Archived News

A successful first year for our new reactive maintenance service!

December 2011 marked the anniversary of the first year of our new reactive maintenance service.

After an open and comprehensive procurement exercise MITIE Property Services were awarded the reactive maintenance contract. This was a major change in service delivery, as Easthall Park moved from using small, specialist contractors to a national multi-trade reactive maintenance contractor.

In the first year of the new service, 99.04% of out of hours emergencies were completed on time, as well as 96.77% of emergencies ordered during core business hours, 95.09% urgent repairs and 95.19% routine repairs. This is an improvement on performance in the previous year. For further information on our repair service standards, please click here.

We are also achieving high rates of tenant satisfaction and are delivering the service within budget.

A further benefit of this new partnership has been the community development support. Within the first year of the contract MITIE sponsored a successful Action for Children local employment and training project and provided an apprentice joiner position to a local resident.

For further information on this service, please contact Victoria Whyte, Maintenance Officer.

Easthall Park residents delighted with new door entry system

At a number of our tenements, we recently installed new front and rear steel close doors and fitted new door-entry hand sets to individual properties. We asked all 43 residents who benefitted from this work what they thought about the experience and the final product. We received a 37% response rate to our telephone survey and 100% satisfaction with the quality of the doors and new hand-sets.

Once the Easthall Park Management Committee has approved the 2012/13 rent increase in late January 12 we will be in a position to advise what programmed investment work will take place next financial year.

For further information on the door entry programme, please contact Victoria Whyte, Easthall Park Maintenance Officer.

EASTHALL PROPOSED RENT INCREASE

Easthall Park had a planning assumption of a rent increase of Retail Price Index plus 0.5% for our 2012/13 budget. Due to the difficult economic environment, we have examined where costs can be reduced and are consulting tenants on an increase of 4.25%.

After our rent freeze last year, this would be an increase of 4.25% over the last two years.

Inflation was above 5% in October and the average rate up to the six months in October was again over 5%

In 2012/13, we plan to spend over £500,000 in reactive maintenance and programmed improvement work.

We compare our rent increase with that proposed by other social landlords and believe we have reduced the increase to a level lower than most.

All tenants will receive a letter outlining the proposed rent increase and requesting their views. Any comments should be returned by Friday 22nd January 2012.

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT CONTRACT

The Co-operative is inviting expressions of interest to be considered for inclusion on a select list invited to tender for a comprehensive ground maintenance and landscape management contract.

It is anticipated the contract will commence on 1 April 2012 for an initial period to 31 March 2014. It is anticipated, however, it will be renewed annually – if contractual performance criteria is met – for a further two years to 31 March 2015 and 2016.

Interested contractors will be invited to complete a Qualification and Quality Questionnaire (QQ). The purpose of this initial exercise is to identify a suitable number of qualified, experienced organisations that will subsequently be invited to tender. The QQ is available by recording your interest via the Public Contracts Scotland website at www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk.

Completed QQ’s should be returned in hard copy to Easthall Park Housing Co-operative, 6 Glenburnie Place, Glasgow G34 9AN. The closing date for the PQQ return is noon Wednesday 24 November 11.

“Don’t let rent arrears end in tears”

As part of a Christmas arrears campaign, Easthall Park Housing Co-operative are highlighting to tenants the importance of continuing to pay rent during the holiday season. The aim of the strategy is to promote understanding of how rent received is re-invested back into our homes and community and tenants recognise Easthall Park and independent money advice staff are available to provide support.

If you are experiencing problems paying your rent, please contact us!

CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY OFFICE CLOSURE

The office will be closed from the close of business Christmas Eve, Friday 24th December to Thursday 5th January 11.
If you have any emergencies during this period please telephone the following emergency numbers:

Gas Central Heating/Water Gas Call: 0141 766 3333

All other Emergencies MITIE Property Services 0845 600 8624

Easthall Park Housing Co-operative – Registered 20 years ago!

Easthall Park Housing Co-operative are entering their 20th year as a community housing provider. On the 19th September 2011, it was 20 years to the day that the Co-operative was registered.

