The Bin Store Debacle Continues

For those of you with long memories you may remember a page published last year regarding the bin stores at Maureen Christian House (Oxford) for those of you don’t it can be found here.

This is another ongoing issue with a catalogue of disasters that further proved GreenSquareAccord’s inability to provide even the most basic level of building management. And yes (shock horror) it still continues.

A quick recap of the debacle in question:

• Wooden doors (described by Emma Stone head of neighbourhoods at GreenSquareAccord as) not fit for purpose, fall to pieces leaving bin stores open to all.

• Local gangs start to use bin stores to stash drugs and weapons.

• GreenSquareAccord following up on a complaint foolishly replace bin store doors with more wooden doors that inevitable fail again as (according to Emma Stone head of neighbourhoods at GreenSquareAccord) they are not fit for purpose.

• GreenSquareAccord replace doors again (at further cost) this time with metal gates, however due to a lack of ability they aren’t measured so don’t fit enabling people to climb through gap or reach through the gate and open the lock. Honestly I’m not joking.

• Newsletter published with update from GreenSquareAccord stating that their staff have taken measurements to fix this (shame they didn't take measurements the first time) but due to staffing levels they had no idea how long it would take to rectify this issue - what a Carry On!

• A metal fence was then added to the metal gate (at further cost) to stop people reaching though and unlocking, however it was still possible to open the lock as the gaps in the metal fence were too big.

• At further, further cost a metal plate was fitted to all bin stores to stop people reaching through the gaps in the metal fence that had been put up to stop people reaching through the gaps in the metal gate (I’m reminded of the nurse rhythm ‘I know an old lady who swallowed a fly’) only now the locks don’t lock when the gates are shut, thus rendering them even less secure than when this whole sorry saga started.

• Upon realisation that they have again failed to perform even the simplest of tasks a memo was sent out from GreenSquareAccord HQ - it read:

  I have been to site twice recently and the bin store doors have been locked and I also witnessed the binmen lock them. I am afraid we cannot control this on every occasion and would rely on residents to locks it, if they see it open

  Zoe Peckover - Leasehold Officer at GreenSquareAccord

• Of course had GreenSquareAccord fitted the correct locks, onto the correct bin store doors they would have been able to ensure the gates were locking, every time.

• These locks (can I call then locks if they don’t lock?) failed. This maybe due to local gangs who couldn’t be bothered to climb through the great big gap at the top so they pulled at the gates. It might also be due to the fact that these locks weren’t up to the task, weren’t suitable for the type of gate they were fitted to, or perhaps the ‘bodge jobs’ of adding a metal plate over an added metal fence had further weaken them. - Either way they broke (again).

Back to square-one - bin stores that don’t lock.

• The inevitable happens - local gangs continue to use the stores to stash ill-gotten gains, drugs and weapons. Fly tipping continues, bins overspill and local council won’t collect.

• This was reported to GreenSquareAccord but judging from their response it appears their record keeping has failed again, and we now have a new email address (not previously shared with all residents for reporting faults). This new missive read:

  I have checked our system and no one has reported the broken bin store lock. Are you able to take a photo of the broken lock and send a photo into homeownership.team@greensquareaccord.co.uk and we can arrange a repair. Within your email, please advise which bin store it is.

  Another resident also reported the issue of a messy bin store and also mentioned that the bin stores to the back of the building have not been used.

  It seems residents are not trying alternative bin stores if the one closest to them is full.

  I am arranging to send out a letter to all residents and hopefully this improve things.

  I’m afraid we cannot use CCTV to check on people using the bin store area as we wouldn’t know who they are from an image and the cameras only show a limited area by the bin store, it doesn’t show inside the bin store.

  Kind regards

  Zoe

• So let’s recap - the bin stores are still not lockable, GreenSquareAccord are still unable to track, maintain and act upon reported issues, the newly installed CCTV isn’t able to capture people breaking locks or fly-tipping; and if that wasn’t frustrating enough-

In conclusion.

Is it just GreenSquareAccord who are simply unable to provide even the most basic level of building management, or is this the norm throughout the sector?

What can be done in order to ensure that all housing associations (assuming they are performing to the same unacceptable level of standard as GreenSquareAccord) provide value for money?

How much do residents have to endure before GreenSquareAccord and Ruth Cooke offer an apology to all residents?

Do you have a similar story? If so please let me know. - Contact@GreenSquareAccordResidents.co.uk

Update - 8th September 2022

No update unless you count the last word on this issue from GreenSquareAccord:

All I can say is we are aiming to fix this.

Claire Cook Leasehold and service charge manager - 16th March 2022

Reassuring words indeed.