Joanne Roney, Chief Executive
Ann Pitard
Housing and public protection
Newton bar
Wakefield
West York’s
Wf1 2tx
19.07.09
Ref: Featherstone Girnhill estate
I am sure you are fully aware that I have for the past 2 years corresponded important information regarding public safety on the Ginhill estate to Janet Howley and WMDC departments with deep concerns requiring so called available help.
In 2002 when the WMDC had a report done on the estate (costing thousands of pounds), the idea was to re-design the estate, leaving the majority of the houses and modifying the centre area where Harold Westwood lived. At that stage WMDC only owned 30+ houses out of the 170+.
Around 2004, a top official of a housing association was taken around the site, as it was beginning to deteriorate rather fast. The comments from the official was "it is common for council's to neglect estates on purpose, by reducing services, i.e. by not collecting bins or rubbish, allowing drains to stay blocked up for long periods, and also when a property is demolished, not checking that the drains were properly sealed off, so that they could not disrupt the existing drainage system.
When demolition takes place, the gullies and soil pipes connected to that building should be sealed off, so that no debris can get into the drains, (I am 100% sure that this will be written into the demolition contract by WMDC), I know this did not happen at the outset, as I checked on some of the very first properties to be demolished. A copy of the contract can be checked and if I am correct, then WMDC should immediately take the appropriate action by checking all the drains themselves of the properties demolished and then make the contractor sort them out whilst WMDC have payments outstanding to the contractor.
My reason for now contacting you is to move the situation up a step of command as the first step has significantly failed in its public duty of care. My first consideration was Janet Howleys boss Ann Pitard. Upon reflection two steps up the command ladder should be taken and the chief executive informed similarly. The situation created on the Girnhill estate by WMDC requires many actions. For now, the immediate concern has to be rectifying life threatening and un-fit for human habitation injustices. I could go on and on, but the residents are now faced with the threat of murder or attempted murder by arson as not yet seen but anticipated and predicted.
Every day is “Friday 13th” on the Girnhill (Girnhell) estate Featherstone. Friday the 17th of July 2009 was no exception, not to mention the rain that lasted all day and night
The day started very badly for one individual at 6am as he returned to his home after a night shift. As the resident entered his home he was hit with a smell of smoke. Only to aware of what this meant the man immediately surveyed his property inside and out and the adjoining semi that had been boarded up By WMDC and left empty. To his horror the adjoining property had been attacked in the usual way seen so often and documented for the past 3 years. 2 rows of bottom roof tiles had been removed including the felt and the ridge apex tiles had been smashed. This is the same documented style of preparation prior to arson. Evidence is easily available on U-tube of the techniques being experimented with,
You can clearly see smoke constantly bellowing out of one of these holes (just below the chimney stack) that appears to help fuel the fire! Almost as if someone has worked out the best method. If you pause it at 1.49 and 2.30, you can see it! You can see the hole does the trick at 3:56 as this is where the fire first breaks through on that house!
House in questions roof
How much worse could things get? In Featherstone worse is the daily norm. The man then called the fire brigade. Amazingly the call was not taken as serious? In desperation the man called Cllr Bickerton who managed to get a 999 response. At this point the man (my good friend) called me as he had heard a noise from the garden and could still smell smoke. As I arrived at 8.15am I could smell damp smoke around the front of the property. I examined the roof tiles. They had been vandalized as seen before previous arson attacks. The fire brigade arrived minutes later and examined the property. There immediate report that I can confirm is that the fire service agreed that there was a smell of smoke. An examination with a heat sensor revealed no lasting hotspots. The property was not entered mainly as it would have required removing a metal door cover that once removed the fire service knew would not be re-fitted correctly. I will come back to this point.
Whilst waiting for the fire service to carry out there search I walked to the rear of the property. The rear of the property is densely covered with undergrowth. Walking along the back perimeter I tried to discover where an entry had been made. To my amazement as I tried to look through the bush’s I found a door just visible under the Ivy. The door revealed a well built large concrete garage that was obviously being used as a den/ hang out. The building had been left by the demolition men. It is a magnet to attract undesirables to rear of occupied properties.
As I came away I bumped in to our local PCSO. I informed him of the events and the garage. We inspected the garage again and agreed that it needed to be demolished ASAP. As we both walked away we bumped in to a contractor. The conversation was an eye opener. Firstly the contractor explained that he had been warned that there was a man going around the estate taking pictures and “causing trouble”. I was only too happy to reply “well that must be me”. I explained that far from causing trouble I was actually trying to prevent serious injury or indeed death not to mention help stop the misery and suffering being inflicted on the residents. I provided the contractor with a back ground who agreed that the estate was over run with scrap men and gangs of youths causing damage daily. A WMDC person had been inspecting the site twice a week. This is different from the 3 times a day supposedly implemented.
