Plymouth Community Homes News Issue 13 (1.3mb)
Plymouth Community Homes News Issue 13 (1.3mb)
Plymouth Community Homes News Issue 13 (1.3mb)
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PCH<strong>News</strong><br />
<strong>Issue</strong> <strong>13</strong> Winter 2012<br />
Moving into<br />
new homes<br />
1,000th<br />
kitchen<br />
& bathroom<br />
upgrade<br />
page 3<br />
Inside this issue<br />
The Green<br />
Deal - what it<br />
means for you<br />
Helping our<br />
tenants get<br />
jobs<br />
Benefit<br />
changes<br />
and how it<br />
affects you<br />
<strong>Plymouth</strong> in<br />
Bloom success<br />
at Morley Court
Hello PCH <strong>News</strong><br />
Call us on 0800 694 3101<br />
Hello<br />
again!<br />
Elaine Pellow<br />
Chair of the Board<br />
A warm welcome to the new-look PCH <strong>News</strong>letter.<br />
As you will see when you read through this latest<br />
edition, there are many changes to the layout and<br />
design – we hope you like it.<br />
We’ve also introduced a letters section so you can tell us what you think.<br />
We’re always keen to hear about your experiences with us, telling us about<br />
when we get things right or how we could make things better in the future.<br />
There’s just one change we haven’t yet made – and that’s where we’d like<br />
your help. We have always said that PCH <strong>News</strong> is about residents, for<br />
residents, and in keeping with that, we are inviting you to write in or email<br />
us with your suggestions for a new name to your quarterly newsletter. This<br />
is your chance to shape the way we communicate with you. We will be<br />
announcing the new name in the following issue, so watch this space.<br />
In this issue we take another look at the Government’s planned benefit<br />
changes that are due to be phased in from this coming April. In this year’s<br />
summer issue, we first reassured you that our staff were fully informed<br />
and would keep you up to date on any developments. On page 8 and 9 we<br />
explain to you about three key areas: Housing Benefit, Council Tax Benefit<br />
and an overall limit to Benefits.<br />
Inside<br />
3 Top Story<br />
4 <strong>News</strong> in Brief<br />
5 Award<br />
6 Communities<br />
8 Money Matters<br />
10 Successes<br />
<strong>13</strong> Letters<br />
14 Leaseholders<br />
15 A day in the life of...<br />
See page 7 to see how PCH are helping people to find work and don’t forget<br />
to check your Learn for Free leaflet (enclosed with this magazine) to find out<br />
about free training courses.<br />
Adam Harding is out and about again. This time he shadows two Housing<br />
Officers during one of their community walkabouts. Turn to page 15 to read<br />
about what goes on.<br />
If you would like to submit a letter to our new letters page or suggest a new<br />
name for this newsletter, please email us at: news@plymouthcommunityhomes.co.uk<br />
or write to us at PCH <strong>News</strong>, <strong>Plymouth</strong> <strong>Community</strong> <strong>Homes</strong>, 23 Princess<br />
Street, Princess Court, <strong>Plymouth</strong>, PL1 2EX. If you have a suggestion or a<br />
story for your newsletter, please let us know about that too.<br />
16 Contacts<br />
8<br />
4<br />
2<br />
Elaine Pellow Chair of the Board<br />
6
plymouthcommunityhomes.co.uk<br />
Top Story PCH <strong>News</strong><br />
1,000th kitchen and bathroom<br />
upgrade with Apollo<br />
For the Tapp family of Honicknowle, having a new bathroom<br />
and kitchen in their home has had a life-changing effect.<br />
Theirs was the 1,000th property to have<br />
the upgrade, carried out by our contractor<br />
Apollo.<br />
Apollo project manager Nick Tyler and<br />
Karl Hemmings, contract surveyor for<br />
PCH, visited Vernon and Laura Tapp at<br />
home to present them with flowers and<br />
hear about the impact of the work.<br />
Vernon Tapp is disabled and the new<br />
wetroom-style bathroom means he can<br />
shower with ease whereas before he felt<br />
claustrophobic in the cramped shower<br />
and often needed his wife to help him<br />
wash. He can also use the kitchen with<br />
its conveniently-placed cupboards and<br />
worktops.<br />
The 58-year-old said: “This has changed<br />
my life and given me some independence.<br />
Everything is so easy whereas before it<br />
was a struggle. I used to hate the<br />
bathroom and to be<br />
honest I’d be in and<br />
out as fast as I could.<br />
“Now I’m in it all the time<br />
and I can even have a chair<br />
in there so I really enjoy showering.<br />
In the kitchen, I can get things out of the<br />
cupboards when before they were too high<br />
for me to use.”<br />
“This has changed my<br />
life and given me some<br />
independence.”<br />
Wife Lorna, 54, admitted this is their first<br />
new kitchen since they moved in 20 years<br />
ago and was delighted at the choice,<br />
plumping for pillar box red. She added:<br />
“The layout is so convenient that<br />
everything is a joy. The other day I<br />
“The layout is<br />
so convenient<br />
that everything<br />
is a joy.”<br />
cooked dinner for 12<br />
as I do regularly for<br />
the family and it was so<br />
much easier.”<br />
Karl Hemmings said:<br />
“Apollo has done an excellent<br />
job, the tenants have said how<br />
happy they are and it shows the great<br />
partnership between PCH and Apollo<br />
and how well we work together.”<br />
Nick Tyler said: “We are pleased to<br />
provide the Tapps with a nice kitchen<br />
and bathroom and it’s nice to see them<br />
at home and hear how they have happily<br />
been making use of them. We’d like<br />
to thank them for their patience in<br />
accommodating the workmen.”<br />
3
<strong>News</strong> in Brief PCH <strong>News</strong><br />
4<br />
Housing with<br />
Support service<br />
Following lots of consultation<br />
with sheltered housing tenants<br />
and staff, two new job roles<br />
have been introduced in our<br />
Housing with Support service,<br />
previously known as Sheltered<br />
Housing.<br />
These two new roles are Housing with<br />
Support Officer and Housing with Support<br />
Manager. We have a number of Housing<br />
with Support Officers and their Manager is<br />
Charlotte Schraibman.<br />
The Housing with Support Officer role<br />
replaces the Sheltered Housing Officer<br />
role. The new posts will allow us to<br />
provide the service our tenants want in a<br />
more flexible way, giving support where<br />
it is needed and ensuring tenants have<br />
someone to hand when they need it.<br />
This means residents can contact a<br />
member of staff between the hours of 8am<br />
and 5pm. This will improve access to the<br />
service as staff will be available to answer<br />
calls and make visits for a longer period<br />
during the working day.<br />
This will be made possible by staff<br />
working in small teams. The teams will<br />
be more mobile and contactable during<br />
these hours.<br />
Housing with Support Officers will still be<br />
