - I saw someone in there the other day, however re the empty Magdala Rd flat - I am told there is also another one in the block empty!! Plus the house this end of Twickenham Road is still empty!!!!

Vanessa Smith ● 4788d

House opposite Gumley on Twickenham Road appears to have had the painters in.  The neighbours said that they had been told there was only a little work to be done to it after the people were evicted.When I went past the other night around 10pm the windows were open and a light was on in the back, so either they were working late or there was a guardian in the property to keep it safe.

Sarah Felstead ● 4788d

Just an update, work is STILL ongoing at the house in Twickenham Road - you couldn't make it up, it will have been empty for a year by August - it's an absolute disgrace. But then if the contractors actually put in a full days work not to mention a full working week it might just get finished.

Vanessa Smith ● 4821d

Hello Jim, sorry I didn't see your posting.Hounslow have sent a man who can, out to check on the wall and they are satisfied it is safe.  They do think that it has moved slightly so are going to talk to the landlord/write to the landlord asking for a keen eye to be kept on it.Cheers,  Sarah.

Sarah Felstead ● 4821d

Sarah - try fixmystreet. They they will send an e-mail to LB Hounslow - it's usually very affective:http://www.fixmystreet.com/Dangerous structures do come under the jurisdiction of the Council.JL.

Jim Linwood ● 4836d

There is also a ground floor flat boarded up just a little way up from that house - in Magdala Road, not to mention the absolute travesty of the house this end of Twickenham Road where work is STILL ongoing after months and months. The pyramids were built quicker than this - where is the supervision? These so called builders want a rocket up their a***s. Interestingly I was bombarded with e-mails re consultation about traffic in Park Rd. and Church St. from a local councillor and someone else who is involved in things - I think also on the HH board. So I e-mailed them both back and enquired as to what they were intending doing about the disgraceful matter of empty properties and also more to the point what the hell was giong on re highway works at the top of my road - answer was there none - S*dding useless! Housing crisis - what housing crisis????

Vanessa Smith ● 4837d

This house is still unoccupied.  I spoke to some residents who said that the go ahead has been given for temporary residence 2 weeks ago and that it will take up to 16 weeks to make the house ready.. (!!??).  The story goes that it took 3 years+ to evict the people from the house much to the alarm of people living nearby.  Anyone interested in checking out how the policy to move people on who are causing neighbourhood issues works, in action, might want to check this one out.

Sarah Felstead ● 4837d

I don't think you would notice the crack as you walk by the wall - but sitting in the traffic jam viewing from a distance it is pretty obvious there is a weakness in the wall and that it could come tumbling down (experts opinion needed).  Adults/parents walking under the wall, because of the height, would be likely to get their block knocked off but less likely to be buried under the rubble, I suppose.....

Sarah Felstead ● 4889d

No-one can take on the role of policing every little thing - sometimes people do have to take responsibility themselves, you seem to be worried about the kids - what about their parents?

Vanessa Smith ● 4889d

After that lamp post incident in Chiswick I am surprised you take that view, Vanessa.  This corner is very busy - full of kiddies on their way to St Marys and The Blue School and older girls on their way to Gumley House.  I have found somebody at LBH to report it to, just to have it checked out.

Sarah Felstead ● 4890d

Can't the licensee report it? If they're not bothered I wouldn't be either!

Vanessa Smith ● 4890d

I am sure the crack in the wall of The George PH is getting wider - who would I report it to for investigation?See picture in my first posting on this thread 23/12/11 20:28:00.