Since its formation, the Co-operative has been focussed on delivering its purpose of "making a difference to our community". For the Co-operative, its role historically has always been about providing more than good housing services with the aim of building strong communities and helping people fulfil their potential. The Co-operative are delighted to announce 20 years after its registration continued progress in this context with the establishment of a number of local training and employment initiatives.

This month, the Co-operative and its partners have developed programmes that have provided 15 training places for young people in the Glenburn Youth Development Project and 12 students on the HNC Working with Communities/Housing course administered in partnership with John Wheatley College. The participants on these programmes receive a weekly payment. Moreover, in September, Easthall Park facilitated the appointment of a local resident to the position of apprentice joiner with MITIE Property Services, the Co-operative’s reactive maintenance contractor.

Joe Gracey, Chairperson of Easthall Park Housing Co-operative, commented: "I am delighted at the enduring change the Co-operative has delivered in the last 20 years. I feel it’s a reflection of the benefits of local control and how partnership working can deliver positive change. The Committee are particularly pleased in a challenging period we are still providing training and employment opportunities. For that, we wish to thank all our partners who support our work".

Easthall Park Gas Servicing Contract

Easthall Park Housing Co-operative is inviting expressions of interest to be considered for inclusion on a select list to tender for a gas inspection and servicing contract.

For the purpose of this contract, it is expected approximately 700 units would form the gas servicing contract.

It is anticipated the contract will commence 1 April 2012.

Interested contractors will be invited to complete a Pre Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ). The purpose of this exercise is to identify a suitable number of qualified, experienced organisations that will subsequently be invited to tender for this contract. The PQQ is available by recording your interest via the Public Contracts Scotland website at www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk.

Completed PQQs should be returned in hard copy to Easthall Park Housing Co-operative, 6 Glenburnie Place, Glasgow G34 9AN and marked for the attention of Victoria Whyte. The closing date for the PQQ return is noon Monday 10th October 11.

For further information, please contact Victoria Whyte on 0141 781 2277 or by email at victoria@easthallpark.org.uk

Easthall Park Housing Co-operative and MITIE Property Services create local apprenticeship opportunity

Easthall Park Housing Co-operative are delighted to facilitate an apprenticeship opportunity for a local resident through its new reactive maintenance partnership with MITIE Property Services.

Raymond Bremner, aged 18, is the local resident of Easthall who has recently commenced employment with MITIE Property Services in the post of an apprentice joiner.

The apprenticeship opportunity has been one of the positive outcomes that have emerged from local training and employability programmes Easthall Park Housing Co-operative established with Action for Children, the children and young people charity, and supported by MITIE Property Services. Raymond was part of a recent Action for Children environmental training programme in Easthall, progressing successfully through this initiative.

Joe Gracey, Chairperson of Easthall Park Housing Co-operative, commented: "The purpose of Easthall Park is "making a difference to our community". This involves more than providing good housing and high performing management and maintenance services. This excellent opportunity is a further illustration of our commitment to working with our partners to create local employment and training opportunities".

Mark McCafferty, Regional HR Manager (Scotland) of MITIE Property Services also commented: "MITIE are delighted to provide this opportunity to Raymond, and to support the community in Easthall Park. The essence of the ‘co-operative’ is everyone working together to deliver benefits to the community, and we see providing employment very much part of the overall package. We wish Raymond well in his career in MITIE and look forward to creating future openings in the local area"

AGM 5th September 2011

Our Annual General Meeting was held on Monday 5th September at 7pm. On the night 57 residents attended and were informed about the Co-operative’s performance in the past year along with the priorities for the year ahead.

A number of prizes were awarded on the evening for those that participated in providing feedback on our repair service, for tenants and owners that are now paying charges via direct debit and for the best gardens in our annual garden competition.

A number of new members joined the Committee and there are now 16 local people representing tenants on Easthall Park Housing Co-operative’s committee. All new members will receive an induction programme to help them adapt to their role.

