Current issues

I thought it might make sense to start listing a selection of issues currently affecting the back block of the building so things don't get forgotten.

1. New bulb for the hallway outside Flats 10 and 12. I would replace it myself if I could figure out how to open the light fitting to do so!

The light also seems to have failed last night outside my flat number 19.

I haven't looked at the light fitting closely, but can't see on the outside any obvious way to remove the fitting.

Noted - I think some of the walls need a touch up

Abi - Any update on how long NHBC work will take to complete at the back entrance?

They're coming out on Monday (10th) but Im not entirely sure if that is just an assessment by the specialist damp company or if it is exploratory work!! Ill let you know when they've been.

Ok NHBC update....

It seems the smell has been caused by the ground floor waterproof membrane being in contact with the plasterboard on the right hand wall (this includes in the cupboard) as you enter the building from the car park. The stud walls are therefore acting as a wick to any moisture and harbouring a damp smell - worse in the cupboard due to a lack of ventilation.

Assuming we are covered for the repair work (I can't see this being rejected):

They will remove the current scree covering the floor (the small portion at the bottom of the stairs) ensure an adequate ventilation gap is maintained between the waterproof membrane and the plasterboard and hopefully the smell will be resolved.

I will let you know if any work is agreed/further details as and when I find out.

Thanks for the update Abi, that is good to know. I can't imagine that they would have any problem with the claim as it is clearly a building defect.

thanks for the update Abi - let me know if you encounter any problems

Hi Everyone

NHBC have confirmed works are covered and have scheduled work to commence week beginning 28th Sept.

They are not entirely sure how long this will take but as carpets will have to be lifted and new membranes laid it is possible the car park entrance door may be temporarily out of use at some point during that week.


Abi

Hi everyone, we are Kate & Damien in apt 9.

Has anyone else seen the council notice on the post at the entrance of our car park? I think is basically says that the private entrance of the car park will become property of the council unless the owner or residents submit objections - unless ive mis-interpreted it. Has anyone from the back block received a letter from the council about it??

Also does anyone know who holds a key for our meter cupboards? Our cupboard on the front block was unlocked for ages but now it is locked just when i need to do my meter reading??!

Hi Kate & Damon,

I have not seen the notice outside but will try and have a look asap.

Re the meter cupboards, I managed to obtain a key from the liquidators (which I got cut) for the back block. Your welcome to try that to see if it works on the front block too?

Let me know anyway, I live in apt 15.

Thanks Steve - i'll try & catch you over the weekend & see if it works.

Hi everyone and welcome Kate and Damon.

I have been on holiday for a couple of weeks but am back now and will be getting caught up with emails and work, etc. I too will have a look at the council notice. I certainly haven't had anything from them about this in the post or any other way.

The council did seem to re-tarmac the carpark entry a month or two ago when they put up the bollards on the corner. Perhaps the notice relates to that work?

I would *guess* that they are responsible for everything up to the edge of the footprint of the land the building is built on, but that everything else beyond that was owned by the owner of the freehold/leasehold.

I'll take a look at the notice over the weekend.

Charlie (Flat 12)

Hi All,

A couple of days ago the Fire/Smoke detector at the top of the back block stairwell seems to have been vandalised. It was while I was out and so am not sure when it was done.

This maybe related but hopefully not to when I have been getting home shortly after 3:30pm this week seeing a young boy from the SYHA complex climbing up over the fence between us and the Mason's Arms car park into our inner courtyard. He has been quite noisy as he makes quite a noise walking over the gravel in the central courtyard, has anyone else seen him ?. He generally seems to make a bee line for the front block as their door to the courtyard doesn't seem to lock anymore and I hear the door slam as he goes into the front block. A few times I have seen the two children from the front block who play in the inner courtyard come out to play and this seems to drive the youngster away as have seen him coming and going 1 day at least 3 times over the wall between 3:30pm and 5pm. He is quite short in build and have also seen him a few times climbing into the skips at the back of the Mason's Arms to salvage carpets etc to take back to the SYHA complex. I think especially for the front block this is a serious security issue and he is definately gaining access to that block.