Sarah Felstead ● 4890d

What really grates with me is the assumption social landlords in general seem to make that their tenants do not have jobs, and instead simply sit at home doing nothing, living their meaningless lives and waiting for workmen to call round.Just last Thursday evening I arrived home from work to find a letter informing me for the very first time of an "appointment" that had been made by our landlord for a safety inspector to call around the following day, "any time during the day after 9.30 a.m.".My wife and I both work.  To have kept this appointment would have required one of us not to have gone in to work on Friday.  Worse than this, as we didn't see the letter until Thursday evening one of us would have needed to 'phone in on Friday morning informing our employers that we wouldn't be coming in.  Most employers, I am sure, would have taken a dim view of this.We would also have had to have been available to receive the safety inspector at any time during the day, as no clue was given as to what time he/she might arrive.What is most amusing is that like most social landlords, ours tends in the main to employ people who would consider themselves to be trendy and progressive types.  Yet their attitude gives us some idea of what these people actually think of the "workers"; of our lifestyles, our priorities and our generally pointless existence.  Little wonder they think we can't be trusted to do anything for ourselves.These people seem all for the working classes in the abstract but wouldn't actually want one sitting in their living rooms.Needless to say we ignored the letter.  Probably they assumed we couldn't read it.

Phil Andrews ● 4891d

I came home on Friday to find a note through our door from the Hounslow Homes repair team stating that they have now cancelled the fitting of a smoke alarm because we were not in at 10am when they arrivedFirstly I am not a Hounslow Homes tenant so they obviously knocked at the wrong door but the big question is why are they spending time and money to replace a smoke alarm when surely a tenant could do this themselves unless they were infirm or disabled which none of my neighbours is!Perhaps this repair man could be more useful helping to speed the work up on the two family properties on Twickenham Rd which have been empty for months?

Paul Fisher ● 4891d

Well Paul, should you have somebody in the discharge process from hospital, you would follow it!  The hosiptal discharge people try to chase you from your bed regardless of the suitability of your home and an 'acceptable option for discharge' is a bucket and commode.With another person we were responsible for who was in the hospice, we were told by the person holding the funding purse strings at LBH that one option was to bed block at the Hospice as it saved Hounslow money.It could all simply be down to different people holding the purse strings from different funds and all fighting for their pot of money, forgetting the person in the middle.Either way, and whatever you assume should have happened, Paul, the Hounslow Homes expert in adaptions was sent out and very kindly gave the right support and checks to make sure the work was done properly.  A big thank you is in order.

Sarah Felstead ● 4907d

I am sorry SarahBut most of your post I couldn’t followYour last paragraph about the amount of people living out of a bucket in there own home shouldn’t be happening in this borough, if people are living like this then that have no one to looking out for them or speaking up for them and have settled for what they think is the norm.I know what was available at one time in Hounslow, although all funding was pulled from the section a few years ago,  but reinstated when Ann King got involved to get the funding back. But there was help for adaptations of disabled and terminally ill home owners from the council itself  in the way of stair lifts, wet rooms, wheel chair ramps, grab rials ect.Yes the work is normally carried out with the owner in resident's, as the majority are not affected by the work being carried out, although some with respiratory problems would have to be catered for. I can only say there must have been a shed load of very complicated issues in the case you have hi-lighted and not just a simple home owner asking for help with home adaptation.I must point out I am speaking about a normal freeholder, not a council Tenant or leaseholder, who would of course come under the remit of Hounslow Homes for adoptions to their home    Maybe  an ex or current councillor could confirm that home adaptation funding is still available or has been done away with in the last few years             

Paul Allen ● 4907d

Greetings, PaulThe whole situation of having somebody requiring support after leaving hospital is scary.  The discharge process added to the nightmare with suggestions being made to ‘get rid’ of the patient from a hospital bed which were positively unsafe let alone unkind.  Discharge meetings had to be multidisciplinary which in short meant a room full of around 7 other people apart from the patient and their relative, which in this case meant a room full of around 10 people.  This is intimidating simply by nature.When asked for notes of the meeting there were none which could be made available.  If there were notes they would detail suggestions from the multidisciplinary team that the patient could go home and live downstairs with a bowl and commode and move room to room as the work was progressing – a comment made about this was you can renovate a house room by room, so why can’t he move room to room.The work involved the ground floor of a 3 bed semi being turned into a building site with dust, debris and open floorboard holes for drains, water and central heating pipes.  Doors off hinges and electrical and plaster work.  The patient could not use the stairs and the front room was to be turned into a bedroom with a wet room in the corner.  The patient walked upright with the aid of one of those trollies and had a history of falling and having ambulance crew attend to help him to his feet, and that was on a stable surface.  The carpets from the whole ground floor were up or loosed.At one stage there was a real fear that the hospital were going to simply drop him off at home and they were told that if they did,  the door would be locked as the house was unsafe.  There was no dispute about the house being unsafe either before adaptions or during adaptions.The emphasis was on discharging him and ‘fitting him in to the discharge’ and not ‘fitting the environment and help required to keep him safe at home’.The lady from Hounslow Homes help was called in by either the physios or the PALs team, whose help was sought to help make sense of what the discharge people were proposing. Tucked away in a leaflet was a snippet about ‘rehab care’ and after asking about this on the patients behalf it was agreed he could go there to regain some strength until the house was sorted out.  Rehab was not offered.If anyone wanted to get a true idea of how many people are living out of a bucket in their own home I suppose a starting point might be the care agencies that help people wash & dress each day, ask them for details of what facilities are available.

