The Thamesmead and Erith Chronicle December 2008
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Charles Hawkes, a landlord, put more than a
dozen tenants at risk by failing to fit fire doors or
ensure that fire alarms were working, was fined
£2,800 at Woolwich Magistrates Court following a
successful prosecution by Greenwich...
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Charles Hawkes, a landlord, put more than a
dozen tenants at risk by failing to fit fire doors or
ensure that fire alarms were working, was fined
£2,800 at Woolwich Magistrates Court following a
successful prosecution by Greenwich Council.
In total, pleaded guilty to 17 offences, relating to a
three-storey house in Glenluce Road, Blackheath,
which is converted into 12 separate rooms, each
let to one or two tenants.
Mr Hawkes’ first offence was failure to obtain a
licence for a house in multiple occupation, which
landlords are required to do under the Housing
Act 200
Other offences which the Council brought to
magistrates following an inspection by
environmental health officers in February 2008,
related to:
• The fire alarm system being inoperative
• Fire extinguishers which had not been inspected for four
years
• A lack of fire doors to the individual flats/rooms
• Lack of gas safety certification, electrical installation
certification, fire alarm or emergency lighting certificates
• Cracked ceilings
• Cracked WC pan
• Worn and dirty carpets
• A dangerous, poorly guarded balcony
Maureen O’Mara, Greenwich Council’s cabinet
member for Neighbourhood Services, said,
“Landlords have a legal and moral duty to ensure
their tenants are not put at risk, and the law gives
local councils powers to take landlords to court
where we consider they are not fulfilling their
duties.
Our approach is to offer advice in the first
instance to enable them to put things right.
Where, as happened in this case, landlords fail to
take that advice, we won’t hesitate in using our
powers and bring those landlords to court.
”
The court heard that since the action was
launched a further inspection has taken place to
ensure that the hazards have been removed,
remedial works carried out and safety regulations
complied with.
Hawkes was also ordered to pay the Council’s
costs of £1939.
37.
• Private tenants concerned about disrepair can contact
the Council’s Residential Section on 020-8921 8100, or
visit www.
greenwich.
gov.
uk/housing
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Landlord put his tenants at risk!
Chronicle
Gareth Johnson has accused the Government of
betraying the motorist when the new Dartford
Crossing charges came into force on 15th
November.
As from that date local residents could apply for
a controversial ‘ discount’ scheme.
As there is an
initial fee for the discount Dart Tag, local
residents will only benefit if they make a large
number of crossings in a year.
It will not help
local residents who use the crossing just a few
times.
Gareth Johnson said: “ It is not a discount
scheme that is needed but the total scrapping of
the Dartford Crossing tolls.
The tolls were due to be scrapped in 2003 when
the bridge had been paid for.
Instead, local
residents have had to endure the cost, congestion
and pollution.
Instead of changing the charging structure of the
tolls, the Government should have used this
opportunity to scrap them completely.
The
changes signify the completion of this
Government’s betrayal of the motorist in
Dartford.
Tolls have been scrapped on two bridges by
Gordon Brown’s Constituency as he felt it was
unfair for motorists to pay for the crossing
several times over! Well if it is unfair for Gordon
Brown’s constituents then why is it OK for
Dartford’s residents to still have to pay?
The tolls on the crossing are yet another form of
taxation levied, by this Government, on the
motorist and another example of this
Government making life just that bit harder for
us all.
The crossing is Dartford’s icon, but instead of it
improving our quality of life and opening up the
local area, it places a financial drain on local
businesses and residents, pollutes the
atmosphere and clogs up local roads.
It’s time
that we saw an end to the tolls on the Dartford
crossing”.
• Bexley Council made a half-hearted attempt to get
some relief for residents as did local MP David Evennett
and Derek Conway.
Readers will largely have been
unaware that a consultation process had been organised
and no results were published.
Ed
LABOUR BETRAY
MOTORISTS
Bacon slams
Gateway quangos
Gareth Bacon, Bexley Assembly
Member, has slammed government
handling of the Thames Gateway
regeneration project.
In an exchange with Boris Johnson at Mayor’s
Question Time, both men agreed that there was
a need to get a grip on the funding process and
to end the quango culture that has plagued the
delivery of regeneration in the region.
The House of Commons Public Accounts
Committee Report of October 2007 stated:
“Major sites are being delayed due to lack of
joined up infrastructure.
For instance the
building of 9,400 homes in Barking Riverside is
reliant on further transport infrastructure.
Gareth Bacon AM said: “£7billion has been
invested in the Thames Gateway since 2003, yet
up to 2005 only 24,000 new homes have been
built.
This is simply not good enough.
“We will fail miserably to meet the promised
total of 160,000 new homes by 2016 unless
something is done to ensure that the 66 quangos
that administer the project, pull together a
strategic vision for its future.
There must be a
strong emphasis on achieving outputs”.
• The combination of a lack of cash and a new bridge
south of Tower bridge spells disaster for the whole
Gateway project.
Ed
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