Hopefully he hasn't gained access to the back block, but the broken Fire/Smoke detector maybe a sign he has got in if he has found the door on the inner courtyard unlocked as I have found it not properly closed once and once is all it takes for them to gain access and get upto mischief or worse. The shocking thing is that the youngster seems to climb over the fence and enter the front block as bold as brass without a care of been spotted as if he has every right to be entering private property. This maybe a sign of the times as in a world that is PC mad, I've heard that youngsters are virtually immune to any law as for 1 any attempt to stop them theiving is abusing their right to make some money and 2 any physical attempt to prevent them is viewed as child abuse which would be a bad idea anyway as don't want to challenge even a youngster and find out they are armed.

Anyway hope I haven't scared you all. I have to admit when seen this youngster climbing over the fence have thought of calling Police, but unless they catch them on the spot which is unlikely the Police can't do much and saying know what they look like and from SYHA complex unfortunately isn't good enough as Police have said there are too many properties in the SYHA complex to identify a youngster unless they know the exact address they live.

Anyway think this needs to be sorted out somehow as I hate the idea I have to admit of a youngster climbing over at will into our flats, it's an invasion of our privacy and security and needs to be stamped out.

P.S If this youngster by the way has a legitimate reason for visiting someone in the front block, don't think this is the case but if it is whoever they are visiting could you tell them not to climb over the fence and use the normal way of visiting by been buzzed in at the front entrance.

Have also posted the above to front block bit, as if a problem is more of an issue there as youngster has got in I know there.

Thanks for posting that Jason. Now that I am back I will keep an eye out for the kid climbing over the fence. I haven't seen him in the past other than one time when he was walked down the back wall of the building a few months back.

I guess the best solution for this for the moment would be to fix the lock on the front block courtyard door to prevent him being able to get into the building. Perhaps this could be added to the list of outstanding work to be completed? I appreciate this might add a bit more to the cost of the fixes but it should only need part of a replacement lock at a guess rather than a whole new lock and keys.

What was done to the back block fire alarm? I haven't had a chance to go up there and see it.

Thanks for the update Jason.

I had a look at the notices from the council on the telephone pole next to the car park entrance.

You can see them here:
https://2img.net/r/ihimizer/img297/70/photoch.jpg

and here:
https://2img.net/r/ihimizer/img101/2852/photo2a.jpg

I am by no means a legal expert but it sounds to me like the council is saying that they will look after the small section of road from the edge of the carriageway itself to the edge of the gates from now onwards.

The section shown on the map does seem like a strange area as some of it appears to be behind the wall of the car park.

Any thoughts?

Hope the pics help.

Charlie

Lol Charlie, just as you have posted I've just had out the Police.

I'd popped into my bedroom overlooking the place where they sell cars and I saw the same scallywag as has been over our fence trying to break into an outbuilding there.

Couldn't believe what I was seeing and as he'd only just started wasn't sure who to ring so rang 101. While on phone to police he got some sort of metal bar and was trying to force something. A friend a few mins later called out to him shouting Darren and this caused him to climb on top of the outbuidling and try to force open a panel on it's roof.

Lets hope the police get the little so and so as will be glad to see him gone:). He's definately a little thieving beggar :(.

Oh my god, didn't expect to see the little so and so, so soon after posting and upto so much mischief and in broad daylight.

Anyway I agree the door needs fixing and maybe we need to think about something to prevent unwanted visitors over the fence from the Mason's Arms car park as it's shown a security weakness there. Basically I don't think anyone wants unwanted visitors going round at will climbing over our fence and gaining access of any sort to what should be a private restricted area for Primrose House residents and legitimate visitoirs even to the inner courtyard. Not sure maybe some barbed wire or spikes of some sort might be a wise investment. Anyway need to discuss this I think, my vote is for keeping the little so and so's out though the best way we can :).

As regards the Fire Alarm not sure if it's been broken and doesn't work any more or is just outer housing been vandalised.

Anyway lets hope we don't have any more trouble from the little so and so and he's been caught and sent far far away

I have also seen that boy jumping over the fence - i saw i glimpse of him Friday morning at 7:15am whilst i was getting ready for work! again he went in the front block and i didnt see him after that. I thought i might see him go back to a house on the SYHA complex - i may have just missed him. Did anyone see the police in our courtyard on Saturday afternoon?? By the time I got downstairs they had gone. They might have been after the same lad?