Sarah Felstead ● 4908d

Hello SarahI am a bit confused by your post about adaptations to a Hounslow freeholders home.Unless Hounslow has completely scraped their own social services department, funding was at one time available to keep a disabled person in their own home as it's cheaper than keeping them in hospital ect.A very competent professorial assessment is carried out by a trained person from Hounslow Council who assess the occupant practical needs to be able to live as normally possible, then presents the report to see if funding is available carry out the work required.The first scenario you mention is a complete cop out by any of the support services, it is completely degrading for anyone to have to live like that, when a stair lift can give a disabled person full use of their house.That way, a living room, bedroom and bathroom remain the same, rather condemning  a disabled person to living on the ground floor with one room of multiple use, as living, sleeping and toilet facilities.So why was Houslow Homes used? Unless LBOH has to rely on them these days.

Paul Allen ● 4909d

I am of the opinion that individuals make the company so in balance I thought it is important to add some positive compliments.I have repeatedly posted about Link line (there are some photos somewhere, too) as it is an amazing service, run by Hounslow Homes.  I have been listed on the contact list of three separate people and as a consequence I have spoken or have had contact with the service on many occasions.  The relief of people using the service and their carers is tangible and the contact people always lovely.The other contact I had through a neighbour last year was as a result of the discharge Social Services people at the West Middlesex.A home owner, being discharged and requiring support and advice about home adaptions fell in one of those holes between services.  If they were in Council accommodation then the help, advice and adaptions would be forthcoming, but as a home owner this service and information was hard to come by.Luckily this person had a relative available to make adaptions to allow the person home but even he needed advice, otherwise it would have meant a bed in the front room, a commode and a bowl at the kitchen sink.  Pretty grim way to live, eh?Social Services called in the expertise of the advisor at Hounslow Homes and she came out to check out what was being done, check and advise on materials and check and advise on measurements.  This was very much appreciated.The home owner is happily and safely at home and is looking incredibly well, considering how ill he looked last year.I wonder if Social Services discharge people could buy into this advice and support from the specialist at Hounslow Homes as they must have lots of people who are home owners with carers coming in who have been left ‘holding a bucket’ so to speak.  This is practical support for our people.

Sarah Felstead ● 4910d

I had a chance to read the agenda when it was posted a few hours before the meeting - some of the discussions must have been very informative.  There wasn't enough time to jot anything down, so I am looking forward to seeing the minutes of the account of the meeting when they go on line.  :-)

Sarah Felstead ● 4910d

I thought I had better check so I rang and spoke for several minutes to a lovely and knowledgeable person who said the meeting is tomorrow night and the information about the meeting is with the web people.  She doesn’t know why it has not gone up and is going to check to see if it can be published in time.  :-)

Sarah Felstead ● 4916d

I was disappointed that no check was made that the agenda was published in time for open comments to be made to representatives attending.The web site says that the agenda was going to be despatched on the 13th February so surely it could have been published then.http://www.hounslowhomes.org.uk/agenda_item_8_dates_for_future_meetings_2012.pdfThere is no reason to think that it won't eventually be published as LB Hounslow has a clear and valuable policy on allowing this information, and it looks like policy would welcome comments.  It is a shame that they cannot be made timeously.This invites people to view committee reportshttp://www.hounslowhomes.org.uk/index/about_us/committee_meetings_text.htm

Sarah Felstead ● 4916d

Maybe I am looking in the wrong place - this is where the agendas are normally publishedhttp://www.hounslowhomes.org.uk/index/about_us/committee_meetings_text/personnel_committee_text.htmIf anyone had a question or a point to raise through a committee member, it would be impossible with this timescale.