The most interesting comment came regards stopping the arson/ vandalism to the contractor’s equipment. Apparently after asking about who is who in the area the contractor met a local who I know. The best bit is that money is being paid to this person for help. I choose my words wisely as I am sure you understand the reality. Amazing how money is paid and fire stops.
I could not help but notice a dark coloured metal container on the road being used as an office. There are no light to warn vehicles nor have I seen any application published asking for permission. Please can you confirm this unit is in order as I believe it is a traffic hazard?
The male resident asked me for help as the continuing rain was now entering the adjoining semi and would cause damp to his property and at worst flooding. If that was not bad enough the roof now sat prepared to be ignited as seen in over 90 previous documented examples over 2 years alone.
As there was absolutely no point in wasting time contacting the person nominated to deal with these known problems Janet Howley, the next person in command Ann Pitard was contacted. After talking to Ann it was agreed that someone would come out and inspect the roof.
By 3.30pm no repair works had begun nor had anyone been seen to be surveying. After confirming with the male resident the situation a further problem came to light. In his garden Raw sewage was now backing up in the man hole in his garden and the water level was rising. This had previously poured over the top. At the rear of the property contractors had been demolishing houses and clearing the site. It would appear that there works have resulted in destroying the main sewer again. Earlier this year WMDC had been informed that the drains on Girnhill lane that flow towards the male resident had been blocked by the contractor. After extensive excavations it was discovered that the main sewer had in fact been destroyed. To repair it would be very expensive and require a new sewer. As no evidence of a new sewer being installed has ever been seen to be carried out the residents assumed that the huge hole then dug behind the properties was to create a soak away for the streets sewage. It would appear the contractors have now crushed this temporary fix. Without delay a septic tank is required burying on the garages site at the side of the property and then connecting to these sewers. WMDC created the problem, WMDC are aware of the problem and WMDC will be responsible for flooding residents with sewage again unless immediate action is taken.
I again tried to contact Ann but could only speak to David Jones. I informed David of the situation. David agreed to look in to the matter and call me back. I received a call then from Ann. Ann informed me that someone had been to the house but had reported that there was just an odd loose slate. 18 missing and smashed tiles look nothing like a few slipped tiles. I informed Ann again fully about the problems and the new problem of raw sewage. Ann agreed to look in to what had happened and would call me back. I reminded Ann that it was getting on for 4pm and that when problems had been previously reported on a Friday that they were often un-resolved and left until Monday with an excuse that everyone had now gone home.
I received a further call from Ann just after 4pm informing me that there was indeed no one to carry out the repair. Ann asked if I knew a good local roofing company who could possibly attend. I passed on the details of someone that I knew. Ann confirmed that Bob Hall was on his way to visit the house and inspect the problems.
At 4.35pm I received a further call from Ann informing me that Bob was on the estate but could not find the property. I agreed to attend and point out the way.
Upon reaching the house I met Bob and the roofing company. The problems were pointed out. The roofing company pointed out to Bob who was holding a Chevin Housing umbrella that his company had ironically been working for Chevin all day. They had spent the end of the day in a situation where health and safety had stopped their works as they had worked for to long in the miserable conditions. WMDC had had all day to provide a roof repair. The roofing company agreed to return Saturday morning and repair the roof. This has now been done to a good standard.
The drains were shown to Bob who agreed there had been issues and that a new sewer was required. Bob agreed to have the sewer pumped out. As of Sunday we are still waiting.
As the implications of raw sewage are devastating to a healthy living environment I contacted the trading standards for advice. The reply was that I should contact WMDC environment health and the water board. As WMDC had created the problem it was bizarre to think the fault also required registering with another department. As this is the correct way to record the fault the process was started. The reference for the destroyed drains on Girnhill lane is C61845 of the date 17th July 2009.
Finally and again for the record it is apparent from the evidence that WMDC is failing in its duty of care to the residents and surrounding locals. All the problems and concerns endured by these poor people has been documented and provided to you for the last 2 years at least. Solutions such as heavy duty re-usable shutters have been ignored. So called daily patrols come and go more or less often depending on how close the fires get to actually killing someone. There are houses on the estate that have now been empty for a month and never boarded up. One house the door is unlocked and looks to have been ransacked already. The elderly gent living next door is terrified. If the arsonist does not get him he will probably get run over trying to get around the many obstacles on the pavements.
The police, fire service and arson investigation team have all agreed in front of Janet Howley that the estate is “un-fit for human habitation” and requires “24hour security”. Still nothing has changed.
A response in the form of action would be appreciated more than any words.
Regards