Count us in for contributing to fixing the lock for the front block, the sooner the better as i dont want it to be a hangout for kids now the dark nights are starting. I also agree we need to do something to stop the kids climbing over the fence and on the pub roof

Kate

Kate, no not seen the Police in the courtyard on Saturday Afternoon as was in Nottingham all afternoon, so not sure what that was about.

Also haven't seen early morning stuff as not normally up myself at 7:15am, if I get up before 9 it's because I have to get ready for work and I focus on that as I always stay in bed as long as possible :).

Between 3:30-5pm though I'm wandering round with a coffee after work depending when I get back, so seen him mainly then climbing into our courtyard last week. Also seen him often in Mason's Arms car park and SYHA complex.

Hopefully we can sort something out to make Primrose House more secure, as this boy is definately someone we want to keep out.

I think the annoying and most shocking thing is that he does what he does in broad daylight with no regard to been seen by anyone. He's not even trying to stay concealed in anyway, he just goes where he wants regardless of whether he is allowed there or not and if sees an opportunity to steal something or break in will do it.

Just a thought the inner courtyard lock on the door to the front block might have been broken by him at an earlier date, to allow him access when he wanted later. Not sure how long the lock has been broken.

Anyway hopefully we can get something sorted out sooner rather than later, as don't want anything bad happening due to this boy or any other unwanted visitor gaining internal access to Primrose House.

The lock on the front block courtyard door has been broken for quite some time now (at least a year I would estimate) so I don't think he is connected to that.

The people at the SYHA seem to be change fairly regularly becuase it is supposed to be temporary housing rather than long term. We should certainly be doing our bit to restrict access to the courtyard though.

Ok doesn't sound like the front block courtyard door is related. Was sure soon after I moved in it was okay then stopped been locked, but haven't used it much to be honest and I might have been putting the key in expecting it to be locked when it was already unlocked and not needing a key to unlock :).

Yep I have heard from people I know in area that it's temporary housing for those that are for various reasons homeless.

I haven't looked at the cost of various options, but have some spare time later this week and will pop into a DIY store to get an idea of options and costs. Think barbed wire might look a bit harsh, anyway a DIY store will advise best options with pros and cons. Think we need something as having potential thefts etc is something best to try to prevent before it happens.

I saw the kid climb over the fence the other day from the back of the pub in broad day light. Perhaps some barbed wire might be in order??? Do not no if we can legally do that but it would certainly deter him.

Re the police on Saturday afternoon, I was leaving the front block entrance to go into hillsborough and they were hovering outsite. They asked if I culd let them in and being the police I duly obliged. I asked them what it was in relation to and all they would say is they were wanting to speak to the residents of Flat 5? One thing to note is they asked me if the apartment block was 226. As i live on the back block known as 95 Cuthbert bank Road, I wasn't sure if the front block is 226, so it might have been the other block of flats further down?

I was already running late at this point so didn't hang around to find out any more.

Steve

Hi,

What about Anti-Climb Paint - see link below

http://www.newventureproducts.co.uk/anti_climb.htm

Its fairly cheap and will make a mess of the kids clothes so i dont think he'll try jumping the fence/wall again. It comes in black or grey and can be used on brick, wood and metal. Not sure if its only available online.

Thanks

Hi Everyone

Ive just read the thread....seems that we are going to have a problem with this kid. I think a priority would be to repair the lock - and then worry about barbed wire etc if it is still necessary (although the paint does also sound good). I think if he is unable to access anywhere once in the courtyard he will soon become deterred.

Id also encourage people to ring 101 (non-emergency police line) when/if they see him to see if he can be caught in the act

Meanwhile Ive contacted the fire brigade to see if we can have the smoke/heat alarm tested in the back block (as that one is responsible for opening the stair windows in the event of a fire).

Abi

Hi All,

Just been checking and someone has suggested using carpet gripper along the top of the fence as it's nasty stuff to grab hold of and is recommened by police as is legal. A problem maybe that some cloth would prevent injury if someone was determined to climb over the fence.

Wickes sell Barbed wire http://www.wickes.co.uk/Garden-Barbed-Wire/invt/187734 at £11.73 for 25 metres.

The legality of spikes is questionable btw as while a good deterant, can be fatally so.

Oh yep saw someone I knew while out and they said where they work they use razor wire on fences and that is legal.