HOUSING bosses have admitted that their repair service on council estates in London’s East End just isn’t good enough. So they’re setting up a stall and inviting families to tell them just what they think of their property maintenance so far

By Mike Brooke

HOUSING bosses have admitted that their repair service on council estates in London’s East End just isn’t good enough.

So they’re setting up a stall for a day and inviting families to tell them just what they think of their property maintenance so far.

The idea of a repair open day’ is being tried out on Friday (March 6) on Whitechapel’s Sidney Street estate.

Families can order’ outdoor repairs such as drains, street lighting and lifts from the stall set up by Tower Hamlets Homes and tell the contractors what work really needs doing.

NEED HONESTY

“We need an honest conversation with residents about the service they’re receiving,” admitted the housing organisation’s chief Gavin Cansfield.

“The repair service is one of the issues residents always feel strongly about.

“Is our current service good enough? No—I don’t think it is.

“Can we fix it? Yes—we can. Let’s see what we can do in the next 100 days.”

So he has set up the stall from 9.30am to 5pm to take requests and fix all outstanding jobs on the estate.

Housing bosses then plan another repairs open day’ with a stall on the Chicksand Estate two miles away in Spitalfields next Thursday (March 12), 9.30am-5pm.

They have given themselves 100 days for the plan to work, which is being monitored by a repairs’ group each month to check the work really is being carried out.