Tuesday 13 November 2012

Flagship Housing letter re: garage issues

To, Chief Executive, Flagship Housing Group

Increasingly, I am being forced to contact Flagship staff to report concerns relating to Flagship owned garage blocks across Thetford.

Recently I reported concerns regarding a garage in the Fir Road block that was once more full of rubbish – after only recently being set on fire, and also reported the presence of a gas cylinder on the roof of one garage further along – photographs attached of both examples.

Whilst I can commend the response of your officers when dealing with specifically reported matters, this should not need to occur with such frequency. Surely there should be a more pro-active plan in place to ensure that garage blocks that you are responsible for are regularly checked and any concerns addressed?

There is also a much wider issue here however, and that concerns the long term future of these garage blocks as there has been a very evident decline in their condition over the past 12 months.

Whilst I can appreciate that in many cases the garage blocks are destined to become housing developments, (having myself been involved in the Barnham Cross Regeneration Steering Group for the past 6 years), there is little prospect that anything will change in the short-term due to budget cuts, particularly with regard to cuts at the Homes & Communities Agency. Leaving the garages to fester for this length of time is simply not an option.

I would urge Flagship to look very seriously at the issue of garage blocks across Thetford and work with the local community and to think outside the box to establish a solution to help keep them cleaner, tidier, and safer for all local residents.

Yours sincerely,


Councillor Terry Jermy





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