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Building new council homes

Free Home Security p3Getting Involved p14New Grey Bin Size p17New Build p19

westlothian.gov.uk

West Lothian

informing and involving West Lothian’s tenants

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Bridgend new build site

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The rent you payA 3% increase has recently been agreed by the Council, and your rent will rise by this amount from April 2016. So, for example, if you were paying £66.20 per week, your rent will now be £68.18, an increase of £1.98 per week.

Your rent is important as it pays for routine repairs and allows planned capital investment works to existing houses. For example in 2015/16 your rent money paid for the following works to be undertaken.

In addition, your rent is paying towards the building of 1,000 new council houses.We are committed to off ering good value for money and in 2015/16 our agreed rent increase was comparable with the Scottish average of 2.66%. In 2015 the results from our tenant satisfaction survey showed that 85% of our

tenants agreed the rent they paid represented good value for money, an increase of 1% from the previous year. This compared favourably with the Scottish average satisfaction rate of 76.8%.We appreciate that many people are under fi nancial pressure and may be struggling to pay their household bills. If you fi nd yourself in this

situation, it is essential that you get in touch with your local housing offi cer or the council’s Advice Shop – help and advice is available.Our staff are working very hard to off er help and support to tenants to help them pay their rent, and to claim any benefi ts that they may entitled to. However, we can only do this if tenants get in touch.

Number of Properties

273775136

3000157557

1250500506019720090

56 (entire blocks)

Type of Works

Roof and / or RenderBoiler UpgradesWindow replacementsRhone cleaning and repairsFencing replacementExternal Painting Electrical Inspections to properties Installation of smoke detectors External lighting to housesKitchen/bathroom replacementsInternal decoration (Assisted Decoration Scheme)Cavity fi ll and loft insulationHome Security SchemeCommon stair upgrades (doors, painting and fl ooring)

Contact us on 01506 280000, visit one of our local CIS offi ces

or email customer.service@westlothian.gov.uk for more information

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The services which have located to the service centre are: Building Services, Records Management, Heritage, Archives, Museums, and the Community Inclusion Team and workshop.

Co-locating teams in modern energy effi cient buildings is a key element of the council’s Property Asset Management Strategy. Managing property assets is a key driver of service transformation and contributes to fi nancial savings

for the council. Achieving savings are particularly important as West Lothian Council’s budget gap over a three-year period is nearly £34 million.

Executive councillor for services for communities, George Paul commented “Building Services, the council’s in-house building contractor, is now fully operational at the centre. The service includes two teams: the Contracts Team which undertakes project works

associated with the Housing and General Services capital programmes, and the Repairs Team which carries out responsive repairs and maintenance to both housing and non-housing properties.

“Customer Services staff who answer calls about housing repairs have co-located with Building Services. Overall, the new centre will help to greatly improve the service we off er our customers.”

Contact us on 01506 280000, visit one of our local CIS offi ces

or email customer.service@westlothian.gov.uk for more information

Free Home Security SchemeEveryone over 60 living in West Lothian are eligible to apply for a range of simple home security measures to be fi tted to their home.

For more information or to request an application form, pop into your local Customer Information Service offi ce (see back page for details) or contact the Customer Service Centre:

Tel: 01506 280000

Email: customer.service@westlothian.gov.uk

This scheme is available to owner-occupiers, council tenants, housing association tenants and private rented tenants. (If your landlord is someone other than West Lothian Council, you will be required to seek their permission prior to applying for the scheme). All installations are free of charge and will be undertaken by the Council’s Building Services Operatives. The installation team will off er advice to applicants to establish the most convenient location for the measures to be installed.

Applicants can benefi t from having the following security measures put in place:

1. Motion activated security light

2. Phone intercom system

3. Window locks throughout the home (timber windows only)

4. Door chain (timber doors only)

5. Door spy hole

Only one of each security measure can be installed per property.

Once the measures have been installed, the Council will repair or replace any faulty components for one year for council tenants only. (Owner occupiers, housing association or private rented tenants will be responsible for all maintenance post installation).

Building services moves into new Kirkton service centre The council’s new Kirkton Service Centre at Kirkton Campus, Livingston, is now operational. The building has been refurbished to provide a modern and effi cient working environment for six council services

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John Cleary

Good Neighbour Award

This year several tenants and residents were nominated by their neighbours who wanted to give recognition for the help they receive throughout the year. The judging was carried out by the members of our Tenants Panel and the winners were invited to attend the Tenants and Residents Fun Day to be presented with their framed Good Neighbour Certifi cates and bouquets of fl owers by Tenant Panel members, Vera Robertson and Jessie Duncan.

This year’s winners were:

In the Autumn edition of Tenants’ News, we asked you to nominate a neighbour you felt deserved recognition for their thoughtfulness and consideration towards others. Each one of the nominations received came from neighbours who wanted to say ‘thank you’ for the help, support and friendship they receive from their good neighbours.