Sarah Felstead ● 4917d

Anyone know what is on the agenda for Tuesdays Committee meeting?  The details haven't been posted on line as yet.

Sarah Felstead ● 4921d

"It seems to me that Elected Members need to get a grip of Council Officers and decide who actually runs the Council. I could say that those who excercised the "Right to Buy" have deprived many people of the opportunity to live in social housing and that this daft Thatcherite policy has led, in the main, to the shortage of housing we face at the moment, but I won't. Oh, and by the way I am an ex Tenant Board Member of Hounslow Homes".As someone who exercised the Right to Buy I would argue that on the face of it what you've said is true - BUT - had councils been allowed to use the money to re-invest in housing either for rent or buy then that would have gone a long way to ameliorate the problem caused. However, in her spite against all things public the great Thatcher would not allow this, so let's lay the blame wher it rightly belongs shall we?Regarding councillors getting a grip I couldn't agree more, I have been pursuing empty properties aorund here iw the cabinet meber responsible and also one of the Tories who saw one of my posts and offered to see what was going on. Both swallowed the complete B/S trotted out - and I told them this. I actually had the dubious privilege of watching what was going on at a house dead opposite me - it was laughable, and a bloody disgrace.

Vanessa Smith ● 4928d

I've read this thread with interest. No one as yet has picked up the reality that Hounslow Homes is an Arms Length Management Organisation (ALMO)employed by the London Borough of Hounslow to run the day to day management of the 16,000 social housing units owned by LBH. HH does not have control of the Allocations Policy, this remains within the Council and Locata which seems to be re written on a whim. Ergo, voids are the responsibility of the Council with HH bringing the individual properties to the Decent Homes standard as and when instructed. It is also interesting to note that the Housing Policy, including allocations is once again being revisited, this has been going on since 2007! The current administration is seeking to cut £5 million from the HH management fee which will result in many front line services being cut within HH. It seems to me that Elected Members need to get a grip of Council Officers and decide who actually runs the Council. I could say that those who excercised the "Right to Buy" have deprived many people of the opportunity to live in social housing and that this daft Thatcherite policy has led, in the main, to the shortage of housing we face at the moment, but I won't. Oh, and by the way I am an ex Tenant Board Member of Hounslow Homes.

Christopher Boucher ● 4928d

Paul said -“When I was on the HH Board a few years ago the excuse for the long period of voids was that there was too much Sheltered Housing in the Borough which our senior residents did not want and this skewed the figures”~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Is Hounslow Homes sitting on vacant sheltered public housing stock and using a statistical response to dismiss a conversation over high levels of empty properties?Does a statistical response such as this, stop the conversation?I wonder why these rooms (let’s call vacant properties, rooms) are vacant and what measures are being taken to establish why they are vacant.I wonder - PEOPLE do not want public sheltered accommodation or there is too much public sheltered accommodation available, or there is no need for sheltered accommodation?I wonder why the defining line between Council (public) housing stock and private ownership – is so clearly defined?Individuals (PEOPLE) and individual (PEOPLE) circumstances and the reasons for the need for sheltered accommodation are as varied as pebbles on a beach, so how is the approach to filling accommodation such as this?  Is it just as varied?For instance, colleagues in Social services dealing with the elderly have on going knowledge of people who own their own homes, having a need for sheltered housing – so can they be considered for this public (PEOPLE) accommodation?Often it is very important for people and their families to keep a hold onto the family home so why not work out a package such as renting out their house through HH whilst retaining ownership, and at the same time allowing them to rent public sheltered accommodation.  I wonder does anything like this happen.

