Time to Pay the Piper
Notification for the new management fees arrived today. Actually it arrived yesterday, but I avoided opening it until today as I was in a good mood. I wanted to stay that way.
As expected the letter was a poke in the eye. The old management fee was £57, 000 based on 12.5 percent of services provided.
The new management fee will be £239, 730.This equates to a management overhead of over 52 percent, a truly remarkable figure.
No information is given on how the figures have been arrived at. Just a breakdown of where costs have occurred.
The letter seems full of spin.
Continue Reading
Popularity: 27%
Posted in: Stevenage SG1
Someone may know something – maybe.
I met Councillor Brian Underwood at a seasonal get together with the board of Stevenage Homes just before Christmas. He is one of the local councillors for Bedwell, which is the ward The Towers is in.
He is also on the town’s Planning and Development Committee so if any one knows what is happening with the Stevenage Town Centre Regeneration scheme, you would expect it to be him.
He could not give any firmer date for the demolition of The Towers than the 5 years minimum that was given to us by Stevenage Homes. But he did say that Stevenage Borough Council are going to bring forward new plans soon with fewer apartments.
Continue Reading
Popularity: 5%
Posted in: Stevenage SG1
As usual no one has any idea of what is going on.
I went to a leaseholders’ forum on Thursday. Stevenage Homes at last had some information on what was going on with the demolition of The Towers. Previously they have had no more idea than anyone else.
I was given a sheet with the following points on it:
- An outline Planning Application was submitted by developers Stevenage Regeneration Ltd in November 2007, which includes the demolition of The Towers.
- The Planning Application is still under consideration by Stevenage Borough Council, and is likely to be decided in 2009.
- Even if Planning Permission is granted in 2009, work on The Towers would be unlikely to start for at least 5 years at the very earliest.
- The options for residents of The Towers are unchanged — the developers have indicated that they will negotiate a private sale with leaseholders if the scheme goes ahead, and will facilitate discussions between Tenants and Stevenage Homes to identify housing need, and provide appropriate replacement accommodation.
With a phone number for any further queries.
Continue Reading
Popularity: 8%
Posted in: Stevenage SG1