John Cleary, WhitburnLouise Kelly, Livingston Kathleen Wilson, West Calder

Kathleen Wilson

Louise KellyThe Tenants Panel found it very diffi cult to pick an overall winner, however, after much debate, it was decided that John Cleary was awarded this year’s accolade and received an additional gift of £50 in shopping vouchers, as well as fl owers and his framed certifi cate.

The Tenants Panel would like to thank all those who took the time to nominate their good neighbours for this award.

Living well at home with dementiaA new information booklet ‘Living Well at Home with Dementia’, which is aimed at helping people with dementia, their family and carers, as well as professionals who provide support, is now available online.

The booklet recognises how important it is for people to remain as independent and active as possible and the positive eff ect this has on their health and wellbeing.

Designed in easy to read sections it outlines the issues which people with dementia, their families and carers may encounter in the home environment, and in the wider community. Possible sources of further help and advice are also included along with some practical solutions.

Executive councillor for health and care Anne McMillan commented: “I would like to congratulate the Community Occupational Therapists who developed the ‘Living Well at Home with Dementia’ booklet, which is packed with helpful information and advice. Receiving a diagnosis of dementia, experiencing memory loss or changes to your behaviour can be frightening and overwhelming.

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John Cleary

Similarly, caring for someone with dementia can be a demanding task.

The key message in this booklet is that you don’t have to do it on your own. There is help available from health and social services, voluntary organisations, and charities such as Alzheimer Scotland.”

There was a wide variety of information stalls on off er, provided by the council and their partners, highlighting the many services available to those living in West Lothian.

Free refreshments were on off er, along with tours around the Council Chambers, Scottish Courts and their cells.

There were children’s activities, including face painting, magician, balloon modelling, cake decorating and a loom band workshop. These proved to be very popular, with lots of happy, artistically painted faces running around!

Councillor George Paul commented, “It was good to see so many people attending and enjoying the day. There was lots of useful information on off er about the help and support that is available to West Lothian tenants and residents”.

Saturday 10 October saw the return of the annual Tenants and Residents Fun Day in West Lothian’s Civic Centre.

Tenants Fun andInformation Day

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The questions we ask make sure we collect the type of information our tenants have told us is important to them, and to the Scottish Housing Regulator – who want to know our tenants views on how we are performing. We will work on ways to improve where any comments we have received suggest a need for us to do things differently, or where our performance has dipped from the year before. In 2015 the number of responses to the survey from tenants more than doubled compared with 615 received in 2014, and we have provided the result below along with those from 2014 for comparison. We have also given the Scottish Average for questions that every local housing authority provides each year to the Scottish Housing Regulator’s Annual Return on the Charter.

Tenant Satisfaction in 2014-15 Every year the service carries out our Annual Tenant Satisfaction Survey to find out how our tenants feel about the quality of the service we deliver to them. This involves sending a survey to every tenant in a council house (over 13,000 people).

The five lucky winners of the free prize draw for £100 worth of supermarket vouchers were:

Mr T Kerr, Whitburn, Mrs A Wood, Greenrigg,Ms J McKeown, Whitburn, Mr W Wark, Bathgate and Mr Cunningham, West Calder

2014QuestionFrom the 1,402 responses received, the figures given include the % of customers who responded ‘Satisfied or Very Satisfied’

Taking everything into account how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the overall service provided by your landlord?

Do you find it easy to contact the Council about your home?

How good or poor do you feel your landlord is at keeping you informed about their services and decisions?

How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the opportunities given to you to participate in your landlord’s decision making processes?

Overall how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the quality of your home?

Thinking about the last time you had repairs carried out how satisfied or dissatisfied were you with the repairs service provided by your landlord?

Overall, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with your landlord’s management of the neighbourhood you live in?

Do you feel safe in your home?

Do you feel safe in your local neighbourhood?

Taking into account the accommodation and services your landlord provides, do you think the rent for this property represents good or poor value for money?

87%

77%

85%

68%

83%

85%

75%

85%

80%

85%

84%

Not a charter question

81%

70%

83%

87%

81%

Not a charter question

Not a charter question

74%

1)

2)

3)

4)

5)

6)

7)

8)

9) 10)

90%

88%

86%

72%

84%

85%

78%

90%

84%

84%

2015 Scottish Average

These results have meant that we have identified a number of improvements we want to make in the following areas: • Makingiteasierfortenantstocontactourserviceabouttheirhomebyincreasingouronlineoptionsandensuringtenantscanget

intouchwithourlocalstaffwhentheyneedthem• Increasingtheopportunitiesavailabletogetinvolvedinhowwemakedecisionsthroughoptionsinthenewtenantparticipation

strategy,socialmediaandcommunityevents• WorkingwithourpartnersintheCommunitySafetyUnittoensuretenantsfeelsafeintheirhomesbyprioritisingtacklingcrime

anddisorderwithincommunities

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Tenant Satisfaction in 2014-15 Tenant Led Inspections For many years council tenants and residents have taken an active role in helping the Council shape the services we deliver by taking part in Tenant Led inspections. This provides customers with an opportunity to scrutinise particular areas, make recommendations for improvement, which ultimately result in a better service for all.

