Mercury News
Mosborough Mercury, Tuesday, November 18, 2009
www.mosborough-news.co.uk
Council chasing £10m rent arrears as tenants fail to pay South east residents owe £900k in unpaid housing costs By Alex Campbell
South east rent arrears - 2008
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SHEFFIELD City Council is owed millions of pounds in rent from hard-up tenants and almost £900,000 is owed by people in the south east area alone, it has been revealed.
‘If they fail to pay we will evict’ housing in the area than in most of the city. The report also revealed that 2,793 households in the local area have arrears of more than £30 – amounting to 38% of all tenants in the south east. Maxine Stavrianakos, Sheffield Homes Income Manager, said the figures are a lot higher than they should be. “It’s the norm for any landlord or association to have something in the way of rent arrears, but despite improvements being made the amount is higher than we’d like,” she said.
News in Brief Fly-tipping on factory lane A Mosborough road has been targeted by fly-tippers dumping old tyres and disused refrigerators on an empty patch of grass. Stone Lane is used as access to a factory site. But CCTV cameras and a padlocked gate restricting access have been smashed – allowing the dumpers in. Resident Ellen Smith, 60, said: “There used to be cameras and a lock but they break in and put what they like there.” Sheffield City Council has said it will improve security at the site.
Hoax warning over MP letters
A report published by Sheffield Homes – which runs the city’s council housing – shows arrears of more than £6m across the city. And a council chief told the Mosborough Mercury that the figure swells to over £10m when rent owed from ex-tenants is included. Tenants in the south east area, which includes Mosborough, Halfway and Beighton, owed almost £900,000 at the last count – despite lower levels of social
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Evicted: residents may face council backlash over rent
Rise: arrears in the south east are causing concern
“We’re obviously working as hard as we can on improving things.” Mrs Stavrianakos said Sheffield Homes has struggled to manage rent arrears for several years, culminating in a crisis point in 2001. “Back in 1999 we had gross arrears of roughly £8m, which is lower than they are now, and it was coming down nicely. “If you look at the way things were by 2001 it was a real mess. I think there was a lot of people with a debt problem and the benefits were being outsourced - the numbers doubled. “We’ve brought the figure right down since then, but obviously it’s not easy with the credit crunch to consider too.” And Mrs Stavrianakos said the
goals at the end of last year. The council funded a citywide advertising campaign called ‘kiss your debts goodbye’ last Christmas – but results were below par. Nicky Elliot, Sheffield Homes Communications Manager, said there is already a strict system in place for chasing up payments. “For current tenants arrears we basically take recovery action which involves going to court and eventually, if all else fails, we will repossess the property. “Before that we write letters, visit, offer advice and support, we refer to citizens advice bureaux & support agencies, make affordable repayment agreements and do everything we can to encourage a regular payment history. “But if they fail to pay we will
council will not be afraid to take a hard line with tenants who are deliberately not paying their way. “There is a problem with the fact that some people can pay us, they just don’t want to. “What nobody wants is to see us take action against the people who are really struggling and we prefer not to do that. “With times as they are we need to give more debt advice and more money advice to the people who need it. We need to be looking at the bigger picture.” Rent arrears have fallen in the last twelve months, but the authority has continually failed to clear backlogs and meet annual targets. It is £600,000 behind its repayment targets for 2008, despite setting deliberately cautious
evict - it’s the only option” The authority sends over a thousand warning letters every month, as well as an average of 50 Notice to Seek Possession (NSP) orders to those who have ignored earlier warnings. When all other attempts at claiming arrears have failed the council brings tenants to court. Credit crunch or not, those who still fail to pay are evicted. a.campbell@mosborough-news.net
ONLINE TODAY aLatest eviction figures aMore on the council’s plans to chase up owed rent
aWhat you can do to keep o on top of rent payments : www.mosborough-news.co.uk
Church calls for public help By Alex Campbell
