Boscombe Crescent - Railings or not?

There has been much discussion recently about the new plans for Boscombe Crescent. The plans were drawn up after several consultative workshops and a successful request for 50k from the council.

When the plans were submitted for planning permission there was an objection from a local resident who felt that the railings would not make the area feel safer as desired and may instead make people feel hemmed in and unlikely to walk through the area and more likely to walk around the area.

One point also made was that the railings put up in St James Square around 5 years ago to improve the area are soon to be removed at the request of residents to make the area more opened up and welcoming.

There are now going to be 3 plans drawn up and consulted on. With railings, with partial railings and with no railings.

The consultation will be at a meeting on 1pm on Saturday, 5th February in the Partnership Office, Roumelia Lane.  And on the 12th February the Parks Team will be on the Crescent asking people using the site for their opinions.

Do I live in a “House in Multiple occupancy” ?

You may be living in an HMO if you live in a house or flat that is occupied by more than one household. This could include: Bedsits, houses and flatshares, with separate tenancy agreements, hostels and B&B’s that are not just for holidays.

It is not always easy to work out whether you live in an HMO or not. If unsure, contact us.

HMO landlord responsibilities

fire safety alarms in place

property not to be overcrowded

adequate cooking and washing facilities

communal areas and shared facilities are clean and in good repair

enough rubbish bins.

HMO’s need to be registered with the council if at least three storeys high and containing five or more people. The council will consider if the property is large enough for the occupants and well managed.

A landlord can be prosecuted if their HMO falls within this definition but is not registered with the council.

Housing

Housing
Housing is the issue which underpins most of the problems in Boscombe. Poor planning over many years has led to a dominance of single person units and bedsits.
The Lib Dems in Boscombe are making representations to make sure that planners understand the impact of allowing one type of housing to dominate, and plan for a more mixed community in the future.
Zero tolerance for Rogue landlords
Poorly managed housing is blighting our area. We want to hear from you if your housing is substandard. Your examples can give us the evidence we need to show that change needs to happen. If your house is classed as a “House in Multiple occupancy” your landlord may require a licence and have extra responsibilities to keep your home in a safe condition.
See our guide to find out more 

Cleaner Streets

The Liberal Democrat team, are campaigning for better disposal of large items and better arrangements for bins. We have some of the highest charges in the country to get rid of large items, and with few people having cars in the area people cannot get to the tip. Lisa has been pushing for cheaper ways to dispose of large items.
The storage and management of bins in the most densely populated parts of Boscombe mean there is often up to eight bins outside each house. Storage is difficult and unsightly and contaminated bins are not collected. We don’t think this is good enough. The Lib Dems are taking action on this.
We want to see less bins with bigger capacity, and shared bins in the area’s where this is a problem, making the streets look less cluttered and cleaner.

Public Safety

There has been a concerted effort in recent years to address the problems of crime in the area and this has resulted in a decrease in crime which is testimony to everyones hard work in the area. We cannot afford to be complacent.
The team all live in the area and like many of you have been witness to, or the victim of crime. Lib Dems want to see Boscombe continued to be prioritised for action and will fight the needs of our area as budgets are cut amongst all agencies.
Your councillor, Lisa has supported police and community action on drugs and prostitution, and she speaks up for the most vulnerable, so that the elderly, women and children can feel safe walking in their neighbourhood.
Lisa urges residents to continue to report their concerns to the Safer Neighbourhood Team and to her as this intellegence is valuable in tackling crime in the area.
Safer Neighbourhood team: 01202 222222
Cllr Lisa Northover: 07515 355982

Inadequate toilet facilities and washing facilities

Landlords of Houses of Multiple occulancy have extra responsibilities

The landlord's most important responsibilities are to ensure that:

proper fire safety measures are in place

the property is not overcrowded

there are adequate cooking and washing facilities

communal areas and shared facilities are clean and in good repair

there are enough rubbish bins.

These rules exist to ensure that people living in HMOs have access to decent facilities and to reduce the risk of fire. If you are experiencing problems contact the environmental health department of your local council and they may assess your property under The Housing Health Safety Rating System. This aims to ensure that your home doesn't have any serious hazards, and allows a council to take action against landlords whose properties are dangerous. find out more...

These photo's are of the shares washing facilities in a local HMO, the front door of the HMO is not very secure so it is also easy for the property to be accessed by non residents. 


Please contact us with your experience and stories so we can raise the standards of housing in Boscombe

Unacceptable housing

We are concentrating on housing standards at the moment and looking at problems people experience with their housing. Whilst talking to residents in some flats today I came across a needle left on a stairwell.  I have reported this to environmental health.

Please let us know if you are experiencing these or other problems with your housing.