Recently, three of our inspectors revisited the Council’s Enhanced Estates Management (EEM) service to ensure the recommendations made in their initial inspection had been adopted and were being carried out on a regular basis.

This service is available to those customers living in flats with communal stairs and landings. The inspectors were keen to ensure first-hand that their previous recommendations had significantly improved services for fellow tenants living in communal flatted areas.

The areas visited were:-

n Whitburn: The Avenue, Dick Gardens, North Reeves Place

n Blackridge: Park Road

n Blackburn: Whiteside Road and Beechwood Gardens.

The inspectors were delighted to see the recommendations they had made had been carried out. The overall impression was that all flatted areas visited had benefited from the inspection process and new measures put in place had improved the communal stairwells and landings.

Here is a brief summary of their findings:

n tenants responsibility regarding dumping of rubbish in closes and landings

n cleaning standards for communal areas were being followed

n up to date local information displayed

n cleaning standard check sheet (evidenced in all areas that this process was carried out on a weekly basis)

n there was evidence of the Council aware stickers being used to alert tenants that repairs had been reported.

n capital programme work had been carried out in all areas visited

n entrances and pathways were repaired and kept clean and tidy

n communal bins had been introduced to most areas and were kept clean and tidy.

The time lapse for the revisit allowed Inspectors the opportunity to see major capital works had been completed showing much improvement and investment in the properties. The inspectors were informed that all communal stairwells had received a fire retardant paint coat and they were happy to see that the standard of cleanliness had improved.

However, inspectors were disappointed to see that a few gardens were untidy, with some litter and household rubbish lying around and bins were left out on the street. This is not the responsibility of the EEM team, but tenants own responsibility to ensure they keep their gardens tidy.

If you would like to take part in some aspects of Tenant Participation please get in touch with

the TP team: Email: TP@westlothian.gov.uk or telephone: 01506 281882, 281885 or 281073

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Who is affected?The fi rst group to be aff ected are single people who are unemployed and seeking work.

How do I claim Universal Credit?Universal Credit is claimed online. Your Jobcentre and local library can help you access the internet to make your claim.

What information do I need to prepare for my Universal Credit claim?When you claim Universal Credit online, you need to provide an address for your landlord. To allow us to help deal with your claim quickly, use;Housing, Construction and Building Services, Civic Centre, Howden South Road, LivingstonWest Lothian, EH54 6FF

You will also need to provide details of income and savings, National Insurance Number, bank details and contact details. You will also need to verify your rent costs. For help with this please visit your local CIS offi ce or phone 01506 280000Email: customer.service@westlothian.gov.uk

How will I receive Universal Credit?Universal Credit will be paid monthly into your bank account. This means you’ll have to start managing your money across the whole month.

Do I have the right bank account?Your bank, building society, or credit union account must be able to receive automated payments. You will fi nd it useful to set up Direct Debits and standing orders for bills like your rent and utilities.

What if I pay rent?If you pay rent - this will be included in your monthly Universal Credit payment. It will be your responsibility to pay the full amount to your landlord directly. To help manage your rent and make a rent payment arrangement, please contact your local housing offi ce on 01506 280000.

What else can I do to prepare for Universal Credit?Draw up a budget to help plan your fi nances anda list of all your income and outgoings. Universal Credit will be paid monthly in arrears so you need to plan for this. We recommend setting up Direct Debits for regular bills, like your rent.

Where can I get more support and advice?Your local Jobcentre and The Advice Shop in Bathgate can provide more support and advice. For more information visit the DWP website:www.gov.uk/universal-credit

Universal CreditThe UK government introduced Universal Credit in November for people who are out of work or on a low income. It will eventually replace many of the benefi ts and tax credits you may be getting at the moment, including; Income-based JSA, Income-related ESA, Income Support, Child Tax Credit, Working Tax Credit and Housing Benefi t.

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There are a number of easy ways for tenants to pay their rent. The only thing we ask is that rent must be paid weekly, fortnightly or monthly in advance, as set out in your tenancy agreement.

By Direct DebitYou can arrange to pay your rent by Direct Debit by either.• Visiting www.westlothian.gov.uk and click

on “Pay for It”.• Calling our Customer Service Centre on 01506 282020 (option 4).• Dropping in to one of our local CIS offi ces.