supporting social activities for residents.<br />
Our residents have told us how much<br />
they value living in supported housing and<br />
we want to make sure our service is of<br />
the highest standard both now and in the<br />
future.<br />
The team will have an office base,<br />
allowing more close working with other<br />
PCH staff, for example Housing Officers,<br />
Repairs colleagues and Rangers who<br />
now provide the grounds maintenance<br />
for many of the schemes.<br />
This will help to improve communication,<br />
providing a more responsive service for<br />
residents.<br />
The new team visited all the sheltered<br />
schemes during November to introduce<br />
themselves and listen to residents’ views.<br />
Keep reading future issues to find out how<br />
the service will continue to improve.<br />
Cooking up a<br />
storm in the<br />
kitchen<br />
Devonport tenants have been<br />
cooking up healthy budget meals.<br />
PCH’s communities team, along with<br />
public health workers and the Marlborough<br />
House Residents’ Association, have been<br />
chopping, slicing and sizzling their way to<br />
nutritious eating.<br />
Hayley Kemp, Communities Worker for<br />
PCH, said: “Earlier this year we consulted<br />
with residents at Marlborough House to<br />
see what activities they would like to do to<br />
bring them together.<br />
“They said cooking healthy and<br />
inexpensive food would be a great<br />
idea – and then eating the fruits of<br />
their labour together!”<br />
Hayley worked with Housing Officer<br />
Gavin West on the consultation and is<br />
now working with Trained Nutritionist<br />
Fay Brereton, from the <strong>Plymouth</strong> Health<br />
Improvement Team (NHS), on the project.<br />
Hayley, Fay and the residents’<br />
association launched the cookery<br />
group in October and it will be running<br />
twice weekly until mid December.<br />
The sessions began with a curried<br />
pumpkin soup and the group has already<br />
got their future menus lined up –<br />
kedgeree, risotto, jalfrezi, stew and<br />
carbonara are just some of the tasty treats<br />
they’ll be whipping up.<br />
Hayley added: “At each session, the group<br />
also does a price comparison with a<br />
ready-made version of what they are<br />
cooking as well as a taste test. The<br />
home-made versions raise the fruit<br />
and vegetable consumption, reduce<br />
food waste and demonstrate that better<br />
food choice is not, as perceived, more<br />
expensive.<br />
“Not only are the home-made versions<br />
healthier but they are also cheaper<br />
Anti-social behaviour surveys<br />
More than 80 per cent of people were<br />
happy with the support PCH gave them<br />
when they complained about antisocial<br />
behaviour, according to our latest<br />
customer satisfaction survey.<br />
September’s survey shows 82 per cent of<br />
respondents were satisfied with the help<br />
and tastier. We pick<br />
up tips from each other – apparently<br />
wearing contact lenses stops your eyes<br />
watering when chopping onions!”<br />
The cooking group has proved popular<br />
and residents have really taken the lead<br />
on encouraging their neighbours to join in.<br />
It’s hoped that once the course has come<br />
to an end the residents will continue<br />
running it themselves.<br />
The residents’ association has already<br />
applied to PCH’s Money Tree Fund for a<br />
cooker for their community room so that<br />
they can continue cooking and eating<br />
together.<br />
they received during their case – a ten per<br />
cent rise on August’s figures.<br />
The questionnaires also revealed that 71<br />
per cent felt they were kept up to date with<br />
what was happening and 76 per cent of<br />
those questioned found it ‘fairly’ or ‘very’<br />
easy to report a complaint.
plymouthcommunityhomes.co.uk<br />
Award PCH <strong>News</strong><br />
Bid to get people talking<br />
proves a winner for mum Cath<br />
Mum Cath Britton’s efforts to get her neighbours talking to each other<br />
and working together to improve their community have paid off.<br />
Morley Court resident Cath has<br />
won a <strong>Plymouth</strong> <strong>Community</strong><br />
<strong>Homes</strong> VIP Award 2012 for<br />
her work.<br />
Cath helped to set up a residents’<br />
committee at Morley Court and has given<br />
up much of her free time making it a<br />
success.<br />
Cath said: “I was really shocked when<br />
I found out I’d won. It gave me a really<br />
warm feeling.<br />
“I’ve managed to get residents to work<br />
together to solve problems. We’re all<br />
working together as a team at Morley<br />
Court. I don’t want people shutting their<br />
doors to neighbours – I want people to<br />
know each other and to be friends.<br />
“When we first came here we had nothing.<br />
It was dull and grey and there was nothing<br />
to look at. We’re hoping to get a roof<br />
garden by next year and are applying for<br />
Money Tree Funding for it.<br />
“I’ve managed to<br />
get residents to work<br />
together to solve<br />
problems. We’re all<br />
working together<br />
as a team at<br />
Morley Court.”<br />
“We’ve also installed gates – we’d been<br />
having things stolen. We’ve had a shed<br />
put in and fencing. It also keeps the kids<br />
safe. We’ve also started a neighbourhood<br />
watch group and the local PCSOs have<br />
been fantastic. We’ve had a great deal of<br />
help from PCH too.”<br />
Cath was nominated by her housing<br />
officer, Stephanie Hann.<br />
Stephanie said Cath always went the<br />
‘extra mile’ in anything she did. She<br />
added: “Cath is always the first person to<br />
volunteer to assist with anything involving<br />
her community and she does so with so<br />
much energy and always with a smile on<br />
her face.<br />
“Most recently, Cath has been actively<br />
involved in the Morley Court Roof Garden<br />
Project and has assisted me and others<br />
in consulting with the residents at Morley<br />
Court on their views and opinions.”<br />
Cath celebrated her win alongside two<br />
other VIP winners at a special lunch at the<br />
River Cottage Café in Royal William Yard.<br />
Bernard Clark was nominated for his work<br />
on a range of sheltered housing groups<br />
while Bob Norris won for his success in<br />
founding a residents’ association at Helen<br />
Fox House.<br />
VIP Awards are given by PCH’s Customer<br />
Focus Committee to tenants and<br />
leaseholders who have contributed in<br />
a special way to involvement. Their<br />
involvement will have had a positive<br />
impact on their neighbourhood or<br />
community and something will have<br />
changed for the better as a result of their<br />
involvement.<br />
5
<strong>Community</strong> PCH <strong>News</strong><br />
The Green Deal<br />
what does it mean for you?<br />
You may have heard details about a new scheme the<br />
government is introducing called the Green Deal.<br />
The Green Deal offers loans to pay for<br />