Sarah Felstead ● 4930d

Mind if I carry on with another 'wonder' on this theme?

Sarah Felstead ● 4931d

If we remember this is all about 'people' and somehow, if there is a a need to keep these houses empty - the additional costs of boarding them up and maintaining them in that state is a cruel way of using public money when there are so many people in emergency housing, particularly single people.Amongst those people, are there not some who could be Property Guardians, living in properties and safeguarding them whilst at the same time being able to stretch their legs in a larger size house than their B&B might allow?  You might even ask them to tend the garden whilst they are there!I am a great believer in tied accommodation as it suits a need and we get the property back for a continuing need once somebody finishes the job.  When Marlborough was being rebuilt it would have been easy to fit in a small block of maisonettes specifically for Education staff/teachers who could keep an eye on the school grounds by nature of being there and their work.  Well, I thought so anyway.

Sarah Felstead ● 4932d

Appalling is being kind I think - but all the while the councillors who are supposed to be responsible swallow the cobblers that Hopeless Homes trot out as excuses nothing will get done. Frankly I know that HH tell porkies about why homes are empty for so long, if you had seen the speed of the so-called 'specialist firm' that worked on the house opposite us you would not have believed your eyes, does anyone bother to monitor these works?

Vanessa Smith ● 4932d

PaulPartly but poor performance with LBH Housing Dept is to blame. 60 days is appalling. Scrutiny picked this matter up.John

John Todd ● 4932d

Hi JohnWhen I was on the HH Board a few years ago the excuse for the long period of voids was that there was too much Sheltered Housing in the Borough which our senior residents did not want and this skewed the figuresIs it still the same situation?

Paul Fisher ● 4932d

PaulThe figures quoted refer to privately owned properties. We have a number in my area and its a slow process getting owners to bring their properties back into use. More worrying is the LBH Void figure of 60 days benchmark 30. The resultant loss of rental income last year was 981k.  John

John Todd ● 4932d

"Hounslow has 508 houses that have been empty for more than six months, a 42% increase from 359 properties in 2008."I understand that HH has about 16,000 properties so these figures equate to approximately 1 in 32 out of use for over six months which is a shocking statisticOf course nobody will be held accountable as its only taxpayers money paying the salaries of those in charge and they wont investigate their own and the Labour Council will not want to shake up their own nest

Paul Fisher ● 4932d

Hounslow has 508 houses that have been empty for more than six months, a 42% increase from 359 properties in 2008.

Jim Linwood ● 4932d

I'm sure it was written in last weeks chronical newspaper that 42% of homes across the borough were empty. I just spotted one home off the staines road in Hounslow the juction near the wellington pub this morning. What kind of people make the decision at Hounslow Homes? While this is happening a number of homeless and people on the Housing waiting list are suffering.

Jason Sylvester ● 4932d

No - nothing, I am NOT a happy bunny but he's usually pretty prompt. Did you see the article about the rent increase in last week's Chronicle? Perhaps if they collected all the rent they could it might help?

Vanessa Smith ● 4936d

...'I have e-mailed Cllr. Steve Curran who is responsible for housing re 142 Twickenham Rd' ...Any reply, Vanessa?  I haven't been past the house recently.

Sarah Felstead ● 4936d

Crumbs!  Well this was supposed to go in after Pauls posting above.  Seeing as it has tucked itself in after Andrew, I will address it to him as well - and see where this one lands up!Paul & AndrewIt must have been lovely to hear that HH were releasing such a large sum of money to modernise and extend these houses!  A successful part of being a Councillor, especially when the money was going to be seen to be so well spent.Are they 4 or 5 or 6 bedroomed houses?Sarah  :-)

Sarah Felstead ● 4945d

Great Jim, but as the morons of Hopeless Homes don't appear to take any notice of councillors what chance have the public got?