OnlineUsing your debit/credit card - log onto www.westlothian.gov.uk and select “Pay for It”.

By TelephoneYou can call our 24 hour automated payment line on 01506 282407 using your debit/credit card. Staff in local housing offi ces can also process a payment for you; just call 01506 280000 and ask to speak to your housing offi cer.

At any Post Offi ceYou can make a payment at any Post Offi ce using your rent payment card. (Payments may take up to fi ve working days to process).

Rent can be paid in the following ways:

At any Post Offi ceYou can make a payment at any Post Offi ce using your rent payment card. (Payments may take up to fi ve working days to process).

easy ways to pay your rent

Payzone You can pay your rent at any Payzone outlet (please ensure that you have your payment card with you). To fi nd your nearest Payzone outlet check out www.payzone.co.uk and click on Store Locator. Alternatively you can call the Council’s Customer Service Centre on 01506 280000.

At any main Customer Information Service (CIS) CentreYou can pay by cash, cheque or debit/credit card. Here is a list of where to fi nd your nearest council offi ce:• Armadale – 1-3 East Main Street• Bathgate Partnership Centre – South Bridge Street• Broxburn Strathbrock Partnership Centre – West Main Street• Livingston – West Lothian Connected, Almondvale

Centre• Whitburn – 5 East Main Street

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01506 280000 and ask to speak to your housing offi cer.

At any Post Offi ceYou can make a payment at any Post Offi ce using your rent payment card. (Payments may take up to fi ve working days to process).

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Clearly if the council has to do more work to the returned property, this can result in delays, which means it can take longer to re-let the property to an applicant who wishes to move in; and there is greater cost to all tenants as work is paid for out of rental income.

The photographs show some examples of the state properties are being returned.

When the keys are handed in we are required to:

• Clear the property, involving specialist cleaners if required

• Test for asbestos

• Test the gas and electric systems

• Repair and bring the property up to the “Void Standard”.

The “Void Standard” defi nes the state a property should be when let to a new tenant (it can be found on the council website: housing > tenant information).

We would like to take this opportunity to remind outgoing tenants that It is a condition of the Tenancy Agreement that properties be left in reasonable condition. Housing Offi cers will normally advise of work required prior to the tenancy ending. This means it is the outgoing tenant’s responsibility to ensure that the property (including loft space and garden if applicable) are left clean, swept out, clear of rubbish and with décor in good condition.

On behalf of the new tenant, we would request that anyone leaving a tenancy, leaves it in the state they would like to fi nd it!

Vacating Your PropertyIn the last fi nancial year more than 800 council houses were vacated and let. There are a number of reasons why a tenancy ends but we have noticed that tenancies are being returned to the council in a poorer state than might have been the case some years ago. There are more than 8000 people on our waiting lists and we are keen to house them as quickly as possible.

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Springwordsearch competition

W A L O T U X P R M X F XO E E J L J O M H W U B DL L C V G R J H O D L D AL A A T D S U Y D A N C HI Z R W Y U Q A O N A B PW A O B A C X C D E W N DY N A F Q O G I E M P Y AS P E D H R M N N O A R FS I R F O C T T D N N M FU L I Q D T H H R E S E OP U P O J H R S O X Y D DL T S K V U W K N C I F IP R I M R O S E S D U M L

Our Spring wordsearch has been created using the names of Spring fl owers.

The winner of the £25 from the September 2015 edition was Mrs D. Black from Armadale

If you would like to be our next £25 winner, please complete and return to: TP Team, Housing, Construction and Building Services West Lothian Council, Civic Centre Howden Road SouthLivingston EH54 6FF

Your name:

Your telephone number:

Your address:

anemone prImrose aZaLea pussywILLow

crocus rhododendronsdaFFodIL snowdrop

hyacInThs spIrea pansy TuLIp

Taking PartAs a tenant of West Lothian Council you are entitled to be consulted on various aspects of the housing services you receive, such as changes to your rent, repairs service and any policies and procedures that affect the services you receive.

A team of dedicated tenants, residents and staff have been reviewing the council’s Tenant Participation Strategy called ‘Taking Part’.

This document provides information on how the council will consult, support and encourage tenants to be actively involved in shaping and improving services.

For information on ways you can take part please see page 14.

If you would like a copy of the new ‘draft’ Tenant Participation document or you would like to take part in some aspect of scrutinising council services just let us know by completing this slip, or by emailing us at TP@westlothian.gov.uk

Name

Address

Telephone no

Email Address

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In November 2015, Housing, Construction & Building Services held our ninth annual Craft Apprentice of the Year Awards at Howden Park Centre, Livingston.

Head of Service, Alistair Shaw, provided the welcome speech, while George Paul, Executive Councillor for Services for the Community, and Leader of the Council, John McGinty were on hand to pass out the awards, as was Alison Kerr from the Tenants Panel.

