Members of VRA/VRSG and RVRA, also Suzan Veale of Mid White Sloane met Karen Gray LPL and David Foster Site Manager. The 2007 service charge budget was discussed.

You will see a copy of this attached to this notification.

As you will see we agreed on the budget and fought hard to have removed the items that should NOT have been put onto the service charge. 350 dumped fridges in the old NAAFI. This is Caseacre’s property not ours. Also we find it extremely hard to believe that 301 properties have managed to dump 350 fridges.

The 5% added should not have been added as it quite clearly states in the Johnson report that 9% is already built in.

We have not agreed to support LPL in an LVT action. The cost of which we are sure will simply inflate the service charge even further.

We also queried why LPL thought it was necessary to have a three tier management, i.e. Nick Faulkner, Karen Gray, David Foster. Surely we do not need an on site manager. Money is short, therefore why waste it?

Many items were removed due to the fact that they are on the 2006 budget. After all how many times can you pay for a roof overlay?

The 2006 service charge budget was not discussed.

You will all by now have received a letter from Karen Gray. LPL insist that they have spoken to Hampshire County Council and that there is no money for the regeneration of the Village. This then begs the question as to why the newspapers had it as front page news on the day of the election. Something we will be taking up legally as the statement was from Mark Hook leader of the Tory party, we all assumed that this was the truth. At a meeting with LPL a month ago the two Tory councillors advised us that there would be an announcement in a matter of weeks. Now we are told that there is NO regeneration.

The VRA have fought long and hard for justice on this estate. Now is the time for us ALL to work together. To push forward and make this estate a happy healthy place in which we can live.

We are told that there is no money in the service charge. We are told that services will stop i.e. security, cleaning and the insurance. This will then cause the landlord to be in breach of the lease. We are in correspondence with LPL and our legal advisors over this state of affairs.

One question we must ask LPL is are they prepared to step down and let another company take over. Most people that answered our survey replied that they did NOT trust LPL. This issue MUST be addressed. We fail to understand why LPL fought so hard to retain management of this estate, when we applied for a new manager last November. Considering we always seem to be in same position of no money in the account.!!!!

We have asked for an open meeting for all residents with LPL. Karen Gray has said that one will be held in September. We will be pushing for date as we realise that some people work shifts and others are absent landlords that need time to arrange their schedule.

People in arrears for the years 2003, 2004, 2005 should bring there service charge account up to date.

If you feel the need to fit CCTV cameras to your property there are a few rules that govern their usage.

If your camera over looks private or public places you could face prosecution for breaking the data protection act and privacy laws

The camera must only show images of your property - to clarify, this means you can not show imagines of the walk ways

CCTV camera users have to register with the UK's Information Commissioner (formerly the Data Protection Registrar) at a cost of £35 per year. Failure to register is an offence.

The UK law also covers computers and webcams.

Andrew Dodds.

VRA/VRSG Vice chairman.

WATER PUMP

Many thanks to VRSG/VRA committee member Mrs Joan Hussey who has worked tirelessly with the help of the water company to solve the water pressure problem in the high rise. At last people now have a decent water pressure in their flats. (N.B. LPL actually made no effort to rectify the water problem at all, just like the lifts)

Also we have, with the assistance of our legal team been successful in having the £20,000 removed from the service charge, Everyone should now have received the new bill for the 2006 service charge.

This being the 3rd service charge issued for 2006.

We are still working hard and we are in constant discussions with our legal team as to the most effective way forward for us "the residents" regarding the new works paid for in our service charge bills and as yet NOT even started.

We are greatly concerned as to the whereabouts of the many thousands of pounds already paid over the past years.

PLEASE SUPPORT US IN OUR EFFORTS FOR JUSTICE AND A BETTER WAY OF LIFE FOR ALL RESIDENTS OF THE VILLAGE.

Andrew Dodds.

VRA/VRSG Vice chairman.

PLEASE SEE THE 'ESTATE MATTERS' PAGE FOR DETAILS OF NEW VILLAGE MANAGEMENT OFFICE HOURS, LOCATION AND OTHER INFORMATION

..oh and one more thing! - here is a bar chart of the service charges we have been paying over the last 8 years - see a pattern? This is why the stolid and loyal group of contributors to the VRSG fund have been paying - it will benefit us ALL!

Anyone who lives in The Village is welcome to join the VRA, but there is no obligation. The ANNUAL fee is £5 which goes towards funding this web page, stationary, phone etc. There will be an AGM each year. Additional meetings will be called as and when there is information to pass to the residents in a formal setting. In the meantime, this web page will be updated as often as necessary and will hopefully answer some of your questions.

We in the VRA/VRSG refuse to use this website for petty bickering. Only true facts will printed. Any queries any member of the VRA or VRSG wish to make please ask a committee member (see the feedback page for contact details). If you prefer please ring and we will be pleased to answer your questions. Please do not lose sight of our true fight and that is to have the work done that we have paid for to a decent standard. To improve our standard of living to raise house prices We are not receiving the correct monies from Caseacre nor have the monies owed to us from previous years been returned. The people in the high rise have borne the brunt of this. They have had no lifts for a third year now. They have leaking roofs from the aerials and water leaks onto some of the stairwells causing lights to short out. They cannot have the stairwell decorated until a firm that specialises in asbestos mends the cracks. We applaud these people for there stamina and grit. These are the things that we all need to remember we are fighting for. The small unofficial group that tries at every effort we make to decry us are only hurting the people on this estate. We do not understand their agenda. We find nothing for which to thank our freeholder .

PLEASE SUPPORT US TO SUPPORT EACH OTHER.

Our Village - our flats.

last updated 10th June 2007