energy insulation measures such as cavity<br />
wall and loft insulation and products like<br />
solar panels.<br />
The repayments for the loan, including<br />
interest, will be added to a household’s<br />
electricity bills which means that if you,<br />
as a tenant, decide to sign up, you will be<br />
responsible for the repayments.<br />
The charge is being fixed against the<br />
meter so that if you move to another<br />
home, the charge will remain with the<br />
home where the improvements have taken<br />
place and will continue to be paid by the<br />
new incoming resident.<br />
At the same time, this charge could apply<br />
to you if you move into a home where<br />
Green Deal works have been completed<br />
previously.<br />
You can only sign up for the Green Deal if<br />
the amount of savings generated on your<br />
energy bill is more than the overall cost of<br />
supplying the works.<br />
You will also need PCH’s approval before<br />
any works can be carried out.<br />
If you would like any more information<br />
about the Green Deal, go to decc.gov.<br />
uk. If you’re contacted by a Green Deal<br />
supplier, contact <strong>Plymouth</strong> <strong>Community</strong><br />
<strong>Homes</strong> on 01752 388484.<br />
Call us on 0800 694 3101<br />
Tenants prepare to<br />
say their good-byes<br />
to Ann<br />
Tenants at Leypark Court will bid a<br />
fond farewell to their cleaner in the<br />
New Year when she begins her<br />
retirement.<br />
Ann Wilson, who works at Leypark<br />
Court, Estover, will be leaving her<br />
role after ten years.<br />
Julie Lintern, Housing with Support<br />
Officer, said: “Ann is very popular<br />
with the tenants.<br />
“I recently nominated her for a Beacon<br />
Award for her hard work. She puts<br />
in 110 per cent. It’s always spotless<br />
here. She also does lots for charity –<br />
she regularly volunteers at Shekinah.<br />
“A lot of the tenants will be sad to see<br />
her go. She makes time to speak to<br />
them.” Leypark Court residents will<br />
be holding a farewell lunch for Ann<br />
on 4 January.<br />
North Prospect residents<br />
settle in<br />
New residents of the Phase 1 regeneration in North Prospect<br />
have been officially welcomed to their homes.<br />
The drop-in event, at the PL2 marketing<br />
suite in Ham Drive, included advice on<br />
rent and debt management from PCH staff<br />
and discussions about priorities for the<br />
area.<br />
Health Nurse Sue Thomas provided fruit<br />
smoothies while the Wolseley Trust laid<br />
on a buffet. The children were entertained<br />
with a bouncy castle courtesy of Mr<br />
Bounce and face painting from Jump.<br />
6<br />
Housing Officer Marissa Casson, who<br />
organised the day, said: “The main<br />
purpose was to welcome the new<br />
residents, discuss their future and find out<br />
how they were settling in.<br />
“One resident who was re-housed said her<br />
new home was lovely. She felt so lucky<br />
to have been given the chance of a new<br />
build. She and her children are now warm<br />
and safer in their homes and all are much<br />
happier with their new lives.”<br />
The day also included a prize draw.<br />
Andrew Norman won tickets to Dartmoor<br />
Zoo while Anne Pellecalle went home with<br />
two tickets to an Argyle game.<br />
Another event will be held in the future<br />
when Phase 1 has been completed.
plymouthcommunityhomes.co.uk<br />
Helping tenants get jobs<br />
Residents who have been out of work have been given a<br />
helping hand getting into the jobs market.<br />
We’ve been running a free course for<br />
tenants who want to get their CSCS<br />
(Construction Skills Certification Scheme)<br />
card.<br />
Anyone who wants to work on<br />
a building site needs the card<br />
and some cleaning jobs also<br />
require it.<br />
Twenty three tenants booked<br />
to do the test this summer<br />
with PCH, with most passing.<br />
It’s a good deal as the CSCS<br />
test, the card itself and the<br />
study material normally costs<br />
nearly £100.<br />
Those who’ve passed have been telling<br />
us the card has given them greater<br />
confidence and has led to some of them<br />
getting full-time jobs.<br />
Ryan Canby, of Efford, passed the test<br />
and was offered a job soon after at<br />
Devonport Dockyard. He said: “I had just<br />
recently come back to the UK from South<br />
Africa and was looking for work.<br />
“I phoned up about<br />
the course and I knew<br />
that it would lead to<br />
me getting work.”<br />
23<br />
tenants booked to<br />
do the test this<br />
summer with PCH,<br />
with most passing.<br />
The leaflet about it came<br />
through my door and I<br />
phoned up about the<br />
course. I knew when<br />
I got the card it would<br />
lead to me getting<br />
work.”<br />
We’ve run the course<br />
– and many more –<br />
through our Learn for<br />
Free programme.<br />
The quarterly series of free<br />
training is offered to all tenants. More<br />
information can be found in the insert in<br />
this newsletter.<br />
Are you interested in<br />
becoming a member of the<br />
<strong>Plymouth</strong> <strong>Community</strong> <strong>Homes</strong><br />
Board of Management?<br />
The Board has overall responsibility for<br />
the running and future direction of <strong>Plymouth</strong><br />
<strong>Community</strong> <strong>Homes</strong>. Tenants on the<br />
Board of Management have a real voice to<br />
influence decisions.<br />
We will be running elections for tenant<br />
board members during the spring of 20<strong>13</strong>.<br />
To register an interest in applying to be<br />
a Board member, please contact either<br />
Janine or Belinda, details below.<br />
We are running a series of sessions which<br />
will give people the opportunity to find out<br />
more about the role of a Board member<br />
and the work that they do. These sessions<br />
will cover aspects such as the Board<br />
member’s role, business plan and financial<br />
planning and monitoring and measuring<br />
performance.<br />
The first session is due to begin on 10<br />
January 20<strong>13</strong>.<br />
If you are interested in attending these<br />
sessions please contact Janine Hems on<br />
388364 or Belinda Pascoe on 388360.<br />
Customer Focus<br />
Committee<br />
10 January 20<strong>13</strong><br />
<strong>Community</strong> PCH <strong>News</strong><br />
Tenants and leaseholders are welcome to<br />
come and observe the committee meeting.<br />
If you are interested in attending, please<br />
contact Janine Hems on 388364 by 7<br />
January 20<strong>13</strong>.<br />
Rents latest<br />
Rents charged by <strong>Plymouth</strong> <strong>Community</strong><br />
<strong>Homes</strong> continue to be among the lowest<br />
for housing associations in the country.<br />
Figures from the <strong>Homes</strong> and Communities<br />
Agency show that nationally, average rents<br />
for our general needs homes are the third<br />
lowest in the country.<br />
In both the South West and <strong>Plymouth</strong>, our<br />
