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council cuts and flat doors
aurongrande_2
Posts: 317 Forumite
I've gotten rather annoyed with my local council. Please bear with with whilst I give you a brief history to set the foundations of what I'm venting.
I live in a block of flats all on my lonesome. I live in 1 of 3 blocks. Each block has 11 homes, so that's 33 homes in total.
The block I'm in is fine, but the other 2 has druggies and nasties in. You know the routine, leave them alone, and you won't get hassled.
Well, when I moved into my home 2 years ago, it had and still has a 30 year old rotten front door. The previous tenants had to move out because of the hassle they were getting.
Just looking at the door, you can see that it's rotten to the core, doesn't sit right in the frame because it's shrivelled up and it has a footprint on the outside where it had been kicked in. There was a dent in the wall behind the door where the handle went through.
I've spent those 2 years asking and then demanding a new door. They eventually sent out an inspector who said that the door is fine. Nice and secure and thus I won't get a new one.
Not so long ago, an old lady just across the corridor moved out. Less than a week after she'd gone, the council sent out workmen to replace the front door to said place. I rang up again asking if I'd get a new door and was told that my door meets the regulations for Health & Safety, based on Fire Safety that is, and thus I won't be getting a new door.
From what I gather, the door won't be changed unless I move out, or spent £650 on getting it replaced myself.
The funny thing is, that there's no way my front door meets any regulations. Heck, it's being held together by the paint. The only thing that I can think of that's stopping them from replacing what needs replacing is budget cuts. They're using the above regulations as an excuse.
I bet they sent out an investigator who works in the council offices. No doubt if an independent investigator came and assessed the door, he/she would probably condemn it.
If the council is claiming that the door is safe on Fire Safety grounds, should I ask an inspector from my local fire station to come and have a look?
I looked on the internet, and apparently, the only real Fire Safety regulation the door should meet, is that the door can hold back heavy smoke for at least 30 minutes, and fire by at least 10 minutes. This door couldn't hold either back for 2 minutes, and that's being optimistic.
Does anyone have a similar problem, or can anyone provide any suggestions?
Oh, and don't get me into the story of my balcony door which a council workman split in half and the council refuses to replace.
I live in a block of flats all on my lonesome. I live in 1 of 3 blocks. Each block has 11 homes, so that's 33 homes in total.
The block I'm in is fine, but the other 2 has druggies and nasties in. You know the routine, leave them alone, and you won't get hassled.
Well, when I moved into my home 2 years ago, it had and still has a 30 year old rotten front door. The previous tenants had to move out because of the hassle they were getting.
Just looking at the door, you can see that it's rotten to the core, doesn't sit right in the frame because it's shrivelled up and it has a footprint on the outside where it had been kicked in. There was a dent in the wall behind the door where the handle went through.
I've spent those 2 years asking and then demanding a new door. They eventually sent out an inspector who said that the door is fine. Nice and secure and thus I won't get a new one.
Not so long ago, an old lady just across the corridor moved out. Less than a week after she'd gone, the council sent out workmen to replace the front door to said place. I rang up again asking if I'd get a new door and was told that my door meets the regulations for Health & Safety, based on Fire Safety that is, and thus I won't be getting a new door.
From what I gather, the door won't be changed unless I move out, or spent £650 on getting it replaced myself.
The funny thing is, that there's no way my front door meets any regulations. Heck, it's being held together by the paint. The only thing that I can think of that's stopping them from replacing what needs replacing is budget cuts. They're using the above regulations as an excuse.
I bet they sent out an investigator who works in the council offices. No doubt if an independent investigator came and assessed the door, he/she would probably condemn it.
If the council is claiming that the door is safe on Fire Safety grounds, should I ask an inspector from my local fire station to come and have a look?
I looked on the internet, and apparently, the only real Fire Safety regulation the door should meet, is that the door can hold back heavy smoke for at least 30 minutes, and fire by at least 10 minutes. This door couldn't hold either back for 2 minutes, and that's being optimistic.
Does anyone have a similar problem, or can anyone provide any suggestions?
Oh, and don't get me into the story of my balcony door which a council workman split in half and the council refuses to replace.
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Comments
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It doesn't cost £650 for a door. Pick one up for £160 paint it for £50 and accessorize it for £50 and then hang it for another £50. £310 in total. I'm sure if you shopped around you could get it much less. Push council a bit more write to your MP if you need to.
Home Fire Safety checks are free and will cover lots of things so highly recommended.:footie:
Regular savers earn 6% interest (HSBC, First Direct, M&S) Loans cost 2.9% per year (Nationwide) = FREE money. 0 -
Kick a hole in it?0
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why cant you buy one yourself?0
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Because the op probably pays the council about £90 a week to keep the flat in good repair.threemuttleys wrote: »why cant you buy one yourself?If at first you don't succeed, maybe bomb disposal isn't the best career choice.0 -
It doesn't cost £650 for a door. Pick one up for £160 paint it for £50 and accessorize it for £50 and then hang it for another £50. £310 in total. I'm sure if you shopped around you could get it much less. Push council a bit more write to your MP if you need to.
Home Fire Safety checks are free and will cover lots of things so highly recommended.
I cannot fit a door myself due to my health. Also I'd need a new door frame. However, most of that £650 is VAT and extortionate fitting fee.0 -
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threemuttleys wrote: »why cant you buy one yourself?
Didn't you read? I said that I can buy one myself, but so far, it would cost me £650 for new door, frame, VAt and extortionate fitting fees. The bloke who came and priced up a door said that he would look into lowering the price by finding a cheaper door, something like an ex-display one or something.0 -
Keep in mind that your door will have to meet regulations from when it was originally put in place. Not the reg's of today.0
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