The buff et at the ceremony and each apprentice award is sponsored by an external company, which allows us to hold this event each year, in recognition of the excellent work carried out by our apprentices and their mentors. There were over 80 people in attendance, and all agreed that the day had been a complete success.

The prize winners were as follows:

Apprentice of the Year 2015Winner: Jamie Edwards (Plumber)

Best 1st Year ApprenticeWinner: Frazer MacIntyre (Joiner)HighlyCommended: Andrew Cuthbert (Plasterer) Alan Webster (Electrician)

Best 2nd Year ApprenticeWinner: Adam O’Hara (Joiner)HighlyCommended: Tony Stevenson (Plumber) Callum Wilson (Roofer)

Best 3rd Year ApprenticeWinner: Jamie Edwards (Plumber)HighlyCommended: Alasdair Binnie (Electrician)Andrew O’Hara (Roofer)

Best 4th Year ApprenticeWinner: Ross MacDonald (Electrician)HighlyCommended: Rhys Fairbairn (Roofer)Ben Shearer (Joiner)

Michael Clark AwardWinner: George Graham (Electrician)

Best LogbookDaniel Locke (Joiner)Adam O’Hara (Joiner)Ryan Sim (Plumber)Alan Webster (Electrician)

Excellent College PerformanceWinner: Jamie Edwards (Plumber)

Excellent Health & Safety Awareness AwardWinner: Ben Shearer (Joiner)

Robert MacMillan Excellent Skills AwardWinner: Daniel Campbell (Plasterer)HighlyCommended: Daniel Locke (Joiner)Jordan Tait (Roofer)

Excellent Customer Service AwardWinner: Ryan Sim (Plumber)

Excellent Mentors AwardChris Doyle and Gordon Brown

Those who completed their apprenticeships in 2015 were also recognised during the event, as were some of the tradespeople who have trained apprentices over the years. Our 10 apprentice fi nishers have all been off ered further employment with us. They are:

Jordan Kerr (Electrician)George Graham (Electrician)Ross MacDonald (Electrician)

Alan Callander (Joiner)Ben Shearer (Joiner)Rhys Fairbairn (Roofer)

Ryan McIntosh (Roofer)Shaun Brookhouse (Roofer)Brian Douglas (Painter)

Stewart McGregor (Painter)

OnbehalfoftheApprenticesatWestLothianCouncil’sBuildingServicesdepartment,wewouldliketosayahugethankyoutoallthesponsorsfortheirgenerousdonations.Theyare:

Lovell, Vaillant, Hire Station, Buchanan Skip Hire, Environtec, Aico, Stelrad, Park Grove Scaff olding, Buildbase, Graham, Triton, JMJ Ironmongery, Ross Electrical, Horizon, and Envirovent.

craFT apprenTIce oF The year 2015

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If you have a garden, you are responsible for keeping it tidy and free from rubbish and dog foul. You will need to cut the grass regularly (around every two to four weeks in the growing season) and ensure that any trees, shrubs or hedges do not become overgrown (these can be easily maintained by regular trimming).

Our Community Estate Offi cers are out and about inspecting gardens from 1 April to 30 September, so over the next few weeks, get out there and have a really good tidy-up before the inspections start.

If you aren’t looking after your garden properly, and have allowed this to become overgrown or fi lled with rubbish, the Council can take action to sort this out, but you will be charged for this service. (Any unpaid charges will be passed to a Debt Collection Agency, which may aff ect your ability to obtain credit in the future).

Not able to maintain your garden?We do operate a scheme to assist the elderly and disabled tenants with maintaining their garden area, so if you feel that you would qualify for this scheme, please contact the council on 01506 280000 and they will be happy to help with your enquiry.

1. Sweep upDust off the broom and sweep away old leaves etc. from paths. Get the rake out and rake the lawn and borders and put leaves on a compost heap or in the brown bin.

2. Waken up the lawnLawns need oxygen to grow. Make holes with a garden fork, pushing it in 7cm deep, every 15cm. When the lawn starts to grow, apply a liquid feed, only mow on dry days and don’t cut the grass too short

3. Treat your woodwork After a very wet winter, your garden woodwork may be in need of a little TLC. Check sheds, greenhouses and garden furniture, then work out what needs to be repaired, sanded and painted.

4. Prepare for plantingYou can start to plant roses, climbers, hedges and shrubs, if the ground isn’t frozen or too wet. Prune winter-fl owering shrubs and clip evergreens and climbers to encourage new growth.

5. Potting UpPot up some spring fl owers, such as primula, daffodils and tulips to create some splashes of colour in the garden.