average rents are the lowest. Our average<br />
general needs rent is £65.17 per week<br />
which is £2.57 below the next lowest rent<br />
in <strong>Plymouth</strong> and £37.52 below the highest<br />
rent.<br />
Our average rent charged for Housing<br />
with Support (£60.68 per week) is the<br />
seventh lowest in the country<br />
and the lowest in the South<br />
West and <strong>Plymouth</strong>.<br />
Of course where we are<br />
building brand new<br />
homes the rents are<br />
higher. The average for<br />
new homes in North<br />
Prospect is £97.05 but<br />
still represents good value<br />
for money for a high-quality<br />
home.<br />
Our average rents<br />
are the lowest in<br />
<strong>Plymouth</strong> and the<br />
South West!<br />
know our tenants want more affordable<br />
homes for future generations –<br />
because you have told us so.<br />
To do this we will have to<br />
look at further increasing<br />
the rent that existing<br />
tenants pay.<br />
We will be actively<br />
looking at this over the<br />
next few weeks and we<br />
will get back in touch<br />
with tenants in the<br />
New Year.<br />
Rents for privately let properties in<br />
<strong>Plymouth</strong> average at £<strong>13</strong>0 per week.<br />
We are considering how we fund more<br />
new affordable homes in the future. We<br />
7
Money Matters PCH <strong>News</strong><br />
Call us on 0800 694 3101<br />
Pay by Direct Debit<br />
Paying by Direct Debit couldn’t be easier – and means<br />
you’re in with a chance of winning prize vouchers.<br />
Everyone who pays their rent or service<br />
charges by Direct Debit for at least three<br />
months will be entered into the quarterly<br />
prize draw.<br />
New Direct Debit customers receive a £10<br />
voucher now plus a £20 voucher next April<br />
if the Direct Debit continues until March.<br />
Existing Direct Debit customers get a £30<br />
voucher next April if the Direct Debit<br />
continues until March.<br />
If you would like to pay by Direct Debit,<br />
pick up a form from your local housing<br />
office or the service information centre<br />
in Frankfort Gate or call 0800 694 3101.<br />
You can also obtain a form online at<br />
plymouthcommunityhomes.co.uk.<br />
Cut costs this Christmas<br />
Christmas is an expensive time of year – and can be made<br />
more expensive if that is the time you are moving into a new home.<br />
£10<br />
VOUCHERS<br />
£20<br />
VOUCHERS<br />
£30<br />
VOUCHERS<br />
The Absolute Recycling Company (ARC),<br />
working with the Credit Union, has come<br />
up with a solution to help new tenants and<br />
householders.<br />
ARC collect unwanted electrical items<br />
– including cookers, fridges, washing<br />
machines, TVs, toasters, hair dryers and<br />
kettles for a £5 charge. Then they repair<br />
or refurbish them to sell through local<br />
community groups and charities for low<br />
prices.<br />
They have a cut-price starter package<br />
of white goods, including a washing<br />
machine, fridge and freezer for less than<br />
£100 and are referring customers to the<br />
<strong>Plymouth</strong> Credit Union for sensible finance<br />
packages.<br />
The Credit Union offers a 26.8% interest<br />
rate, or a cheaper rate of 12.7% for those<br />
who start saving with them <strong>13</strong> weeks<br />
before taking out a loan.<br />
Andy Hawkins, of ARC, said: “People can<br />
get into financial difficulties buying white<br />
goods on hire purchase, especially at this<br />
time of year, and can find themselves tied<br />
into tricky agreements where they end up<br />
paying high interest rates.<br />
“We offer similar products for sale and<br />
want customers to have a sensible<br />
rate. Some of these items have just<br />
been discarded because the owner has<br />
upgraded, others may need a minor repair<br />
and all have been safety tested.”<br />
For details of appliances contact ARC on<br />
01752 786972 or 780774.<br />
For details of loans and eligibility contact<br />
<strong>Plymouth</strong> Credit Union on 01752 20<strong>13</strong>29<br />
or 310698.<br />
Christmas<br />
opening hours<br />
Our service information centre<br />
in Frankfort Gate will be open<br />
for enquiries between Christmas<br />
and New Year on 27, 28, and 31<br />
December.<br />
Housing offices will be closed on<br />
those dates.<br />
Improvement works as part of the<br />
Decent <strong>Homes</strong> programme will finish<br />
on 21 December and begin again on<br />
2 January.<br />
Our contact centre – which you can<br />
call to report repairs – will be open as<br />
usual. You can ring 0808 230 6500<br />
(0800 917 9459 between 5pm and<br />
7am).<br />
During the Bank Holidays, an<br />
emergency on call service will<br />
operate for repairs.<br />
Our Manufacturing depot at<br />
Prince Rock will be closed from 21<br />
December and reopen on 2 January.<br />
For more contact numbers see the<br />
back page.<br />
8
plymouthcommunityhomes.co.uk<br />
Money Matters PCH <strong>News</strong><br />
How will the new benefit<br />
changes affect me?<br />
You may have heard that from April, the government is introducing changes to benefits paid to<br />
people on low incomes.<br />
We want to give you as much notice as<br />
possible about these changes so that you<br />
can prepare for them.<br />
There are three main changes you should<br />
know about:<br />
• Housing Benefit<br />
• An overall limit on Benefits<br />
• Council Tax Benefit<br />
Housing Benefit<br />
The changes mean that some people will<br />
get less Housing Benefit than they do now.<br />
From April, if you live in any council or<br />
housing association home and you have<br />
one or more ‘spare’ bedrooms, your<br />
Housing Benefit may be reduced.<br />
You may have heard this called the<br />
‘Bedroom Tax’.<br />
If you have one spare bedroom, your<br />
Housing Benefit will be cut by 14 per cent<br />
of the rent you are charged every week.<br />
If you have two or more spare bedrooms<br />
you will lose 25 per cent of your current<br />
Housing Benefit.<br />
If your benefit is cut you will have to pay<br />
PCH the difference between your Housing<br />
Benefit award and your rent charged.<br />
Here’s an example of what we mean:<br />
Mr and Mrs White live in a two-bedroom<br />
flat costing £60 per week in rent. At the<br />
moment Housing Benefit covers the full<br />
cost of their rent.<br />
Under the new rules they will have one<br />
spare bedroom as couples are expected<br />
to share a bedroom. Their housing benefit<br />
will be reduced by 14 per cent of their<br />
rent (14 per cent of £60 = £8.40). Their<br />
Housing Benefit will be reduced by £8.40<br />
to £51.60 per week. They will therefore<br />
have to pay £8.40 per week towards their<br />
rent themselves.<br />
You will NOT be affected if:<br />
• You live in a one bedroom flat or bedsit,<br />
or if<br />
• You or your partner are old enough<br />
to receive Pension Credits (In April,<br />
