Cabinet members are set to approve a £1.6million programme to refurbish lifts in seven Thanet residential blocks.
The work is due to be carried out at Staner Court, Trove Court (evens lift), Turner Court, Brunswick Court, Harbour Towers, Kennedy House and Janice Court. It will be done in two phases.
Phase 1, starting in 2020/21 at an estimated cost of £700,000 will include: Staner Court, Trove Court and Turner Court. Phase 2 will start in 2021/22 at an estimated cost of £900,000 and will include: Brunswick Court, Harbour Towers, Kennedy House and Janice Court.
Work by external lift consultants means the programme will now include the complete renewal of a significant proportion of component parts of each lift installation.
The lifts in these blocks are 25 years old and the proposed refurbishments will extend their expected lifetime for a further 25 years.
Staner Court, in Manston Road, has had a series of issues with the lifts and in December suffered flooding from the roof tank that ran into electrics and put the lifts out of action.
There have been numerous issues with lifts in blocks including Trove and Staner.
A five year contract tender for external decoration – valued at £1million – is also due to be agreed.
A £14.5million scheme for fire safety upgrades and CCTV installation at Thanet council owned towerblocks is already underway.
The three-year scheme includes an overhaul of fire safety arrangements, such as compartmentation works, fire doors, alarms, smoke vents, and flat entrance doors, as well as upgrades to electrical installations and the CCTV.
Deputy council leader Helen Whitehead, who is responsible for housing, said: “These are vital and long needed upgrades to the blocks, and represent our firm commitment to tenants to ensure that our in house service, due to launch on October 1, will provide tenants with the security and high quality housing that they need and deserve.
“When we invest in housing we are investing in people and communities; and we are aware that these works are very much needed and I am proud of the steps we are taking to safeguard and provide for residents. Our housing team are working incredibly hard to make sure that our new in house service is responsive, proactive and focused on local needs; this investment mirrors our priorities, and we are determined to care for our community and provide what is needed for our residents.”
Cabinet members will discuss the spend at a meeting on July 30.
It is nice to hear that you are trying to invest in the tower blocks with investments but it is not going to improve the quality of life for residents living there. All this investment all this money is not going to stop tenants throwing things from their windows brooms cigarette ends water jugs and just causing grieve for other tenants. When complaining to East Kent housing all we get is we need proof of where it’s come from even showing and videos they still won’t accept that there is undesirable tenants within in these blocks of flats. I should imagine that it would be unbearable living in any one of these properties where tenants have no respect for their neighbours and ask for investing in this they should check the grounds around the lot of these tower blocks the grass has not even been cut for weeks just full of weeds. I speak to a friend that lives in one of these tower blocks and her quality of life has deteriorated her mental health has suffered dramatically and is on severe antidepressants to where she hardly ever leave her flat. So all this money spent is not going to improve tenants lives one bit East
As far as I can make out these flats are all in Ramsgate? Why isn’t anything being spent in Margate area, why don’t they use the money out of the Ramsgate Council?
Janice Court is in Margate.
Did it ever cross your mind that the majority of lifts don’t need replacing in Margate?
Thanet council is about to go bankrupt. Why spend money that the council can’t afford for people who don’t appreciate it. The residents will still urinate, shit and deal drugs from the lifts. This is good money being wasted by a council that has nothing left to spend. Essential services are going to be stopped so why throw this money away on people who are undeserving.
I am a bit concerned about “Concerned”.
Does “Concerned ” really think that all residents of Council-owned tower blocks urinate and defecate in the lifts?
And deal drugs? ALL of them?
Isn’t this a bit like that old story about bathrooms being wasted in Council houses because the tenants will just keep coal in the baths?
Why regard ALL the tenants of Council tower blocks as “undeserving”?
Should people there just be abandoned as the tower block slowly crumbles?
I wonder if the Council that owned Grenfell Tower had the same attitude, reluctant to spend any money and only investing in the cheapest cladding so the rest of the residents might only see a clean exterior.
Who says we don’t live in a class-divided society? There seem to be some “concerned” residents who write-off entire sections of the population as undeserving of decent and safe housing at all.
It’s about time some money was spent on these tower blocks that are deteriorating. Lifts constantly failing breaking down. Hallway tiles cracked doors that don’t work. If people are expected to live in these tower blocks in the condition they are in people are not going to have any respect for where they lived if it looks run down
maybe after independent safety consultants have given the go head the responsible cabinet members reporting on all low/high rise refurbishments will wait until an ongoing public enquiry is complete.
tbh 26 + year vintage high rise has its merits but also failures including age,construction technique,previous heat/water damage,tenants lifestyle,could name more etc.
Please wait for the ongoing public enquiry is complete,there is a possibility many high rise properties will have to be demolished.
All tower blocks should be demolished they are outdated .fire and death traps .
Affordable prefabs or suitable housing should be available to decant tenants those who disrupt should be placed in secure units supervised .3 strikes and your out .stop wasting our money on refurbishing these monstrosities.
I believe in the 21st Century these properties are unfit to house decent people.
Give these residents first option on social housing that people like Quin homes build and give these people some dignity and stop wasting money on these outdated concrete buildings.
I have relatives with health problems living on the upper floors of one of the blocks, and when both lifts are out of action they are literally prisoners as they can’t manage the stairs.
Spare a thought for folk in this situation before making comments.