Step into Spring

You can dispose of your garden waste in your brown wheelie bin or you can take it to any one of the six community re-cycling centres around West Lothian. They are all open Monday to Sunday from 10am - 5pm (Oct - May). They are located in:

Blackburn - East Main Street Broxburn - Greendykes

Industrial Estate Linlithgow - Braehead Road Livingston – Deans Cleansing

Depot, Nairn Road Livingston - Oakbank Whitburn - Dixon Terrace,

Burnhouse Industrial Estate

Get ready for SPRINGMarch/April is the time to step out into the garden and have a good tidy-up, ready for the good weather.

Burnhouse Industrial Estate

for this service. (Any unpaid charges will be passed to a Debt

tenants with maintaining their garden area, so if you feel that you would qualify for this scheme, please contact the council on

(Oct - May). They are located in:for this service. (Any unpaid charges will be passed to a Debt

you would qualify for this scheme, please contact the council on

Disposing of your garden waste...

14

What is an Interested Tenant?

It is tenants who are interested

in being occasionally contacted

about housing and other related

services, which are delivered to

tenants of West Lothian Council.

There are several ways tenants can

let us know what topics they are

interested in and in how they would

like to be consulted.

What s̒ in it for tenants?Tenant participation should lead

to better services for tenants. Becoming involved ensures you have an opportunity to

infl uence changes to housing services by letting us know your

views.

What s̒ in it for the Council?We want to provide our tenants

with a high quality housing service

and listening to your views helps us

to achieve this. For information on

joining our list of Interested Tenants,

please fi ll out and return the form

below or contact the TP Team for

more information:

Tel: 01506 281882 or 281885

Email: TP@westlothian.gov.uk

Getting Involved We understand that not all areas of West Lothian have a tenants’ and residents’ group to represent that area and not everyone is available to attend or is willing to join a group. In recognition of this and to ensure all Council tenants have an opportunity to participate in a way that is suitable to them, we also have an Interested Tenants’ List.

Please return the completed form to: TP Team, Housing, Construction and Building Services, Civic Centre, Howden South Road, Livingston, West Lothian EH54 6FF

Name .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................Address ...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................Tel No .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................Email .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Anti-Social Behaviour

Rent/Arrears

Policy and Procedures

Customer Care

Allocation of empty council houses

Repairs

If there are particular topics you’re interested in, please tick the appropriate boxes

If there are particular ways you would like to take part, please tick the appropriate boxes

OPPORTUNITYMember of local Tenant/Residents GroupTenant Inspector

Going to Housing Network meetingsPostal SurveysWorking Group

Estate Walkabouts

Telephone SurveysEmail Surveys

SUMMARYA community group acting in the interest of tenants and residents in an area.

As part of a small team, you will identify strengths, weaknesses and make recommendations on how to improve a particular service area.

Networks consult with the council on changes and developments to services.

You would be happy to receive surveys by post on topics we are working on

Made up for tenants, service users and council offi cers, a working group would review an existing service or develop a new service.

Join Housing Staff and Elected Members on a walkabout in a particular area if there are issues of concern (housing or environmental concerns).

You would be happy to be contacted by telephone to complete a survey.

You would be happy to receive surveys by email (please ensure you provide your email address).

Interested Tenants I wish to be consulted on specifi c issues and areas that are important to me.

15

Tenancy FraudWest Lothian has one of the fastest expanding populations in Scotland and to keep up with the expansion in our community West Lothian Council have undertaken a project to build several hundred new homes in the area. It is hoped that by doing so there will be sufficient sustainable housing for generations to come.

The council currently has just over 13,000 properties. However, this is still not enough to ensure that everyone who needs a council house is able to get one. Even by working in partnership with local Housing Associations there are still over 400 people registered as homeless in West Lothian. This is something the council is working hard to put right.

Unfortunately, a lack of housing is not the only reason why there are so many people registered homeless. It is estimated that tenancy fraud could be costing the council at least £2.4 million annually. The shortage of affordable housing, the cost, and the impact that tenancy fraud has both on tenants and the local community, has made us realise the importance of tackling this fraud.

Tackling tenancy fraudAll of our Housing Officers have recently undertaken specialised training which will allow them to identify fraudulent housing applications. They will also carry out regular checks as an integral part of letting and housing management activities to establish that the correct people are going to, or are living in council properties. In order to

continue our fight against fraud the Council recognises that this can’t be done without the vital assistance of our tenants. We would encourage anyone who has information regarding any suspected fraud to come forward.

Tenancy fraud comes in many different guises. For example:

n You might know someone who has another home they haven’t declared or who has given false information in their housing or homeless application.

n You might be suspicious because tenants of a property near you keep changing.

n You might suspect that a property is not being occupied.

If you suspect someone of committing fraud, please contact the Council’s Fraud Team:

Tel: 01506 283545 or 01506 283546 Email: tenancyfraud@ westlothian.gov.uk

All information received will be treated with the strictest confidence and you don’t have to give your name or address, if you prefer not to. Alternatively you can contact your Housing Officer to share your concerns.