Money Advice Services

We continue to provide a free money advice service from the Glenburn Centre each Wednesday and Thursday.

This free independent project in the last year (2010/11) supported 168 clients of which 111 claims for benefits were made with just under £200,000 being awarded.

Claims included Mobility, Incapacity, Attendance Allowance, Income Support, DLA Care, Housing Benefit, Crisis Loan, Carers Allowance, Council Tax and Community Care Grants.

To use this service, contact the Glenburn Centre (telephone 0141 781 2277) and make an appointment.

Wider Agenda & Partnership Working

The Co-operative continues to provide services in relation to wider agenda activities (activities other than housing) in the Glenburn Centre. We really have been making a difference to our community.

We continue to support employment opportunities and this year we saw another class complete their HNC working with communities/housing.

In September 2011 we have started 15 paid training places for young people in the Glenburn Youth Development Project, 12 students on the HNC Working with Communities/Housing course along with the appointment of a local apprenticeship as mentioned earlier.

We hope that all our members enjoy what has been created and we look forward to seeing the Twenty seven new students on both courses do well this year.

Our thanks go to all those housing organisations that have taken placements as part of this course and to the Scottish Government for providing financial support.

Easthall Park joins HomeSwapper

HomeSwapper is the UK’s largest national mutual exchange service for council and housing association and co-operative tenants wanting to swap homes throughout the UK. There are currently over 700 landlords registered with HomeSwapper covering around 70% of the country and over 200,000 tenants.

We were away some of our tenants were paying to subscribe to HomeSwapper. As such, we thought this was an additional service we could provide for our tenants, free of charge.

As an organisation we are committed to providing our tenants with a wide range of housing options.

Accordingly, we have made it easier and quicker for its tenants to find a new home by joining Homeswapper. This means that you can register your home free of charge because we’ve paid the joining fees for you!

How it works –

Easthall Park tenants register for free online at http://www.homeswapper.co.uk/ and enter details about their current property (including a picture if they can), the type, size and location of the accommodation they are looking for.
HomeSwapper will automatically match you to any potential swaps and you can search for swaps both locally and nationally.

Easthall Park increase our factoring portfolio

We are delighted to announce that all the owners who resided in flats or tenements that were part of the former Glasgow Housing Association stock transferred to Easthall Park have also decided to transfer factoring responsibilities to us.

After a series of meetings on the 6th June 11, where we outlined the services we provide and the charges we’d apply, the owners voted for Easthall Park to become their new factor.

From 30 June 11, we became the new factor for these properties.

Easthall Park offer direct debit payment to tenants and owners

Easthall Park has introduced a facility to allow rent and service charges to be paid by Direct Debit.

To promote this new payment option we’re giving away cash prizes (the 1st prize being £200) to lucky tenants or owners who pays their rent or services charge by Direct Debit.

We have introduced this payment method as we believe Direct Debit is the simplest and most convenient way to pay your monthly rent and service charge. Here’s why:

free to set-up and you only have to do it once
no more paperwork or hassle writing cheques
better budgeting you know how much leaves your account, and when
one less thing to think about, no more forgetting to pay
if your rent increases or decreases, in most cases, your Direct Debit will change automatically.

All you have to do is set up a Direct Debit by 20 August and you will automatically be entered into the £200 prize draw which will be drawn at our AGM in September.

For further information contact our reception.

Easthall Park Annual General Meeting

Easthall Park Housing Co-operative will hold our Annual General Meeting on the 5th September 2011 at 7.00pm in the Glenburn Centre.

The meeting will include a report from Committee on our achievements in the last year, presentation of the audited accounts, our annual garden awards, appointment of the new committee for the year along with a variety of prize draws.

Detailed papers will be issued to all members prior to the event however if you wish more information in the meantime please contact John McMorrow Director at the office.

Easthall Park receives CIC Start Online Funding for Solar PV Feasibility Project

The Co-operative is pleased to announce that we have received funding of £5,000 to carry out a feasibility study into the possibility of installing Solar PV in the homes of our tenants.