Vanessa Smith ● 4945d

You can report empty homes here:http://reportemptyhomes.com/JL

Jim Linwood ● 4946d

PaulIt must have been lovely to hear that HH were releasing such a large sum of money to modernise and extend these houses!  A successful part of being a Councillor, especially when the money was going to be seen to be so well spent.This angle shows how far back they were extended - are they 4 or 5 or 6 bedrommed houses?
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Sarah Felstead ● 4946d

Thought you'd like to know I have e-mailed Cllr. Steve Curran who is responsible for housing re 142 Twickenham Rd. It really is disgusting that in a housing crisis Hopeless Homes are so bloody useless. I will let you know if there is any progress.

Vanessa Smith ● 4946d

Along with the concerns I have already mentioned, I think we are all worried about the loss to public funds whilst the houses are not attracting rent.  What on earth does it cost in security and it must be expensive to evict squatters.  :-(

Sarah Felstead ● 4947d

JimI live in Town Field Way and am obviously more than aware of the problems to which you refer.Historically the estate was jointly managed by three landlords - Co-op Homes, Ealing Family and Notting Hill Housing Group - all of whom were equally useless.  Had some ground rules been laid down at the beginning and adhered to the estate may have had half a chance but frankly the HAs were staffed at estate manager level by people who didn't have the faintest idea what to do even if they caught a resident in the act of tipping rubbish.  These estate managers were answerable to senior managers who didn't either.Now I have to say Notting Hill has improved considerably, however the word seems to have got around that our car parks are for dumping old furniture and broken TVs, and people come from miles around to do it.  It is certainly the case that most of the culprits who leave their crap on the West Middlesex these days are not estate residents.  We caught somebody we know of from Brentford in the act and reported it, complete with photographic evidence.Flytipping is against the law, it's not rocket science.  What it requires is a bit of joined up thinking between landlord, residents and those responsible for law enforcement.  Unfortunately when we tried to form a residents' association many years ago it was killed off by the three landlords for all the usual reasons that apply when one is dealing with these kind of people.  It was the one and only time they ever took anything here seriously.

Phil Andrews ● 4950d

The condition of some parts of the Notting Hill Housing Trust estate in Town Field Way fronting Twickenham Road in Isleworth is pretty awful. What was supposed to be a landscaped strip along Twickenham Road as become the local tip for the estate.Can't the Council force the Trust to clean up the area?JL

Jim Linwood ● 4950d

There was an advert for tenant board members in last week's local.

Vanessa Smith ● 4950d

Aren't The Board volunteers, unpaid, gifting their time and expertise to oversee?If that is the case then they must be reliant on fair, balanced and accurate information being submitted for their consideration?I have to confess I have an interest, I applied (and had an interview!) to join the board when it was being set up many moons ago and why I have had concerns about some of the reported on line Personnel advice.

Sarah Felstead ● 4950d

No, they're working on that now, it's going to be extended for a bigger family, that was the illegal let I told them about 18 months ago, mind you it's been standing empty since last August. My cats would do a better job than Hopeless Homes. What do the bloody board do?

Vanessa Smith ● 4950d

You would not believe how much pressure we had to put on Hounslow Homes when councillors to make sure these residents took at least a little care of their properties at this address as they obviously could not care less about the appearance of their new homesThere is another prperty which has been boarded up for weeks further down Twickenham Rd opposite Halfords which I think Hounslow Homes have forgotten about as it has been empty for weeks now

Paul Fisher ● 4950d

It is a shame, Vanessa.  If it were a private property wouldn't somebody be chasing the owner after 6 months warning them they should be working towards making the house available to the market? (rent or otherwise).This run of properties are lovely and I was aware that a great deal of money was spent of renovating them so they should be a show case for HH on the main road.  I viewed them as that, especially the smaller cottage style ones alongside this run which are a treat!I often wonder why they don't inbuild some regard for maintaining the front gardens when they draw up rental agreements.  People coming from flats might be given advice about how to start gardening and a few blades of grass would change the roads outlook along there.

Sarah Felstead ● 4950d

Sarah, I reported this ages ago to Cllr. Curran the head honcho for housing, I haven't been overwhelmed by the speed or content of any reply. It is a bloody disgrace.

