Council costs for digital aerial upgrade

Gpuk

Hi, just looking for thoughts and advice. We live in a council owned block of 6 flats, 3 are leaseholders and 3 are council tenants. We have just received a letter from the council to inform us of a communal aerial upgrade for the digital switchover in our area in 2012. They want us to pay a one-off charge of £211.87 this year and then there will be an increase to our maintanace/service charge of £43.13 for the next 7 years...bearing in mind our service charge is already £672 a year!
Does this sound reasonable? I just can't think that an aerial is going to cost that much!! It comes to £3082.68 in total for the block, not that I claim to know anything about aerial costs but this does seem excessive. Also they want us to remove our sky dish from the wall as they said they will provide a sky socket for residents that want them, but then later down the letter it says this will be at an extra charge??
Has anyone else in other areas had any experiance of the digital switchover in council owned property?
Thanks

Kurtis_Blue

No its far too high, especially the ongoing costs.

Heinz

Councils are short of money and will be for many years to come. Motorists (parking) and (trapped) tenants are ideal cash cows to make up the shortfall.

Kurtis_Blue

I dont think that's the case it seems to be the other way round, the outsourced maintainance co's are putting putting some very healthy margins on the switchover jobs, we sub some of these jobs from the maintance companys, doing quite well from it but not as well as them

Councils will be shelling out for their tenants, defiantly not making profits.

Gpuk

As I already have Sky, can they force me to take my dish down as there is only 2 on our block. I don't want to have to pay for one of their Sky sockets, and I don't see why I should have to when I have already paid for my Sky dish to be installed.

Gpuk

Well what a waste of time! I spoke to the council this afternoon and they have absolutely no idea what is going on. They said that if I want to ask any questions about it then I have to write to them and then they will answer them at the end of february?!?! Also they 'think' residents will be given the option of having either a Sky socket or a tv socket but they are not really sure!?!? He did let slip however that the total costs before council 'management' fees was £1271 for the 6 flats so this means they are putting on a service charge of over £1900 in total.......unberlievable!!!

Has anyone else living in council owned accommodation had their aerial changed yet and if so what kind of price did you pay as I think we are getting majorly ripped off now!!

scotsbob

Suppose you, or another resident, did not have nor want, television. Surely you could not then be asked to pay.

I guess they will have some powers which allow them to tell you to remove your satellite dish, but there are many disguises, for example this one, http://www.ddelec.com/digiglobe.htm that you may be able to use.

davemurgatroyd

If you do not own a property you have absolutely no rights on installation of your own dish if they decline permission (did you have written permission before installing) and can insist on you removing it and if you do not they are within their rights to have it removed and charge you for the cost of doing so.

Gpuk

scotsbob wrote: »

Suppose you, or another resident, did not have nor want, television. Surely you could not then be asked to pay.

I guess they will have some powers which allow them to tell you to remove your satellite dish, but there are many disguises, for example this one, http://www.ddelec.com/digiglobe.htm that you may be able to use.

All the details of the aerial upgrade have gone into a consultation period so we can ask questions (in writing) and someone has already said they don't have a TV, the council have said they still have to pay it anyway as in some tiny writing somewhere it says that you can't opt out of paying for 'major works'. I know i'm going to have to pay it because they always have an answer for everything....except on the phone when your speaking to them directly, they obviously need a bit of time to think up what they're going to say to everyone! lol

Kurtis_Blue

If you are the leaseholder however, as the OP is, you have rights as laid out within the lease, they will off cause vary but most allow dishes.

With regards service charges, on going or one off, read section 20:

http://www.statutelaw.gov.uk/legResults.aspx?LegType=All+Primary&PageNumber=42&NavFrom=2&activeTextDocId=2177215

If you set up a decent residents group, you have greater strength but even if you get the other 2 leaseholders on board you are still at only 50% not great.

Gpuk

davemurgatroyd wrote: »

If you do not own a property you have absolutely no rights on installation of your own dish if they decline permission (did you have written permission before installing) and can insist on you removing it and if you do not they are within their rights to have it removed and charge you for the cost of doing so.

We are leaseholders so the flat is ours but the building is owned by the council, we called them to ask about permission when we originally had the sky put in (about 8 years ago) and they said as it was the first one we didn't need planning permission and we only needed to apply if there were more than 4 on the block already , we were the 1st and there has only been 1 other dish installed since. We will remove it if we have to but then I am not prepared to pay extra again for 1 of their sky sockets, so I guess we'll be stuck with freeview?!