'Praise has been heaped on Pavilion Housing Association for the progress it has made in dealing with residents in the borough in the last year.' -- Farnborough News

According to a report in the local comic and to the amazement of their tenants, at a recent meeting with Rushmoor, praise was heaped on Pavilion. This view was also quite astonishing to a councillor who was actually there, who said 'alternative views where completely ignored'.

Astonishing to tenants who do not get repairs carried out, who have shoddy work carried out, often resulting in several repeat visits, who take time out and lose pay for a visit that does not materialise.

The local comic told us 'praise was heaped on Pavilion Housing Association', 'borough councillors congratulated the association', 'councillors were impressed' by the record on repairs and 'the association was applauded'.

Pass the sick bag please.

Pavilion claimed a 100% record in responding to emergency calls within 24 hours, to be creating loads of jobs, to have a 97% satisfaction from their tenants, which they insultingly call customers.

This is a situation tenants fail to recognise. Similar figures were being claimed by Pavilion a few years back. They were not true then and are not true now.

Tenants wait and wait for some one to come out to deal with a repair, often losing pay and time off work when no one turns up. When someone does turn up the job is too often botched using crappy materials, another workman has to come out to try to put good the first attempt, and so the sorry saga goes on.

Even Pavilion admit that repairs are carried within 12 days, not the 10 days which is their target.

Peter Sandy has had his house wrecked by Pavilion, damage and destruction to his possessions. He is still awaiting compensation. He has been invited to an appeals process, the people adjudicating are the very same he is claiming compensation from!

Spean is a relatively new property in shared ownership. The tenant-owners have had nothing but problems since they moved in. The mains water supply was connected to the flats with black mastic! This was discovered when one of the mastic joints ruptured and two flats were flooded. Pavilion has refused to pay for the repairs, refused to pay for the extensive damage. Double glazed windows were faulty and have had to be replaced. Pavilion has refused to pay the cost. Extortionate service charges are levied. During the summer scaffolding was erected but no work took place. After many weeks, the scaffolding was removed, leaving ridge tiles stripped off a ridge and balanced precariously on the roof.

Maisonettes have had cladding removed, then replaced, minus the insulation!

Tenants at Firgrove Court were kicked at of their homes to make way for an unwanted town centre redevelopment. The site of their former homes which have now been demolished is to be the car park for a superstore. At least one tenant, has yet receive compensation or reimbursement of moving expenses.

Housing portfolio holder Francis Williams has been handed a dossier on Pavilion. Not a murmur of dissent.

Former housing portfolio holder David Welch has been handed a dossier on Pavilion. He fell over himself to praise Pavilion: 'I would like to congratulate you on the way things have been turned around.'

Aldershot councillor Paul Bowers elected in May on a platform of helping Pavilion tenants has been handed a dossier on Pavilion. He failed to even attend the meeting, let alone raise the concerns of his constituents. Paul Bowers has not been seen since the May elections.

Rushmoor chief executive Andrew Lloyd praised Pavilion at the last meeting with Pavilion. He was invited to visit one of their slum estates in Aldershot in order that in future he knew what he was stalking about. He turned up with his new head of housing. He could spare less than an hour as he had more important matters to attend to. In his own words, he is available 24/7 to push the agenda of big developers, but does not it seem have the time for Pavilion tenants. He has not been heard of since. Andrew Lloyd praised Pavilion. He was very pleased at the work Pavilion had been doing with Farnborough College of Technology. Where Lloyd just happens to sit on the board of governors. No conflict of interest there then!

Lloyd also praised Pavilion on creating almost a hundred jobs. They have created 63, with maybe a further 35 in the future! To praise Pavilion for creating jobs is like praising Tesco for creating jobs. Work that was contacted out by Pavilion to external contractors is now being brought in house. As a consequence the contractors are shedding jobs. There is no net increase in jobs!

Once again Pavilion tenants have been let down by their elected representatives.

No one is surprised. Pavilion was one of the first sell-offs of council housing stock. Were the tenants to be asked now, with what they know now and their experience of Pavilion, it would be a resounding no to privatisation. It should serve as a warning to others.

Defend Council Housing are holding a Housing Conference Tuesday 25 November 2008 at University College London, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HY.

 http://www.defendcouncilhousing.org.uk/

web

 http://www.heureka.clara.net/surrey-hants/
 http://www.defendcouncilhousing.org.uk/

background

Councillors praise housing association's repairs record, Farnborough News, 21 November 2008

Keith Parkins, Pavilion – the new slum landlords, Indymedia UK, 9 April 2008
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/04/396006.html?c=on

Keith Parkins, Pavilion asbestos scandal, Indymedia UK, 14 April 2008
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/04/396456.html

Keith Parkins, Pavilion gets greedy, Indymedia UK, 15 April 2008
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/04/396672.html?c=on

Keith Parkins, Pavilion threaten critics, Indymedia UK, 16 April 2008
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/04/396759.html

Keith Parkins, Pavilion facing bankruptcy?, Indymedia UK, 17 April 2008
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/04/396859.html

Keith Parkins, Housing association police state, Indymedia UK, 16 June 2008
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/06/401291.html?c=on

Keith Parkins, Firgrove Court demolition to begin soon, Indymedia UK, 23 June 2008
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/06/401760.html

Keith Parkins, Pavilion threaten to evict disabled woman, Indymedia UK, 3 November 2008
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/11/412178.html?c=on

Keith Parkins, St Modwen claim Farnborough redevelopment complete by Christmas, Indymedia UK, 24 November 2008
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/11/413437.html

Jack Sommers, Asbestos claim over former Aldershot resident's death, Get hampshire, 21 November 2008