Council tenants - Fire safety letter

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Common sense, isn't it. Anything that obstructs the route to a fire exit, or anything that might easily spread a fire, that should be pretty obviously a nono. Not everyone will find the not hanging things on the bannisters obvious, but speaking as somebody who often has to hold on to railings on the flat, let alone bannisters on stairs, it's something that people should think about.

Yes, I don't want the firemen getting their hoses caught up in my knickers and tripping over

A similar letter was sent to tenants on this (low rise) council estate and the envelopes were adressed to the same person as the one whose name is on the tenancy. it wasn;t adressed to the occupier, nor was it adressed to both of us, so I assume Lambeth council used their tenant database.

I wouldn't take it personally if I were you - carry on drying your washing on the balcony if it's never been a fire hazard before, as long as somebody's in the flat (to remove it if asked) and it's not left out overnight.

better not, the woman beneath is head of the TA so is a bit of a stickler for rules

 

[Onket]

as long as somebody's in the flat (to remove it if asked)

I wouldn't guarantee the poor sods who will be forced to come round & remove it will knock.

 

[gaijingirl]

Right - we got this letter today. Two days ago our bicycle trailer and recycling bin disappeared from outside our flat with no warning. The area where they were stored are in a dead end on the ground floor - nowhere near stairs (as it's a dead end) and outside anyway - they obstructed absolutely nothing whatsoever. So I'm a bit pissed off actually - especially as the letter said that notices would be attached and due warning given before items were removed.

Plus, there's a bloody great fire in a block of flats - so instead of focusing on actually providing adequate fire safety routes etc, they go around removing bicycles from places that have no affect whatsoever on escape routes and then don't provide alternative bicycle parking.

I'm especially annoyed actually as they recently sold off the land where our flats did have some garages and storage to a Housing Company who have built new flats there. We were supposed to get a percentage of the profits with which they promised to construct bicycle parking. Which hasn't been done. Of course. We have recently acquired bin sheds with spaces for 4 bins - even though there are only 2 on the estate. So this massive bin shed has just been sitting there empty for the last 6 months when that space could easily have been used for bike parking (amongst other things). Previously where those sheds were, there was a couple of car parking spaces - which I wouldn't be so bothered about but on top of losing those spaces, the tenants of these new flats are supposed to park their cars within the current parking spaces provided (which are often full anyway), so it's going to mean even more cars double/triple parked which causes a massive problem to fire engines getting onto the estate anyway and we've had a few fires on here already!

It's just so badly thought out!

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Right - we got this letter today. Two days ago our bicycle trailer and recycling bin disappeared from outside our flat with no warning. The area where they were stored are in a dead end on the ground floor - nowhere near stairs (as it's a dead end) and outside anyway - they obstructed absolutely nothing whatsoever. So I'm a bit pissed off actually - especially as the letter said that notices would be attached and due warning given before items were removed.

Plus, there's a bloody great fire in a block of flats - so instead of focusing on actually providing adequate fire safety routes etc, they go around removing bicycles from places that have no affect whatsoever on escape routes and then don't provide alternative bicycle parking.

I'm especially annoyed actually as they recently sold off the land where our flats did have some garages and storage to a Housing Company who have built new flats there. We were supposed to get a percentage of the profits with which they promised to construct bicycle parking. Which hasn't been done. Of course. We have recently acquired bin sheds with spaces for 4 bins - even though there are only 2 on the estate. So this massive bin shed has just been sitting there empty for the last 6 months when that space could easily have been used for bike parking (amongst other things). Previously where those sheds were, there was a couple of car parking spaces - which I wouldn't be so bothered about but on top of losing those spaces, the tenants of these new flats are supposed to park their cars within the current parking spaces provided (which are often full anyway), so it's going to mean even more cars double/triple parked which causes a massive problem to fire engines getting onto the estate anyway and we've had a few fires on here already!

It's just so badly thought out!

Brilliant aren't they

Have some more angry faces

 

[ajdown]

Interesting how so many people seem to think that they have a right to be able to park one (or more) bicycles conveniently wherever they wish in the vicinity of where they live, yet don't seem to extend the same courtesy to car owners.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Interesting how so many people seem to think that they have a right to be able to park one (or more) bicycles conveniently wherever they wish in the vicinity of where they live, yet don't seem to extend the same courtesy to car owners.

I don't own a car or a bike, but the fact is, there's plenty of people here that own bikes and they're not catered for whereas car owners are.

 

[tarannau]

Don't be a more a knob than usual AJ. There are plenty of places with allocated car parking should you wish to pay a premium. Equally someone can show you the difference in size between a bicycle and car quite easily - one clearly impacts on site design and affordability more than the other.

 

[gaijingirl]

On my estate there are lots and lots of parking spaces (but still not enough). There is not one single dedicated bicycle parking space. There are lots and lots of people with their own/their children's bikes hanging off balconys/railings etc. Many of them also own cars - which is why I expressed sympathy (and empathy too from time to time as we often borrow/rent cars recently for various reason) with those car owners having to double/triple park their cars. It's not a bike v. car thing and I don't think my post positions is as such.

Please re-read my post AJ. The poor planning on my estate has led to decreased car parking as well as providing absolutely no bicycle parking and both of these oversights has ultimately led to overcrowding causing a greater fire hazard - which is what the council are trying to alleviate - not exacerbate.

 

[Mrs Magpie]

I'm in a HA house, not a flat and I regularly get them about bikes in hallways impeding escape Waste of time, paper and money.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

I'm in a HA house, not a flat and I regularly get them about bikes in hallways impeding escape Waste of time, paper and money.

Really, I've never had them

 

[Mrs Magpie]

My housing association leaflets everyone about every damn thing in a scattergun approach. I am in a terraced house and also got one about it being illegal to smoke in the hallway. Also they are badly misspelled and done in garish colours with patterned backgrounds and loads of different fonts and are bloody difficult to decipher. I reckon my £20 a week rent increase went on printer ink.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

My housing association leaflets everyone about every damn thing in a scattergun approach. I am in a terraced house and also got one about it being illegal to smoke in the hallway. Also they are badly misspelled and done in garish colours with patterned backgrounds and loads of different fonts and are bloody difficult to decipher. I reckon my £20 a week rent increase went on printer ink.

I have a feeling you're not an L&Q tenant. In fact, I think you've mentioned Metropolitan before maybe?