The Bin Stores!
This is another ongoing issue. Raised back in 2019 and discussed at a resident meeting with GSA during February 2020, where Emma Stone Head of Neighbourhoods at GreenSquareAccord said “They need to be metal doors!”.
This was raised as part of a large complaint and had been brought to attention of GSA in numerous emails.
The main concern had been the issues these open stores caused as part of the wider problem of anti-social behaviour. Local gangs and fly-tippers took advantage of these stores.
The bin stores of Maureen Christian House being used by local gangs to stash drugs and weapons to prevent arrest when searched. This replica firearm was found and handed into the Police.
Having agreed to rectify this issue in writing on the 26th September 2020 the residents of Maureen Christian House looked forward to this issue being addressed:
Bin store doors: Awaiting delivery of replacement doors as they were found to be defective when they were going to be fitted.
Much to the dismay of the residents GSA chose to replace these wooden doors with more wooden doors, ignoring Ms Stone and her view that these needed to be metal. Not only were these doors doomed to fail, they also did not fit nor lock and had only been given one coat of paint.
Bin stores version 2
Third time lucky?
Not quite.
Although the residents were this time sold metal gates. Yes sold, this time the residents would have to pay if they wanted doors fit for purpose.
This time they weren’t measured so were too small making it easy to climb into. If that seemed like too much effort you could always put your arm through the gap and unlock it that way.
Update
At least the have taken a measurement this time. Let’s hope they change the locks too as they don’t lock when the gates are pulled close (the last ones did) so all stores are frequently left unlocked.
Update 21st October 2021
Rather than fitting the correct gates the first time, having then replaced them not once but twice, we still have gates that are too small and don’t lock. Engineers have been back to try and make these gates fit for purpose. Adding a mesh in an attempt to stop people being able to reach through, this was of course not effective - the gates could still be opened.
Today yet another engineer has been sent to fit a metal plate to stop people reaching through.
An official GreenSquareAccord notice.
Another official GreenSquareAccord notice above a slightly more official note informing the residents about fly-tipping, something the residents have been trying to have GreenSquareAccord address by fitting gates to their bin stores.
Surly the residents of Maureen Christian House are happy with this now. Well the gates still don’t lock shut.
So GreenSquareAccord (a not-for-profit organisation) are continuing to fix issues caused by their own inept approach to a simple request, but at what cost? Only four more bin stores to be 'fixed’.
An update - 11th November 2021
The residents from Maureen Christian House have finally heard back from GreenSquareAccord! GreenSquareAccord have now given up on replacing the locks with locks that lock when the stores are closed. And the reason for this:
This was communicated within the newsletter* and 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.
*it wasn’t.
You could control this on every occasion if you’d first fitted the correct gates with the correct locks.
Another fine example of GreenSquareAccord’s ability to manage the simplest of tasks when it comes to property management.