Tel: 01506 280000

TogeTher we can sTamp ouT Tenancy Fraud

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Tenant Participation Development Working GroupThis group meet monthly to look at ways of developing Tenant Participation in West Lothian.

We work in partnership with our Tenant

Participation officers whilst recognising the

importance of providing opportunities for

others to take part at a level they would feel

comfortable with.

The group are currently involved in reviewing

the council’s Tenant Participation Strategy and

as always this is a great way to gain a good

understanding of the way in which tenants can

become involved.

Methods of involvement allow tenants to

take part in the decision making process and

take credit for bringing about change and

improvement for the tenants of West Lothian.

How tenants are helping to change and improve services...

If you would like to find out more contact the TP Team on 01506 281882/281885 Email: tp@westlothian.gov.uk

Tenants PanelTenants who represent the Five Sisters or Cairn Brock Housing Networks attend monthly Tenants Panel meetings where information is provided on all performance relating to Housing.

The Tenants Panel is also attended by George Paul, Executive Councillor for Services to the Community and Senior Managers. There is always guaranteed to be a good debate with tenants asking relevant questions in respect of the performance. Tenant reps also receive information about the council’s current ongoing Capital Programme works and are kept up to date with the achievements of all other services across Housing i.e. Repairs and Anti-social behaviour.

Tenant Representatives report back to their Housing Network to encourage the flow of communication between the membership and the council, this makes sure their voices are heard and they are being represented at Tenants Panel.

In view of the new Scottish Social Housing Charter and the monitoring returns of indicators with the Annual Return on the Charter, which is submitted to the Scottish Government every year, Tenants Panel have developed a quarterly financial scrutiny group. This provides tenants with a chance to gain better understanding of the Housing Revenue Account, where your rent money is paid into, and how the money is spent on behalf of tenants.

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new bin size will aim to increase recycling and reduce costsChanges to the size of the landfi ll (grey) bin are on their way as West Lothian Council looks to increase recycling rates and reduce the amount of money being spent on sending household waste to landfi ll.

Shown below are the costs the council has to pay to send your grey bins to landfi ll:Price per load No. of loads per lorry/day Total annual cost£1050 Two to Three £3.8 million

By looking at the types of waste going to landfi ll, we can see that 78% (by weight of the material within the average grey landfi ll bin) could have been recycled using existing recycling services. The cost of recycling is less than sending it to landfi ll which means there are signifi cant savings to be made by encouraging people to recycle more. With West Lothian Council facing a budget gap of nearly £34 million over the period 2015/16 and 2017/18, it is necessary to reduce the amount of money and valuable resources being literally thrown away and lessen the impact on other essential council services. So from May 2016 onwards the grey landfi ll bin will be reduced in size in a phased approach. This will save over £238,000 and increase our recycling rate by nearly 10%.

Tom Conn, Executive councillor for the Environment commented: “Membersofthepublicarewellawareofthechallengesthatalllocalauthoritiesfindthemselvesinacrossthecountry.Changestoservicesarerequiredinorderthatwecanbalanceourbudgetandimproverecyclingrates.WewillcontinuetolookatinnovativewaysofworkingandcontinuetoprioritiseinvestmentintheserviceswhichmeettheneedsofWestLothianresidentsanddeliverlongterm,positiveimpactsforWestLothian.”

For further information visit www.westlothian.gov.uk

You can now recycle:

• All clean empty plastic pots e.g. yoghurt and pudding pots etc.

• All clean empty plastic tubs e.g. ice cream, margarine, ready meal tubs etc.

• All clean Empty Trays e.g. ready meal and microwave food trays etc.

• All Clean Plastic Lids e.g. lids from all plastic bottles, margarine tubs etc.

• All Clean Empty Plastic Bottles e.g. milk, shampoo, juice

• Clean Empty Plastic Bags e.g. carrier bags, bread bags, pre-packed vegetable bags etc.

• Paper e.g. newspapers, magazines, brochures, catalogues, unwanted mail, envelopes, phone directories, yellow pages etc.

• Clean card and cardboard e.g. cereal boxes, kitchen and toilet roll tubes, cardboard boxes, clean empty cardboard cartons e.g. juice, soup, custard etc.

• All clean empty steel and aluminium tins and cans, aluminium foil, trays and empty aerosol cans

What goes in your Blue Bin?Your Blue bin is used for recycling all types of plastic pots, lids, trays, bags, paper and cardboard. Onyourdayofcollection,pleaseplaceyourbinonthekerbsidewiththelidclosedby7amMondaytoFriday,or6amonSaturday.Unfortunately,thecouncilcannottakeanyrefusethatisnotinthebin.Itisvitalthatallrefuseisinthebinwiththelidshut.

• Clean Empty Plastic Bags e.g. carrier bags, bread bags, pre-packed vegetable bags etc.