The feasibility study will be carried out by Edinburgh Napier University and will look at the possibility of installing solar PVs to approximately 100 homes in the Greater Easterhouse area of Glasgow. Benefits will include reducing electricity costs for the tenants thus tackling fuel poverty whilst at the same time reducing the CO2 emissions.

It is also assumed that the outcome of this study would be made available to other social rented landlords within Scotland and this would assist them to develop PV within their own rented stock with as many as 5,000 tenants benefiting.

The study will consider:

Location and type(s) of PV panels to maximise solar gain, including output and returns
Technical aspects of installation and maintenance for various property types
Links with additional energy saving measures to minimise energy usage whilst maximising carbon reduction
Benefits of feed in tariff in relation to provision of solar PVs

Please contact the office if you wish further details on this study.

GHA tenants say an emphatic “YES” to transfer to Easthall Park

Easthall Park were delighted that 96.6% of GHA tenants who voted said “Yes” to stock transfer. It is anticipated the 85 homes in Easthall and Kildermorie will transfer to Easthall on the 31st May 2011. Prior to this date, we will issue a “welcome pack” to the GHA tenants. This will provide information on how to pay rent, report a repair etc. We will also be in contact with GHA tenants throughout May to keep people up-to-date with developments.

Easthall Park procuring a new kitchen, bathroom contractor

As part of our transfer commitment to GHA tenants, we promised to provide new bathrooms and kitchens within 12 months of transfer. Although we have not formally taken ownership of the stock, in order to fulfil this commitment we have started the procurement process to appoint a suitable contractor. Interested parties can download a qualification and quality questionnaire from www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk . The closing date for returns is Wednesday 11th May 2011 at 12 noon.

HNC Working with Communities/Housing

At the end of June 2011 we will be celebrating the successful completion of this course for the third year. We anticipate that eleven students will successfully complete the course and a number have already submitted applications to go onto university.

We hope to run another class therefore if you would like to be considered for the next course (August or September to June) then please let the office know and we will arrange for you to get an application form nearer the time.

All students are trained at John Wheatley College in the East End Campus. Students attend college three days per week and also are on placement in a housing and or community facility.

As part of this award winning course (John Wheatley won the SQA Partnership Award) students are given a training allowance which is currently £200 per week.

Are you interested in housing and community work, want a qualification and at the same time get a training allowance then please email john@easthallpark.org.uk who will hold a register of interested applicants.

Change to office opening

From Wednesday 18th May 2011, our office at the Glenburn Centre will be closed each Wednesday at 3pm for staff training. If a tenant has an emergency repair in this period the out of hours number should be called.
Remember we are in a position to try and accommodate out of hours appointments! If due to work or family commitments you would find this helpful, please contact the office.

Easthall Park: Investment programme 2011/12

In 2011/12 Easthall Park plan to carry out the following planned improvement work.
Planned maintenance generally consists of major works carried out when building components are no longer fit for purpose or working effectively and efficiently. In the financial year 11/12, the anticipated expenditure will be just over £600,000.

Address	Type of Work
Planned Programme
21, 23, 25, 27, 35, 37, 39 Wardie Road, 37 Eddlewood Road, 3 and 6 Wardie Place	Door entry replacements
41, 43, 45, 97, 99, 101, 103 Wardie Road, 9 Edderton Place, 5, 7, 9 Glenburnie Place	Kitchen and bathroom replacement
1 – 23 and 35 – 37 Eddlewood Road, 1-10 Wardie Place, 21-29 Wardie Road, 10-20 Eddlewood Path, 1-12 Eddlewood Place, 1-12 Easthall Place, 1-24 Eddlewood Court, 2-8 Eddlewood Path, 3-11 Wardie Road.	Replacement boiler. We will also provide new boilers at GHA properties that have not recently been upgraded. For all Easthall Park and former GHA properties with electric heating we plan to install a new gas heating system.

We are also committed to carrying out the following cyclical work. Cyclical works is undertaken on a specified cycle. The anticipated expenditure will be just over £176,000.

