Looking for some help with a letter please?

MarieMc

Hi Guys, I am writing to my local council as I am looking to get some of their improvement works sent my way lol. Any help/suggestions on this letter would be much appreciated!
Cheers!

Dear Sir/Madam,

Recently I received the “Tenants’ News - Issue 11” Publication in the mail and I was very pleased to read the article on “Record investment for council housing”.

I have been a tenant in *** since Summer 2007 and plan to be a resident here for many years to come. I take great pride in my home and have spent a lot of time making it habitable.
I understand that South Lanarkshire have a “Home Happening” scheme in place for upgrades and I was wondering if North Lanarkshire have any similar schemes?

The article mentions that “Approximately 2000 new kitchens and 1400 new bathroom to be fitted in houses”. Would these figures include new kitchens and bathroom which are fitted for new residents moving into a home? My home was provided with a new kitchen and bathroom for hygiene reasons I believe. I feel it would be of great benefit to me to have a re-modelled kitchen and bathroom as the current designs feel quite cramped and inefficient. There is a lot of boxing-in of pipes, some of which I have had to remove in the bathroom as it was harbouring mould and creating a terrible smell.

The tenants’ news article states that “Over 2 million to be spent replacing defective windows and single glazed windows”.
I have contacted the housing department regarding condensation and damp/mould problems but have not received any feedback on this. I work long hours and find it difficult to be in the home when the housing inspector calls, especially when a specific date or time cannot be confirmed.
I have partially solved the damp/mould problem by placing towels on the windowsills to catch excess moisture which runs off the windows and by wiping them down each morning and evening.
Ventilation is a priority for me and I keep air flow going wherever possible and keep damp washing outside whenever the weather permits.
I noticed that other homes in this area suffer the same problem with heavy condensation on the window.
I believe double glazing would go a long way to helping out with this problem and would like to know if North Lanarkshire have any plans to replace windows in this area?

Any information which you can provide on the topic of investment would be very much appreciated, especially any pertaining to **** Street.

Your sincerely

Marie McMillan

blckbrd

The letter reads fine but if your kitchen is under 3 years old it's unlikely you'll get a new one.

Found a link for you to the 09/10 programme of works with an email contact - the 10/11 programme may not be finalised yet. http://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=7999

MarieMc

Thank you so much blckbrd!

I have emailed and never had a response so this letter is going recorded delivery in the post.
As for the kitchen, I thought "well if you don't ask you don't get". The kitchen is very basic and is nearing 4 years old, not that the age matters as it is in perfect condition. I just hate the layout, it is totally impractical. Sink is beside my cooker, there is a plug above the cooker, the draining board is obscured and almost impossible to use as the boiler is directly above it, giving me about 30cm clearance under it to put my dishes. When I moved in, the kitchen had ONE plug, the one above the cooker lol, so after 4 months of calling and letters they finally sent a guy out and he fitted a plug in behind the washing machine for my washing machine and a double socket beside the door for the fridge and a double socket at my very small worktop.

blckbrd

You're welcome. They mention sorting out elecrics so they'll probably do that.

Kitchen sounds a nightmare. It might be worth asking what the criteria are as it may not just be a matter of age I suppose but, of necessity, councils only spend what they have to. If the impracticalities could ne health and safety issues, add that to the letter too.

MarieMc

blckbrd wrote: »

You're welcome. They mention sorting out elecrics so they'll probably do that.

Kitchen sounds a nightmare. It might be worth asking what the criteria are as it may not just be a matter of age I suppose but, of necessity, councils only spend what they have to. If the impracticalities could ne health and safety issues, add that to the letter too.

My main aim is really to get a specific date and time for the housing officer to come out and see the house for himself so I can point out all the things to him. In writing it just seems like a whole bunch of moany wee complaints but when you add all these wee thing up, it gets to you and living it in every day sends me round the bend.

Fire_Fox

I don't blame you for wanting double glazing but, trust me, any condensation problems will simply move off the glass and onto the next coldest surface if the windows are changed but you do not address the moisture in the air. Each adult produces approximately six pints of water per day, that is a lot of water trapped in your home!

The only way to deal with condensation damp is to attack the source of the water and to ventilate year round on a daily basis, especially in winter. :eek: Do you have humidistat extractor fans in the bathroom and kitchen? Do you open the window and close the door after every bath or shower (and preferably during)? Do you use lids on pans when cooking and open windows afterwards? Have you tried using a tumble dryer or dehumidifier to dry your laundry indoors?

I also do not think you are writing to the people who are going to get you the fastest results - damp and mould are a health hazard within the remit of Environmental Health. They have the powers to enforce repairing obligations on any landlord, be they public or private, including installing additional ventilation and extraction. :T IMO your request for a remodelled kitchen and bathroom (which you will not get) are overshadowing the real issue. If your sink is next to your cooker and a socket above, there is a chance it does not meet safety regulations - again get Environmental Health to look at this as they have more 'teeth' than you for getting problems rectified quickly.