Vanessa Smith ● 4950d

The house mentioned before - I think it is the second one in on the left, is still unoccupied.  When sitting in the obligatory traffic jam yesterday I thought the metal covering the window downstairs at the front had been bent.  Either somebody is trying to take a peek; trying to gain entry; has gained entry or my eyes deceive me.  Either way, left like this, is it bound to happen?
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Sarah Felstead ● 4950d

'I think they must be staffed by moronic six year olds, in fact six year olds would do a better job'I wonder if we just expect too much of services which in order to exist, are run on goodwill and a shoe string.  From reading their Personnel meetings presentation on line, there certainly appears to be lacking some of the key common sense and interpersonnal skills needed to drive their Management of people.  :-(

Sarah Felstead ● 4961d

Dire, dirty and depressing.

Vanessa Smith ● 4966d

It's gone down the u-bend since pedestrianisation,imo.

Keith Iddon ● 4966d

The whole High Street is a disgrace.  I've witnessed it's decline over the last 10 years and it makes me genuinely sad.  We have a fantastic range of cultures and people in Hounslow, but this is not reflected in the Boroughs main street.  There was some talk of a plan to change it, but I've heard no more about this.  Is there a town centre manager/team?  Plans to get residents involved meaningfully - not just as a token?

maeve beg ● 4966d

Funny this should come up - I never go to Hounslow but found myself there a  few months back.  I visited Asda bought nothing and when I left I noticed this street of boarded up houses and wondered then why?  Obviously I have no knowledge of how long they have been empty but they looked in reasonable condition to me and at the time I thought how disgraceful it was that these properties were not being used.  I presumed they were diarised for demolition for some reason but they looked too good to destroy.  They should be sorted out and immediately let.  I'll take one if no one else wants them even though I cannot stand Hounsow.

Bernadette Paul ● 4967d

The long-derelict Parry House in Church Street, Isleworth which was a former hostel seems to be up for sale by LB Hounslow:http://www.eigroup.co.uk/imagelib/lotphotos/sav/20111031/41.pdfPerhaps a local councillor can enlighten us.JL.

Jim Linwood ● 4968d

Casting my mind back I think these were the subject of a complusory purchase order some years ago as part of the town centre redevelopment. But to let them just stand there is a scandal, they could just be let on a short term licence arrangement, better still make your bloody minds up and utilise them properly. The government should not go ahead with this developer's carte blanche proposal until they have ensured all empty properties have been refurbed. and let, why not make grants to landlords to help them bring back empty properties and let them - that way everyone's a winner.

Vanessa Smith ● 4975d

There is a whole terrace of derelict houses in Hounslow town centre opposite the Asda car park. These could house several families.JL

Jim Linwood ● 4976d

PaulWatch out Hounslow Homes may clad your house and forget the two either sideI have to agree with Vanessa, Hounslow Homes are not fit to run the council housing, how they ever go the five year extension beats me

Paul Allen ● 4976d

One of these houses refurbished in recent years and highly desirable has been boarded up for months now.  It is a particularly bad position to leave empty for so long as thousands must sit outside in a traffic jam each week.  Very bad advertising for HH - do they realise?
View Larger MapAs an aside and a bit further along, as I sit in one of those jams I can't help looking at the crack in the wall of The George PH and wonder if it is getting wider?
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Sarah Felstead ● 4976d

Couldn't agree more, there are two family homes standing empty and have done for months, on the Twickenham Road. They just tell Councillors a load of B/S as I know because I have been pursuing both of these cases as I think given the lack of homes no-one should be letting family homes stand empty and lose the revenue for months on end. I was told that the one this end of Twickenham Rd. was being considered for being extended, you'd think that there would be some sort of forward planning for this sort of work already for when houses become vacant. As it is this house has now stood boarded up since August and apart from a small amount of work on the DPC has just been left. You should think yourself lucky that they actually know that they own the houses next to you because they certainly weren't aware that the land that runs behind our houses was theirs and therefore their responsibility. I think they must be staffed by moronic six year olds, in fact six year olds would do a better job.

Vanessa Smith ● 4979d