Address	Type of Work
Cyclical Programme
All properties	Gas Servicing and Repairs
All properties	Wind Turbine maintenance
All Easthall properties	CCTV Maintenance
All tenement properties	Roof Anchor Repairs
All properties	Environmental services: including litter-pick up, back court maintenance, common grass cutting, garden maintenance scheme, close cleaning
All properties	Play ground inspection and maintenance

Temporary Housing Assistant

Easthall Park are advertising for a temporary housing assistant to cover maternity leave. A recruitment pack can be obtained by emailing job@easthallpark.org.uk. The closing date for applications to be received is Monday 16th May 2011 at 12 noon.

Successful environmental project

Easthall Park Housing Co-operative and their new reactive maintenance contractor, MITIE, were delighted to support a successful Action for Children Programme delivered in partnership with Easthall Residents Association.

The Challenge Easthall project concluded on 8th April 2011. To celebrate a ceremony was held to recognise the achievements of all those that participated. This involved viewing a dvd highlighting the progress of the project and its subsequent achievements as well as presenting the youngsters with their certificates.

The project involved Action for Children and Easthall Residents Association providing a 12 week educational and training environmental programme for 12 local young people that produced significant improvements to the environment. The variety of accomplishments included landscaping enhancements, improving the appearance of the local community centre, graffiti removal and painting of external fencing.

A key focus of the project was also to provide the young people with the advice, support and qualifications to plan their next step to access further training and/or employment. All young people who participated will be interviewed for places on the Action for Children Youth Build programme. This particular programme provides 9 months of work and support in the construction industry.

Joe Gracey, Chairperson of Easthall Park Housing Co-operative commented: “This is a good example of how strong local partnership working can make a real difference. Young people in Easterhouse are often unfairly stigmatised with a bad reputation. This was an excellent project that provided an opportunity for young people to put something back into their community. We appreciate in particular the support of MITIE in helping to deliver a project that we feel has delivered real community benefits”.

Rent Freeze!

Easthall Park were delighted that we were in a position to freeze the rents in 2011/12. Due to the challenging economic climate, Easthall Park wanted to help tenants by avoiding a rent increase. For future years, we plan to increase rents by no more than RPI + 0.5%. Although this planning assumption is reviewed on an annual basis.

Easthall Park Second Stage Transfer

Second Stage Transfer

Easthall Park Housing Co-operative has issued our business plan to Glasgow Housing Association (GHA) to purchase 85 homes in the Easthall and Kildermorie area of Glasgow. Once the plan is assessed by GHA, tenants will then be consulted on their views as to whether a transfer should take place.

As part of the consultation process the Co-operative will be issuing a series of newsletters outlining our proposal for tenants. Once GHA have approved our business plan we will be able to provide you with more details of how we will manage your home and deliver services. We anticipate, however, key pledges we will be able to make - if you vote yes - include:

Ensure Affordable rents and guarantee a rent freeze in 2011/12
Invest in tenants homes and the neighbourhood
Provide Local services, with increased tenant involvement and control
Provide Community facilities and supporting the development of the Kildermorie and Easthall communities
Improve maintenance services

Tenants living in the following addresses will be asked whether they wish to vote to transfer:

9 Edderton Place
5, 7, 9 Glenburnie Place
41, 43, 45 Wardie Road
85, 87, 89, 91, 93 Wardie Road
97, 99, 101, 103 Wardie Road
24, 26, 28, 34 Westerhouse Road

Kildermorie Newbuild

The Co-operative is pleased to announce that all our new build homes (146) are now complete. The new tenants have been particularly pleased with the quality of their new homes and the service that they have received.

Mitie Property Services

From December 2010 Mitie UK have been appointed as the new maintenance contractor for Easthall Park. This contract will run for an eighteen month period with the possibility to extend the contract for a further two years dependent on high satisfaction levels being achieved.

All tenants will have received individual notification of this change of contractors along with details of how to report a repair including out of hours emergencies. Full details as to how to report a repair are contained in the Tenant Services section of this website.