Verner Street

[Doberman1979]

Cheers for that Forkhandles. Its maybe me with unrealistic expectations. I am in a position where I cant even think about selling my house and am quite frankly fed up. Between them, WMDC and WDH have systematically destroyed the location, Girnhill’s a royal dump and has been for literally years due to the way the demolition has been handled. I cite the recent back peddling of the road closure and the current issues with the 3 remaining residents CPO’s before any one challenges this!  WDH seem incapable of keeping to their published 31 day average time scale to re-let on Verner, couple that with an email I have from WMDC in Jan 2011 that states they are looking into various options and treating Verner as a separate “Phase 2” redevelopment was an option they had not discounted, led me to draw the only conclusion I could, there was more to it than sheer incompetence. I have always worked in the private sector and am used to working to a lot tighter timescales, I have never know a professional, private sector business work as slow or be as inefficient as these two are.

[Kim685]

To be honest I don't really know why I'm still interested because my daughter has now moved out lol 

[yetion1]

To be honest I don't really know why I'm still interested because my daughter has now moved out lol 

These are still Fev folk who all deserve help in time of need.

[yetion1]

One resident says they have been informed that repairs on thier house will start in January 2013. Lets hope there is some gas.

[Kim685]

One resident says they have been informed that repairs on thier house will start in January 2013. Lets hope there is some gas.

Thought they all had to be completed by 2012 or they forfeited the allocated money? 

[Doberman1979]

Asked for an update to some older emails from both WMDC and WDH replies as follows

WMDC :

The Girnhill redevelopment has a valid planning application but regrettably, the Council was forced to apply for a compulsory purchase order in February.  We are still awaiting a decision from the Secretary of State re the next stages.  The preferred developer for Girnhill, Strata Homes Ltd did some preliminary work with WDH to see if a redevelopment project for Verner Street was achievable.  Sadly, it appears that the current downturn and other factors means that this is not now being pursued and there are no plans to redevelop fully.  As previously stated, the Council does not own any properties on the Verner Estate and thus has not been party to the commercial discussions that WDH have held with Strata.   However, WDH are pressing ahead with plans to upgrade their properties to the Wakefield Standard (this is higher than the statutory requirements to meet the Decent Homes Standard) and this work will include the connection of the gas supply to the Estate.  In addition, some new development work will be undertaken to provide new homes on the site of the former Brentwood House.  I understand that WDH are having a consultation event very shortly to showcase the proposals. 

With reference to your questions about empty properties and re-let times on Verner Street, I would have to refer you to WDH, as the Council has no involvement in the management of their stock; however, WDH remain committed to the Estate and I believe that the planned improvements will bring significant benefits to all residents once they are completed. I hope this information is useful

WDH:

Following your enquiry below I can confirm that we are starting our Investment programme works for Verner Street in December / January 2012. 
 
In relation to the Brentwood House site, we are undertaking consultation activity with the community in the next couple of weeks as we are looking at developing some new build properties desperately needed to meet housing demand in the area. This scheme it is hoped will commence in June 2013.



So....I am still not sure why there are so many houses on Verner that are empty and not being advertised and will push for more info if I do get any further updates i'll post accordingly.

Simon

[Forkhandles]

So....I am still not sure why there are so many houses on Verner that are empty and not being advertised and will push for more info if I do get any further updates i'll post accordingly.

Most likely because they're much easier to work on when they're empty,just a thought.

[Doberman1979]

Had work actually been happening i'd be inclined to agree with you, but given I started this email conversation with both of them back in Jan 2011 and not 1 property has been worked on isnt good. I have to confess and say I have limited knowledge on other key WDH estates, but i'd be amazed if they all had over 10% of properties empty for this long prior to their refits?

[Kim685]

One theory that the empty houses that have not been re-let, could be they are not fit for re-let and WDH may be reluctant to spend money on them prior to refit?
Could explain why some have been re-let and not others

[Forkhandles]

Or maybe because nobody wants to live there.

[Doberman1979]

Reply from WDH today:

WDH has always stated that should we be able to provide new properties for old instead of improving existing properties we would attempt to do so. Whilst working with Strata to see if this was feasible for Verner Street some properties became empty and as soon as this happened they were stripped of piping, boilers etc.  These properties therefore then needed major improvement work before being brought to a lettable standard.  Therefore WDH had to 'board up' the properties until we were sure we would not be demolishing them to build new homes.  Any major spend on those properties prior to that decision being made would have been a waste of resources.
 
Now we know we will be improving the estate to the Wakefield Standard, and those empty homes will be improved, with the rest of the estate, and let as soon as possible.
 
I hope that answers your query.


Rgds Simon

[Kim685]

Ah.... so my theory wasn't far off the mark, thanks Simon 

[yetion1]

Interesting words…

Not fit for re-let and stripping a property down to its brick walls are 2 very different things.

What landlord in their right mind would buy a property, and then pay to strip its guts and create a building worth considerably less than when paid for? Have you ever seen anyone else do such a strange thing?

The owners now state that they are to fix up the properties. That’s a huge expense.
 

[Kim685]

Brentwood or I should say, where it was

[yetion1]

Here is a link to a WMDC press release. The subject matter is the opposite of the "GirnHELL" and the "Verner" misery.
So can residents on Girnhell now buy the empty properties attached to them as semis from the owners WMDC with financial help?
Now woudnt that be a bonus!


http://www.wakefield.gov.uk/News/PressReleases/news/PR3691.htm

[Doberman1979]

Yetion, sorry, i missed your post back in June. I dont think it was WDH that stripped the houses.....I think it may have been copper/boiler thieves.

Went to the presentation other week for proposed replacement for Brentwood. Houses look similar to the style of the new estate up by Asda. Planning applications just gone in

https://planning.wakefield.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=M73H94QQ90000

Simon

[yetion1]

Some interesting points to keep an eye on.
When you take a look at the plans for the Girnhell Estate see how many “affordable home” there are especially with new plans floating about with many more houses.
When you have found this perhaps you will consider that 60 “affordable homes” will be about the right national amount required.
60 homes sounds something like Verner Street as phase 2?

[Kim685]

Well....to end all the speculation of will they, won't they.. Verner Street modernisation starts next month. After all the waiting for the poor residents, they will be in total chaos over christmas.