the Pension Credits age will be around<br />
61 years and six months).<br />
An overall limit on benefits<br />
From April, the overall benefits you can<br />
receive will be capped. The limit is £500<br />
per week for families, and £350 per week<br />
for single people.<br />
The government will add up how much<br />
money you get from a range of benefits<br />
including Housing Benefit; Job Seeker’s<br />
Allowance; Employment Support<br />
Allowance; Child Benefit; Child Tax<br />
Credits; and Carer’s Allowance.<br />
If the total comes to more than the<br />
maximum amount allowed, your Housing<br />
Benefit payments will be reduced.<br />
You will NOT be affected if:<br />
• You receive Pension Credit or Working<br />
Tax Credit<br />
• A member of your household is<br />
claiming Disability Living Allowance,<br />
Attendance Allowance or the<br />
support element of Employment<br />
Support Allowance.<br />
Council Tax Benefit<br />
From April, if you are of working age and<br />
claim Council Tax Benefit the amount of<br />
support you receive will be cut. This will<br />
apply even if you are now receiving either<br />
full or partial Council Tax Benefit and<br />
Housing Benefit.<br />
This is because the government is<br />
reducing the amount of money it gives to<br />
local councils and is asking them to run<br />
their own schemes which may vary from<br />
area to area.<br />
We don’t know any of the details yet about<br />
<strong>Plymouth</strong> City Council’s scheme or how<br />
much individuals will have to pay as a<br />
result of this.<br />
Where do I go for more info?<br />
We understand all these changes to<br />
benefits may seem confusing and worrying<br />
to you and we want to help as much as<br />
possible.<br />
If you have any questions, please call<br />
your local housing office or the Service<br />
Information Centre in Frankfort Gate (all<br />
contact details on the back page) and ask<br />
to speak to a member of the Incomes Team.<br />
Andy Brettle, a PCH Area Manager, said:<br />
“There will be a lot of changes to the<br />
benefits system over the coming months<br />
and years and we appreciate some of them<br />
may be confusing for tenants. We are here<br />
to help tenants understand what it means<br />
for them so if you have any questions,<br />
please don’t hesitate to contact us.”<br />
Remember, we’re here to help.<br />
There are some other useful websites and<br />
phone numbers below:<br />
Housing Benefit/Council Tax advice<br />
(<strong>Plymouth</strong> City Council) 01752 668000<br />
Citizens Advice Bureau<br />
08444 111 444 or 01752 520052<br />
Government’s self-help website<br />
www.direct.gov.uk<br />
Department of Work and Pensions<br />
www.dwp.gov.uk<br />
Benefits and grant information and<br />
benefits calculator<br />
www.Turn2us.org.uk<br />
Advice on all housing matters,<br />
debt and benefits<br />
www.England.Shelter.org.uk<br />
0808 800 4000 (freephone)<br />
Home swapping<br />
www.<strong>Homes</strong>wapper.co.uk<br />
National Debtline<br />
www.nationaldebtline.co.uk<br />
0800 808 4000 (freephone)<br />
Independent budgeting, savings and<br />
debt advice<br />
www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk<br />
9
Success PCH <strong>News</strong><br />
Call us on 0800 694 3101<br />
10<br />
Morley Court honoured<br />
at <strong>Plymouth</strong> in Bloom<br />
A pensioner who has been turning her home into an urban<br />
beauty spot has scooped three awards at <strong>Plymouth</strong> in Bloom.<br />
Brenda Burns, of Morley Court, has been<br />
decorating her flat and nearby communal<br />
areas for the past four years with hanging<br />
baskets, window boxes and containers<br />
brimming with colourful flowers.<br />
This year she was pleased to once again<br />
be honoured at the city council’s awards<br />
to recognise to achievements of the green<br />
fingered in brightening up their community,<br />
this year taking the Gold Award for Best<br />
Window Box, the Silver for Best Container<br />
Display and a Highly Commended in the<br />
Best Hanging Baskets category.<br />
Brenda, 69, said: “I was delighted to get my<br />
awards from the mayor but really I just love<br />
what I do. I’d like to turn the place into a<br />
Swiss chalet with flowers everywhere.<br />
I really enjoy it and I like to cheer the<br />
place up.<br />
“People really like the display. My<br />
neighbours who look out onto the<br />
flowers say it’s lovely to look at and<br />
they really appreciate how it brightens<br />
up their view.<br />
Other neighbours at Morley Court<br />
are beginning to take a leaf out of<br />
Brenda’s book, introducing their<br />
own window boxes and containers<br />
to turn the place into a vision of<br />
colour in the middle of the city.<br />
Brenda said: “We are a little island<br />
as we are sandwiched in between busy<br />
roads, but the flowers have cheered up<br />
the buildings and people passing by do<br />
stop and say how lovely it looks.”<br />
Brenda was not the only winner as<br />
the rooftop garden at Morley Court took<br />
five awards.<br />
Graham Smith, of the Morley Court<br />
Residents Association, who helps Brenda<br />
with some of the manual work involved,<br />
said: “Morley Court is very pleased to be<br />
recognised and everyone is delighted with<br />
the work Brenda does and pleased she<br />
has been honoured for it.”<br />
Brenda and Graham with<br />
her winning cup!<br />
“My neighbours say<br />
it’s lovely to look at<br />
and they really<br />
appreciate how it<br />
brightens up<br />
their view.”<br />
Gardens transformed<br />
thanks to rangers<br />
Neighbourhood rangers have been<br />
hard at work improving the gardens<br />
of hundreds of residents.<br />
The assisted gardens service we run has<br />
come in-house, having previously been<br />
carried out by the city council.<br />
The assisted gardens service is for people<br />
who are elderly and disabled and unable<br />
to tend to their gardens effectively.<br />
Residents make a small payment which<br />
entitles their garden to be tended<br />
throughout the year.<br />
Kevin Perry, Head of Environmental Services,<br />
said: “The difference the team has made<br />
already is incredible. We have had a good<br />
response from residents.<br />
“It’s great to see the difference it has made<br />
to some gardens. In some places, brambles<br />
have grown to such an extent that people<br />
have lost nearly a third of their garden space.<br />
“The scheme is a great way for us to<br />
support people who are less able to care<br />
for their gardens.”<br />
Thelma Stephens is one of the tenants<br />
who uses the service. She said: “The work<br />
the rangers did is brilliant. Nothing was too<br />
much trouble. They mowed the lawn and<br />
trimmed the corners and picked up all the<br />
mess. They were really lovely people.”<br />
On 1 November, the Environmental Services<br />
team took over the running of the grounds<br />
maintenance contract, which was also carried<br />
out by the council.
