When Justice For Grenfell campaigner Moyra Samuels spoke at a public meeting at Salford Arts Theatre almost a year ago, she said "The key issue is for residents associations to find their voice"...
Tomorrow, Tuesday, 17th July at 7pm, tenants at Pendleton Together's Spruce Court will finally hold an independent meeting, supported by Greater Manchester Housing Action and Acorn, to discuss a myriad of issues that are blighting the towerblock...14 specific issues to be precise, ranging from infestations of silverfish and Larder beetles, to holes in the walls of flats, to power surges, to faulty windows, security cuts, obvious cladding problems and fire alarms installed in the wrong places...
"Tenants are complaining that they can't hear the fire alarm and that they're scared to sleep and want to move" a Spruce Court resident told the Salford Star.
The independent tenants' meeting is due to be held in the Community Room at Spruce Court but, the Salford Star was told, Pendleton Together, which manages the block for Salford City Council, has taken the keys to the Community Room off tenants...
"The Community Room has never been officially open to the tenants because the housing are stopping us using it" explained a resident "They're just trying to stop us coming together to complain. Pendleton Together are scared that if we come together we will complain about how they are treating us."
However the meeting will take place, and a spokesperson for Greater Manchester Housing Action, which is supporting the tenants along with Acorn renter's union, told the Salford Star...
"We're supporting the residents as we are concerned that social landlords are failing to listen to their tenants. We want residents to have real control over their housing. Current participation mechanisms aren't working and don't go far enough and exclude tenants from having a real say.
"Housing associations such as Pendleton Together were supposed to provide local accountability for their tenants, but their convoluted structures and bureaucracy lock tenants out" he added "Here, we have residents who want to organise. The housing association should be doing everything in their power to facilitate this. If Pendleton Together fail to support tenant participation, we want to see action from the regulator and the local authority."
Meanwhile, over in Thorn Court, similar issues persist. As well as the cladding issues, which has seen the dangerous material removed from only the first three floors of the towerblock, with smaller blocks being sorted first, fire safety and security are being questioned...
"Fire marshals were put in the nine blocks to patrol 24/7, however, we have recently found out that the so called fire marshals have only just recently had training for doing this job; what training we don't know" says Thorn Court tenant Jon Smith..
"Salford City Council and Pendleton Together then decide to install fire alarms in the tower block but these are as much use as a fire extinguisher that is empty" he adds "Why? Because the fire alarms were placed in the stairwell and not on landings. There is a fire door on each landing that acts like a sound buffer, so most residents cannot hear the alarm in their flats when they are tested each week."
Meanwhile, residents have been told to remove mats from outside their doors, even if they are fire resistant, otherwise they would be binned; and to remove plastic flower pots from alongside the building, while chairs and tables were removed from the community garden as 'fire hazards'...
Jon explains that Pendleton Together told residents that the fire service had asked the housing company to enforce these measures; however, when asked, the fire service denied this and said that Pendleton Together has taken it upon themselves to implement the rule.
Salford Council and Pendleton Together announced months ago that new fire alarms and sprinklers would be installed in every flat but, as yet, nothing has happened... "The silence is deafening" says Jon "We the residents have not been told if this is going to happen and, if so, when it will happen. And who at the end of the day is going to be picking up the cost of redecorating residents flats when every room is going to be affected?"
The actual security on the blocks is provided by Salix Homes, for which tenants in Thorn and Spruce Court pay £15.12 per week for a 24 hour manned security service, which includes checking visitors, opening vehicle gates and patrolling the building and car park. It also used to include taking in parcels for residents but that stopped recently without notice or consultation.
However, when guards are on leave, or sick, or on breaks, there is little cover, and residents argue that, firstly they are not getting the service they are paying for, and, secondly, that their safety is being compromised. Other recent issues have included a broken emergency exit door to the gardens, vehicle gates not working, leaving some residents being late for work, and intercoms not working. Jon gives a potential scenario...
"Let's suppose this happened on Thorn Court; a resident is taken ill and dials 999, the ambulance arrives at the vehicle gate, but can't get an answer from Diamond House, because the intercom is not working, and they can't contact the security lodge because the gate intercom is not working" he says.
"The ambulance crew decide a crew member needs to climb the vehicle gate, and to get the attention of Diamond House via the front door intercom, finally getting into the building to get to the 19th floor" he adds "How many vital minutes have been lost from arriving at the vehicle gate? Ten or more? And if that person who dialled 999 has had a heart attack or stroke would that ten minutes have made the difference between life and death?
"Now the ambulance crew have to get that person to the ambulance, so the driver has to drive round the block, park near the Flemish Weaver, run round to the pedestrian gate, gain entry get to the flat, help the other crew member bring the person down to ground floor and to the ambulance. Acceptable? I don't think so" he insists.
"Now change the ambulance for a fire engine, and instead of one life being in danger you have a situation that could be another Grenfell" he says "Let's suppose a fire starts on the 4th floor above the new boarding on the three floors below and that supposedly will not ignite. 22 floors, eight flats per floor, equals 176 flats, including ten to twelve wheelchair users on the upper floors and up to fifty elderly people, plus who knows how many children in the block now, and the fire service have the same problems as the ambulance service had....
"Salford City Council, Pendleton Together and Salix Homes really need to re-think the whole security situation" he concludes, listing practices that should be put in place...
*Make sure that vehicle and pedestrian gates are working 100% of the time.
* Gate and flat intercoms to be checked each week and contractors fix any faults within 24 hours, not in five to seven days as has been happening.
*That there is a back-up plan for emergency services to gain access to the block if there's no guard on site or the vehicle gate cannot be operated...that emergency services have a way to contact Diamond House if the intercom system fails, and that the fire service should be issued with a master fob so they can access any block within the Pendleton area...
"Finally" Jon adds "Salford City Council and Pendleton Together should communicate better with the residents of all blocks under their control. This is all the residents want, apart from feeling safe in their own homes..."
The Salford Star contacted Salix Homes re security, and Pendleton Together re the residents' meeting, for a comment. Salix Homes referred the matter to Salford Council, which hasn't responded any Star questions for over five years, while Pendleton Together hasn't responded at all.
Update: 11am - Acorn has just informed the Salford Star that tenants won't be allowed use of the community room as Pendleton Together needs to perform a 'fire risk assessment'... "We are exploring alternative venues nearby and if needs be will just hold it outside the building" states Acorn.
The meeting is to now be held at Pendleton Gateway