Connecting the dots…

So much of what we do in our daily lives is intertwined with other elements that at first may seem unconnected. How many times have you thought, said or heard “I’m going that way on Tuesday, I can pick that up en route’?

We as a species are naturally inclined to see patterns; this innate skill helps us to streamline our daily chores, make new connections, and enables us to breakdown seemingly insurmountable projects into small manageable tasks.

Surely telling this to a Housing Association responsible for circa 12,000 homes would be akin to teaching the Queen how to wave or telling a baboon how to scratch it’s bum. Surely…

Dot one - build new homes

As we know GreenSquareAccord like to build new homes. This is where they make some money, get praised for addressing the housing shortages, and more often or not, end up with a pat on the back from a local MP, their picture in the papers and a positive story to share across a multitude of social media platforms - winning!

However as residents, we know this isn’t where their part of the contractual agreement ends, far from it. We allow associations like GreenSquareAccord to build homes (through our elected council) in our villages, towns and cities on the agreement that they manage these properties to ensure these homes don’t disintegrate into slums. We allow these ‘not-for-profit’ organisations to pay themselves (often inflated) wages as we believe they not only know what they are doing but actually have the inclination and tenacity to uphold this contractual agreement.

Dot two - planning and implementation

They’ve allocated plots, they’ve built homes, and they’ve ensured that these homes have the allocated spaces to park their vehicles.

As we all know most homes have at least one car so parking your car after a long day/night at work should (with allocated parking) be stress free and easy.

Imagine if you will that you are a dedicated and hardworking nurse retuning home after a long shift. You’ve helped the vulnerable recover, offered your support to grieving parents, brought comfort to the sick; you’ve been on your feet all day attending to others, and now you just want to return home and park your car so you can take care of your own family. Do any of us think this is too much to ask?

No, and I’m glad to report that neither do GreenSquareAccord. Not only that but most councils consider it a requirement when building new homes.

Dot three - implementation

GreenSquareAccord being on the ball, being a simply brilliant landlord, being perceptive enough to consider the notion that parking might be an issue, installed parking bollards! Outstanding work GreenSquareAccord, this could be considered simply brilliant.

Dot three - provide your residents with the key

It’s that simple. Just give your residents the key that was given to you by the company who installed these parking posts. Dots connected - everyone happy.

The GreenSquareAccord factor

Connecting the dots was bound to be an issue for GreenSquareAccord as we’ve proven so many times, and if you didn’t foresee this then you must be new here, welcome to the site! Go and grab yourself a cup of tea and a chunky Kit-Kat, you’ve got some catching up to do! Go ahead we’ll wait.

For whatever reason, this Oxford resident and their neighbours were not provided with keys for these posts. Having lived at this address since 2009 and having struggled with parking (due to other car owners using their allocated spaces) this resident asked if GreenSquareAccord could provide the keys to the parking bollards (AKA Driveway Security Posts). Perhaps like many of us he assumed that this was an oversight by GreenSquareAccord and they had just forgotten to issue keys.

Of course GreenSquareAccord had no idea where these keys were so they chose to ignore his emails. But eventually, after further emails, GreenSquareAccord responded - Hoorah!

GreenSquareAccord not knowing the location of the lost keys and having now wasted money on Driveway Security Posts opted to put up a sign. That’ll stop these naughty parkers! But of course it won’t as the other parkers are residents too so assume that they are permitted to park here, worse yet they assume they can use these spaces to put skips in! And why not, nobody is going to enforce this canny sign.

Outcome

The nurse who we previously mentioned isn’t a literary device I’ve employed to make a point but a real person. This dedicated nurse has to return home from a hard shift and is unable to park outside her home in her allocated parking space. This is simply not acceptable, this is not us being simply brilliant together, this is yet another example of GreenSquareAccord being simply unable to connect the dots.

Dot one - refit windows and doors as part of ongoing complaint

Yes it’s finally happening! Expect a full write up in due course. Another ongoing reported issue is the build up of mould on the external walls due to unkept gutters and ventilation systems working overtime to expel damp from the building.

Dot two - Install scaffolding so windows can be refitted

This is now happening, scaffolding is being put up so workmen can install these overdue windows (promised to us all back in 2019) - Hoorah.

Now if we apply logic and reason to these two unconnected events we should assume that it is undoubtedly cost effective to erect scaffolding once rather than twice, as such GreenSquareAccord will address the issue of mould and clear out (and in some cases replace) the guttering.