plymouthcommunityhomes.co.uk<br />
Success PCH <strong>News</strong><br />
Brighter future for Adam<br />
Just two years ago, Adam Thomas was facing an uncertain<br />
future. He had, in his own words, ‘been messing about’.<br />
But after help from the social enterprise<br />
charity Shekinah Mission and a<br />
partnership with <strong>Plymouth</strong> <strong>Community</strong><br />
<strong>Homes</strong>, he is now back on course and in<br />
full-time employment.<br />
Adam’s lucky break came as a result of an<br />
innovative agreement between PCH and<br />
the charity, which offers help and support<br />
for the socially excluded (including the<br />
homeless, ex-offenders or those struggling<br />
with substance abuse) and gets them<br />
back into work or training.<br />
We were looking for a temporary Ranger.<br />
As Skekinah is a nominated charity for<br />
PCH, we approached them to see if they<br />
had candidates among their workforce of<br />
people they have made ready for outside<br />
employment.<br />
This was instead of us turning to a<br />
recruitment agency. After the standard<br />
interview procedure, Adam was the first<br />
to come through and began working as a<br />
Ranger.<br />
The 25-year-old performed so well<br />
that when 10 full-time posts became<br />
available, it was suggested he apply. They<br />
attracted almost 150 candidates who were<br />
shortlisted to 47 – and Adam was one of<br />
the lucky ones who were taken on.<br />
He said: “Although I had been working<br />
with PCH, I wasn’t confident I would get<br />
the job as so many people had applied,<br />
and I was just so happy when I did. I love<br />
the variety of what I do as I travel from site<br />
to site and I like being part of a team.<br />
“A couple of years ago I never could have<br />
believed I’d be as settled and happy as I<br />
am now and the fact I have come on so<br />
much just goes to show that anyone can<br />
change if they want to.<br />
“I am really grateful to PCH for taking<br />
me on and giving me a chance. I know it<br />
was a big deal because many companies<br />
won’t even look at someone who has<br />
had problems in the past. I am going to<br />
prove to them they definitely made the<br />
right decision. I want to progress in the job<br />
and I hope to be made a supervisor in the<br />
future.”<br />
Kevin Perry, Environmental Services<br />
Manager, said: “We went to Shekinah as<br />
they are a charity we support and they<br />
do look to find work for people and we<br />
wondered if the connection could be of<br />
some help. We are delighted that, as a<br />
“I am really grateful<br />
to PCH for taking<br />
me on and giving<br />
me a chance.”<br />
result, we now have Adam on a full-time<br />
basis. He is such a pleasant young man,<br />
very polite and works extremely hard.”<br />
Steve Weymouth, Head of Social<br />
Enterprise at Shekinah, who is pictured<br />
above with Adam, said: “Adam is the first<br />
of our staff to work with PCH and because<br />
of his success, PCH has confidence in us<br />
and is happy for us to supply more people.<br />
It’s a win/win for everyone: PCH get staff,<br />
our people get the chance to restart their<br />
lives in the real world and – as they move<br />
on – they create a space at our charity for<br />
someone else who needs help.”<br />
11
plymouthcommunityhomes.co.uk<br />
Your Letters PCH <strong>News</strong><br />
Dear PCH...<br />
Email us or use<br />
good old pen<br />
and paper.<br />
Details below<br />
Thank you<br />
I am writing to say thank you for my<br />
wet room. I am so very grateful that I<br />
now feel so much safer.<br />
While waiting for it to be done, I had yet<br />
another fall, badly dislocating and fracturing<br />
a shoulder. My husband had a terrible<br />
time trying to help me but now there is a<br />
safe seat and room to manoeuvre so most<br />
of the time I can be independent.<br />
It may sound strange but whoever came<br />
up with the idea of the plinth to raise the<br />
toilet has done so much for my dignity.<br />
Because of damage to my lower spine, I<br />
have needed my toilet seat for 20 years<br />
but now I feel ‘normal’ like anyone else.<br />
S Connell<br />
Beware of scammers!<br />
Is anyone else getting annoyed by<br />
constant emails and telephone calls<br />
from companies urging Payment<br />
Protection Insurance (PPI) claims?<br />
Please be aware that when these<br />
companies contact you, they are<br />
charging up to 39% for this ‘service’.<br />
The Financial Ombudsman offers the<br />
same service for free, no fees are<br />
involved and you keep all the money.<br />
There are also different approaches, for<br />
example: phone calls from a person claiming<br />
to be from ‘Microsoft’. What they are<br />
actually doing is trying to access your private<br />
information, such as bank details and<br />
passwords, via your computer, to access<br />
your bank account and withdraw money<br />
fraudulently.<br />
The ‘You’ve won a prize or a holiday’ letter<br />
is a total scam. Contact is usually made<br />
by letter (but can also be by phone). When<br />
reading the small print, which is in tiny<br />
print, at the bottom of the letter, the cost<br />
of telephoning or texting to ‘claim’ your<br />
prize is VERY expensive. So, no, you’ve<br />
not won a prize. If a prize does exist, it is<br />
being paid for by the extortionate call and<br />
text costs. If you ignore these letters, as I<br />
have done, you receive yet another letter,<br />
a few weeks later, ‘reminding’ you that you<br />
haven’t claimed your prize.<br />
The best way to deal with the scammers is<br />
hang up the phone when they ring, delete<br />
email messages and destroy any letters<br />
from them. These scammers can only<br />
exist if we reply. Ignore them and they will<br />
go away. But, remember, they are always<br />
working on the next scam. Please warn<br />
the elderly and vulnerable; I would hate<br />
anyone to get ripped off.<br />
As Christmas is fast approaching,<br />
I suspect that contact from the scammers<br />
will be on the increase. Please, everyone<br />
beware – if it sounds too good to be true,<br />
it usually is!<br />
G Leaton<br />
If you wish to include a letter for<br />
publication please email news@<br />
plymouthcommunityhomes.co.uk<br />
or write to:<br />
PCH <strong>News</strong>,<br />
<strong>Plymouth</strong> <strong>Community</strong> <strong>Homes</strong>,<br />
Princess Court,<br />
23 Princess Street,<br />
<strong>Plymouth</strong>, PL1 2EX<br />
Congratulations<br />
We would like to take this opportunity<br />
to congratulate and thank the Apollo<br />
and PiLON teams who modernised<br />
our bathroom, toilet and kitchen.<br />
We were originally so anxious, having<br />
seen the dismal performance from Apollo<br />
when they worked in our area approximately<br />
