Date of tour
Barnfield / Ref / Location / Issue / Action – Referred to / Outcome
14th July 2009 / BA 1 / CranleighGardens / Residents state road has not been resurfaced for past 25 yrs & would it resurfaced. Pots holes have been filled & patches replaced. Scabbing in some areas of road surface on long length of road.
Is it on this years work plan, surrounding roads have been resurfaced. / Mark Aaronson Highways Division / The carriageway in CranleighGardenshas been assessed.There is asignificant amount of crazing, andtheroad surface is irregular. The roadhas been included on a five yearprogramme to be
resurfaced. It is hoped that it will
be programmed to be surfaced in thefinancial year 2011-2012.
There is a significant number of
roads that require resurfacing .
Currently the programme has been
formulated for 2010- 2011. In
2009-2010 Luton Borough Council hasbeen allocated £1.2 million poundsfor resurfacing works. In order to maintain the network to a goodstandard it has been estimated that£10 million pounds would be requiredper annum.
14th July 2009 / BA 2 / CranleighGardens / Weeds at edge of road along whole length of road / Alex Greene
Street Services / All weeds have been removed.
14th July 2009 / BA 3 / CranleighGardensFountains Road / Cracked and broken paving slabs whole length and both sides of street / Peter Gell Highways Division / The defects are below the intervention criteria
Date of tour
Barnfield / Ref / Location / Issue / Action – Referred to / Outcome
14th July 2009 / BA 4 / 81/83 GrahamGardens alleyway / Graffiti on wall half way down alley. / Paula Morrison
Community Safety / Reported to Cleansing
14th July 2009 / BA 5 / GrahamGardens / Uneven and broken paving slabs / Peter Gell Highways Division / Defects Below Intervention Criteria
14th July 2009 / BA 6 / Bushmead RoadFairford Avenue / Speed humps recently installed are to high.
Contractor aware & will be altering height. / Jonathan Palmer
Engineering & Transportation / Completed, speed cushions rechecked and now all within tolerance.
(Jonathan Palmer – 31/07/09)
14th July 2009 / BA 7 / Tylers Mead, TempleClose, Lambourne Drive / Residents are requesting street sweepers. On visit streets were clean. Sweepers have been seen in some streets, but they bypass cul-de-sac areas.
Work programme required for Cllr. / Alex Greene, Street Cleaning
14th July 2009 / BA 8 / Bushmead Road / Bus Stop on post 29 from pavement to road can it be tarmaced? / Peter Gell Highways Division / Tarmac Area now in place
Date of tour
Barnfield / Ref / Location / Issue / Action – Referred to / Outcome
14th July 2009 / BA 9 / Bushmead Road / Bus stop opposite Medical Centre, from pavement to road can it be tarmaced. / Peter Gell
Highways Division / Tarmac Area now in place
14th July 2009 / BA 10 / 50/51 Murfield / Anti social behaviour from children of properties, police are aware. / Paula Morrison
Community Safety / Residents Association set up.
Housing Association where contacted and have been involved in tackling the issue of ASB.
14th July 2009 / BA 11 / 44/49 Murfield / General household fly tipping, hover, sofa etc / Alistair Gordon
Street Services / All refuse has been removed
14th July 2009-07-14 / BA 12 / Bushmead Estate / Dustbins once they have been emptied please could dustmen leave them back out side properties, not in a heap in the middle of the road or cul-de-sac. / Alistair Gordon
Street Services / Crews have been reminded at team meetings that all bins must be returned after emptying.
14th July 2009 / BA 13 / 52 Elmwood Crescent / Empty property what’s happening with it, residents have had enough can a compulsory purchase be made. / Phil Hanson,
Empty Homes Officer / Please see response below.

The owner of 52 Elmwood Road pays his Council Tax but he does not declare that his property is empty. When I first spoke on the telephone to the owner in November 2004, he assured me that he would put the house on the market in 2005. Every year I have had the same (updated) response from him. I have tried to persuade him by various means, including our Private Sector Leasing Scheme to bring the property back into use but without success.

He has spent money in securing the property but has been resolute in keeping the house empty despite petty vandalism, which has not given the house a good appearance.

The Council does not have many remedies to resolve the situation but those which it can pursue are Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) or an Empty Dwelling Management Order (EDMO) both of which have significant cost implications.

Currently we are committed on budget for compulsory purchase and we will pursue a Housing Association to partner a management order but this depends on whether the rent/cost of refurbishment equation works but we are seeking a legal power of forced entry to determine this but to date this is untested.

We certainly regard 52 Elmwood as being in the Top Ten of worst kept Empty Homes but we are concentrating on the worst three for which we have funding and consequently we have made Compulsory Purchase Resolutions for these with an application being made to the Secretary of State for an Order.

We are actively pursuing the EDMO route at the moment and I will keep you advised of our progress in this matter in respect of 52 Elmwood Road

I trust this assists you but if I can be of any further assistance please do not hesitate to contact me.

Regards,

Phillip Hanson

Housing Enabling Officer

(Empty Homes)

Ext. 6370