A Mosborough church has appealed to the local community for help as it hits the home stretch in fundraising for a disabled lift. The Methodist church, which is used as a hub for community activities, has raised more than £50,000 in five years of dedicated fundraising. But the charity behind the fundraising, Lift up Mosborough Methodist People (LUMMP), has hit a number of stumbling blocks – including a decision by the city council that the outside part of the lift must be adapted to look exactly the same as the rest of the building. Heather Keeling, LUMMP secretary, said the help of more local people is needed if targets are to be met in the near future. “It really is hard work trying to get this amount of money together,” she said. “One of the problems is that it’s the same people who are making donations, we need more local people to chip in. “That’s why we try to put on events that everybody in Mosborough can come along to. “Everybody will benefit in the end – not just people who come to church.” Most of the worshipping area of the church is at ground level, but the upstairs hall is used for a range of community events. It hosts council and residents association meetings, as well as regular stage shows and a youth club. The church has already levelled steps
Appeal: Mosborough Methodist church needs the community’s help outside the building and installed handrails for the use of elderly guests. But disabled and elderly people are unable to attend any of the activities held upstairs. “We have several elderly people who are churchgoers, but the meetings and community events are things that a lot of people want to go to,” said Mrs Keeling. “It’s not just disabled people who need the lift, there’s two flights of stairs and it’s
too much to ask of the elderly to go up and down them.” Fundraisers at the church have also admitted their disappointment at the lack of help from local supermarkets and businesses. One nearby superstore donated a £5 gift voucher – to be spent inside the shop. Another store donated one bottle of wine, even though the church encourages total
abstinence from alcohol. Mrs Keeling also believes the credit crunch may have slammed the brakes on LUMMP’s progress. “Banks aren’t able to give us low-interest loans, and we’ve asked people within the church for interest-free loans but it’s an awful lot to be asking for with the way things are.” The church has raised the bulk of the money so far through ticket sales to a succession of entertainment nights, although a substantial sum was paid in a grant from the National Lottery. Plans to install the lift were drawn up when the government passed the Disability Discrimination Act. The legislation says that all places of work and community centres must provide disabled access to any areas of the building where events are held. If the church does not comply it could face a government penalty, which may include a fine. Volunteers at the church plan to stage Christmas pantomime dedicated to fundraising and local bands are to perform regularly in the upstairs hall. A number of events held already have drawn crowds of almost 200 people. The church also hosts weekly coffee mornings, and is planning a fashion show and a Salvation Army concert before Christmas. Mosborough residents are urged to attend or donate directly via the website: www.mosmeth.co.uk. a.campbell@mosborough-news.co.uk
A hoax letter from somebody claiming to be a local MP has been sent to a number of residents in Eckington. The letter, which claims to be written by North East Derbyshire MP Natascha Engel, tells residents they have been chosen to apply for a national identity card – costing £200. But the credit card hotline given in the letter is actually the number of Mrs Engel’s constituency office – meaning that the hoaxer is not looking to take people’s money. Police are investigating the matter and have told residents to ignore the letter.
Local town hits the small screen A DVD about the history of Eckington goes on sale today, boasting tales of intrigue and tragedy. The documentary, called Aspects of Eckington, covers the Renishaw Colliery disaster and explores the town’s ‘haunted’ buildings. It is the second time Eckington has made the small screen after A Picture of Eckington proved successful in 2007. The DVD is available from www.compressmedia.com, as well as from Morrisons supermarket in Halfway.
Spelling puzzle for ‘Mosbrough’ A street sign in Woodthorpe sparked debate when it was changed for a new version – because the spelling of the road had been changed. Mosbrough Road, near Woodhouse, will now be known as Mosborough Road. Council officials say the old sign was incorrect and the street was originally named after the town of Mosborough.
Staff needed at lifestyle centre A Beighton community centre which specialises in providing alternative therapy has appealed for volunteers to keep the centre alive. The Lifestyle Centre, on the High Street, is known in the area for its aromatherapy sessions and yoga classes. The centre also hosts coffee mornings, council meetings and ‘tai chi’ lessons for youngsters. Classes at the centre are charged at discount rates, but most of the staff work as volunteers. Help is needed in all areas – from administration to serving in the café - if the centre is to stay afloat. Volunteers are asked to call Alan on 0114 213 2160.