two years ago. We were not looking<br />
forward to having this work carried out.<br />
What a massive turnaround, all workmen<br />
were pleasant and polite, clean and tidy<br />
and managed to do the project within the<br />
15-20 day time schedule, also to a very<br />
high standard of workmanship. We personally<br />
want to thank Julian (works/project<br />
manager) for all his efforts and involvement<br />
throughout.<br />
We have a bathroom and kitchen to be<br />
proud of and feel confident it was professionally<br />
managed.<br />
I and A Davey<br />
What have you got to say?<br />
Please include your name and contact<br />
details. We will not print your details<br />
in full. We reserve the right to edit<br />
letters. The views published are the<br />
views of the individual contributor and<br />
may not be those of <strong>Plymouth</strong><br />
<strong>Community</strong> <strong>Homes</strong>.<br />
<strong>13</strong>
Leaseholders PCH <strong>News</strong><br />
Call us on 0800 694 3101<br />
Leaseholders<br />
Many leaseholders will have recently received an invoice to pay for<br />
responsive repairs that have been carried out to their blocks<br />
or properties.<br />
A number of our newer leaseholders have<br />
asked why they received this invoice and<br />
also why it was sent for payment at the<br />
end of September.<br />
We would like to explain the rationale<br />
behind these invoices.<br />
As freeholder, <strong>Plymouth</strong> <strong>Community</strong><br />
<strong>Homes</strong> is responsible for maintaining what<br />
our leases describe as the ‘Reserved<br />
Property’. This generally comprises those<br />
parts of the block or half-house flat that<br />
are outside the individual flats. It will<br />
usually cover communal areas and also<br />
the roof, foundations and those parts of<br />
the surrounding areas which support the<br />
property. As the wording in some leases<br />
is slightly different to that in others, what<br />
comprises the ‘Reserved Property’ may<br />
vary slightly from property to property.<br />
Responsive repairs tend to be smaller<br />
repairs that can be carried out relatively<br />
quickly as opposed to major work invoices<br />
which are usually for amounts over<br />
£250. These could be for such items as<br />
the installation of a new roof or external<br />
decoration for example.<br />
If any repairs are carried out to that part of<br />
the property, all leaseholders who have a<br />
stake in it are required to pay a proportion<br />
of the total cost. This is an obligation<br />
which is included in all leases.<br />
At the time that the city council owned<br />
the freehold, a charge for this used<br />
to be included on the annual service<br />
charge invoice that was sent out in April.<br />
However, the problem with doing it that<br />
way was that very little information was<br />
provided about the repairs that were<br />
being recharged for. As a result many<br />
leaseholders asked the council to change<br />
the way in which invoices for this were<br />
sent out.<br />
In 2003, the repairs charges were taken<br />
off the annual service charge invoice and<br />
a separate invoice was sent for responsive<br />
repairs. It was agreed to keep this new<br />
annual invoice as far apart as possible<br />
from the service charge invoice and to<br />
do this, an annual date of 30 September<br />
was agreed. This method of billing for<br />
responsive repairs has been continued by<br />
PCH.<br />
All responsive repairs that are carried out<br />
in a financial year (1 April – 31 March) are<br />
detailed on a schedule for each property<br />
which includes the date that the repair was<br />
completed and also a brief description of<br />
the actual repair.<br />
The cost of all repairs is totalled and a<br />
proportion of the cost is charged to each<br />
leaseholder in the block. The proportion<br />
that each leaseholder is charged is<br />
detailed in the individual lease. For<br />
example, in a block of 10 flats each<br />
leaseholder would be charged 1/10th of<br />
the total cost.<br />
An administration charge of 15% is<br />
included on the invoice. This amount<br />
contributes towards the overall cost<br />
of providing the repairs service. This<br />
includes, for example, the cost of running<br />
the repairs call centre, supervision and<br />
management and general overheads such<br />
as travelling costs. We have to charge<br />
VAT on the amount of the administration<br />
charge.<br />
Invoices are not usually sent for very small<br />
amounts. Therefore, if the total amount<br />
of the responsive repairs for a property<br />
would mean that each leaseholder’s share<br />
was less than £10, no invoice will be sent<br />
for payment.<br />
Most leaseholders tend to pay these<br />
annual invoices promptly by making a<br />
single payment. However, this can be<br />
spread over a period by making regular<br />
monthly payments if preferred.<br />
<strong>Community</strong> transport service<br />
A community transport service for elderly and<br />
disabled residents is being trialled in the north of<br />
<strong>Plymouth</strong> until the end of this month.<br />
The Dial-a-Ride service, will offer return journeys to any<br />
destination within the trial area from just £3.<br />
A fully wheelchair-accessible minibus will run from 9.15am<br />
to 4.30pm, Monday to Friday, and pick up passengers from<br />
their doorsteps. Bookings can be made up to a week in<br />
advance and will be accepted up to 2pm the day<br />
before travel.<br />
The service will cover an area from the A38<br />
northwards, including Tamerton Foliot, Estover,<br />
Ernesettle, Whitleigh, Southway, Derriford and Crownhill.<br />
If the trial is a success it may be extended to other parts<br />
of the city. To make a booking call Access <strong>Plymouth</strong> on<br />
01752 600633.<br />
Say cheese!<br />
<strong>Plymouth</strong> <strong>Community</strong> <strong>Homes</strong> is<br />
offering you and your family the<br />
opportunity to have your photo<br />
taken by an experienced,<br />
friendly photographer.<br />
As a thank you for taking part, a free<br />
copy of the photo will be posted to you,<br />
along with the option to have copies<br />
emailed as well so they can be stored<br />
on your computer or given to friends or<br />
family. Free transport will be provided.<br />
If you are interested, or would like to<br />
know more, then please contact the<br />
Communications team either via email<br />
at news@plymouthcommunityhomes.<br />
co.uk or by phone on 01752 388382.<br />
14
plymouthcommunityhomes.co.uk<br />
A day in the life of... PCH <strong>News</strong><br />
Pounding the streets<br />
in all weathers<br />
They are instantly recognisable to local residents; big smiley faces,<br />
cheery waves and a helpful demeanour. PCH’s Housing Officers<br />
and Assistant Housing Officers perform a vital service for tenants.<br />
One of the many services they provide is community walkabouts.<br />
Communications Officer Adam Harding spent a few hours with two<br />
of them as they carried out their visit.<br />
Housing Officers and their assistants are<br />
regularly seen out and about, engaging<br />
with tenants and leaseholders to address<br />
any concerns they may have. Each<br />
Housing Officer has a set timetable of<br />
community walkabouts which are published<br />
on the PCH website, with each walkabout<br />
lasting around two to three hours.<br />
impressed with the cleanliness and quality,<br />
I asked Tania about her thoughts on<br />
community walkabouts.<br />
“They’re a great opportunity to work with<br />
different departments such as Rangers<br />
and Repairs. We’re able to address and<br />
resolve any issues quickly and in working<br />
All smiles and waves!<br />
“Nothing is too much trouble,” said Geoff,<br />
“I am very pleased indeed with Tania and<br />
Lynnsey. It is nice to know that if I did have<br />
any issues I wanted to bring up during a<br />
walkabout, they would be dealt with swiftly.<br />
Tania and Lynnsey are more than just<br />
members of PCH, they are my friends,”<br />
he said.<br />
We entered the final block of flats. On the<br />
first floor, the second flat we walked past<br />
had a PCH postcard in the window.<br />
Each route is carried out roughly once<br />
every six months.<br />
I was lucky enough to shadow two officers<br />
around Devonport – Housing Officer Tania<br />
Trump and Assistant Housing Officer<br />
Lynnsey Shannon – as they carried out a<br />
walkabout.<br />
I met the duo opposite Stonehouse<br />
Barracks and before I could catch my<br />
breath, I was whisked off to inspect the first<br />
block of flats.<br />
While I was being given the tour and shown<br />
the quality of the communal stairwell, I<br />
noticed that Lynnsey was scoring different<br />
points on a list from 1-4. Curiosity aroused,<br />
I asked her what she was doing.<br />
“We score all of our public spaces against<br />
a national standard – the HouseMark<br />
standard. We then post the results online<br />
so our residents can see how both we, and<br />
our tenants, are performing against other<br />
housing associations across the country.<br />
The scoring system also acts as a way to<br />
encourage our tenants to take ownership<br />
and maintain their communal spaces.”<br />
Light fixtures, graffiti, walls, stairwells,<br />
windows, car parks, garages, lifts, litter and<br />
security are all scored between 1-4, 1 being<br />
bad. In this instance it was all 3s or 4s.<br />
Leaving the first block, thoroughly<br />
together with other departments we’re<br />
able to make sure we’re all heading in<br />
the same direction.<br />
“Walkabouts also allow us to build<br />
relationships with existing tenants and also<br />
to welcome new tenants to the area. They<br />
give us the opportunity to say hello and see<br />
if there are any immediate issues that our<br />
tenants wish to discuss with us,” said Tania.<br />
Our walkabout led us towards a cluster of<br />
half-house flats that are all in the process<br />
of being repainted in pastel colours that<br />
the tenants have been able to choose.<br />
At this point, Tania pointed out to me the<br />
importance of the Money Tree Fund, a pot<br />
of PCH money individuals or groups can<br />
bid for to help improve an area.<br />
Tania said: “The Money Tree Fund allows<br />
our residents to work with us to improve<br />
the areas in which they live, meaning that<br />
tenants want to continue living there and<br />
shows them that we care, that we are<br />
trying to improve their environment and are<br />
helping to build a sense of community.”<br />
Looking around the area, and having seen<br />
the projects in Durnford Street flats and<br />
gardens, I couldn’t agree more with Tania’s<br />
words.<br />
Geoff Moss is one resident who has<br />
benefited from community walkabouts and<br />
he is all in favour of them.<br />
“The post card system that we use is a<br />
great way of letting our residents know<br />
of an upcoming walkabout. We usually<br />
distribute those two days in advance, with<br />
different people selected each time and we<br />
include our phone number at the bottom,”<br />
said Tania.<br />
Lynnsey, clip board and score sheet in<br />
hand, added: “Since the post cards have<br />
been introduced, there has been an<br />
increase in residents getting involved and<br />
because we invite different residents on<br />
every walkabout, it is nice to meet new<br />
faces.”<br />
Post cards are dropped to randomly<br />
selected properties allowing the resident<br />
to display them in their windows if they<br />
would like to see a Housing Officer during a<br />
walkabout.<br />
Leaving Tania and Lynnsey to speak with<br />
a tenant, I had the chance to think about<br />
everything that I had seen along the<br />
way. It became clear pretty quickly that<br />
the responsibilities afforded to Housing<br />
Officers and Assistant Housing Officers are<br />
vast. They are expected to do a daunting<br />
amount of tasks, but they choose to take<br />
on so much more to help out their tenants.<br />
It can be a thankless role at times, but<br />
after all I have witnessed, they truly are the<br />
unsung heroes of PCH.<br />
15
Contact numbers<br />
Repairs 0808 230 6500<br />
Out of hours repairs: 0800 917<br />
9459 (5pm to 7am)<br />
Head Office 0800 694 3101<br />
Housing Offices<br />
Estover: 0800 917 9496<br />
Devonport: 0800 917 9497<br />
Whitleigh: 0800 917 9498<br />
North Prospect: 0800 917 9499<br />
Anti-social behaviour<br />
out of hours hotline<br />
0800 075 6699 or text 80800 and<br />
start your message with ‘ASB’.<br />
<strong>Plymouth</strong> City Council contacts<br />
Enquiries<br />
(including waste and out of hours)<br />
01752 668000<br />
Report fly tipping<br />
01752 304147<br />
Housing options<br />
01752 305496<br />
Anti-social behaviour<br />
01752 307049<br />
<strong>News</strong>letter Translations<br />
Service information centre<br />
01752 389778<br />
Sheltered Housing Team<br />
0800 917 9452<br />
Communities Team<br />
0800 917 9457<br />
Leaseholders 01752 388094<br />
Environmental Services<br />
0800 917 9455<br />
Debit/Credit Card<br />
Payment Line<br />
0844 557 8321<br />
Gas Servicing<br />
(and Cyclical Planned Technical<br />
section)<br />
01752 388007/388008<br />
<strong>Plymouth</strong> <strong>Community</strong> <strong>Homes</strong><br />
Ground Floor<br />
Princess Court<br />
23 Princess Street<br />
<strong>Plymouth</strong> PL1 2EX<br />
Tel 01752 388300<br />
Email info@plymouthcommunityhomes.co.uk<br />
Charitable Industrial and Provident Society registration No: 30637R<br />
Printed using materials from sustainable sources