• All clean empty steel and aluminium tins and cans, aluminium foil, trays and empty aerosol cans

• Paper e.g. newspapers, magazines, brochures, catalogues, unwanted mail, envelopes, phone directories, yellow pages etc.

• All clean empty plastic pots e.g. yoghurt and pudding pots etc.

• All clean empty plastic tubs e.g. ice cream, margarine, ready meal tubs etc.

• All clean Empty Trays e.g. ready meal and microwave food trays etc.

• All Clean Empty Plastic Bottles e.g. milk, shampoo, juice

• All Clean Plastic Lids e.g. lids from all plastic bottles, margarine tubs etc.

• Clean card and cardboard e.g. cereal boxes, kitchen and toilet roll tubes, cardboard boxes, clean empty cardboard cartons e.g. juice, soup, custard etc.

Top Tips: • Make sure all waste is clean before putting in the bin

• Flatten cartons and boxes to save space

• Remove lids and put them in the blue bin

• Remove plastic bags from junk mail and put them in blue bin

• Don’t put anything inside plastic bags, it prevents them being separated at the recycling facility

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Simple Sausage PastaThis is a quick and cheap dinner to make and goes down well with all the family - a great pasta dish full of fl avour...

Serves 4What you need: n 1tbsp olive oiln 1 large onion, choppedn 1 tsp chilli powder (or to taste) n Packet of 8 pork sausages, cut into chunky piecesn 2 garlic cloves, crushedn 300g penne pastan 400g can chopped tomatoesn Tomato puree – 2 tablespoonsn Grated cheese

What you do:n Heat oven to 180oCn Heat the oil in your frying pan. Add sausages until

golden brown all over. Now add the onion and garlic and cook until soft.

n Add the chilli powder, chopped tomatoes and tomato puree to the sausages and stir until the sauce comes to the boil. Turn down heat and simmer for 10 minutes while you cook the pasta. If you prefer a creamier sauce, add a touch of single cream and stir.

n Cook the pasta in a separate pot as per the pack instructions. Drain and pour into the sausage mix.

n Stir together and transfer into an ovenproof dish. n Sprinkle with cheese and bake for 10 mins in the

oven n Serve with some lovely warm crusty bread.

Recipe corner...

Microwave Banana Pudding

Serves 4-6What you need: n 100g softened buttern 2 ripe bananasn 100g light brown sugarn 100g self-raising fl ourn 2 tsp ground cinnamonn 2 eggsn 2 tbsp milkn toff ee sauce and ice cream, to serve, if you like.

What you do:n Put the butter in a 1 litre baking dish and

microwave on high for about 30 seconds until melted. Add 1½ bananas, mash into the melted butter, then add the sugar, fl our, cinnamon, eggs and milk. Mix together well.

n Slice the remaining banana over the top, then return to the microwave and cook on high for 8 mins until cooked through and risen. Serve warm with a drizzle of toff ee sauce and a scoop of ice cream.scoop of ice cream.

This tasty pud will use up leftover bananas, and it only takes 20 minutes to make!

✄

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The council recognised the need to extend current emergency accommodation facilities to ensure services were available at the point of need. This additional resource provides an extra 10 units of accommodation to compliment the temporary and emergency accommodation currently provided within West Lothian. It is comprised of bedroom space, living space and bathroom facilities. There is also a communal kitchen and laundry available for the exclusive use by occupants.

The assessment centre aims to more eff ectively assess the needs of those requiring emergency accommodation, allowing offi cers to work with households to ascertain the type of support and accommodation required. The service is available 24 hours a day all year round. As the centre is staff ed at all times, it off ers a safe and secure environment to those in housing need.

This new facility will ensure that individuals aff ected by homelessness within our community will receive the required support to transition in to suitable temporary accommodation.

As well as one and two bedroom fl ats, a large number of three, four and fi ve bedroom houses are under construction. Wheelchair bungalows are also being built on all of the sites.

As an existing tenant, what do you have to do?If you do not have a current housing application with us you need to complete an application form. You can do this by calling the Customer Service Centre on 01506 280000 or by calling into your local Council Information Service Offi ce.

What then?Once a new build property is ready to let, our allocations team will look at all West Lothian Council tenants currently active on the housing list and allocate properties in line with our current Allocations policy.

New Build Housing - how to applyDid you know that as an existing council tenant, you can apply for one of our new build properties?

New Blackburn Assessment Centre is unveiledWest Lothian Council is delighted to have opened a new Homeless Assessment Centre in Blackburn, which has been designed and developed to better meet the requirements of those fi nding themselves in need of emergency accommodation due to homelessness.

ArmadaleBathgateBlackburnBridgend

BroxburnEast CalderFauldhouseLinlithgow

LivingstonPumpherstonWinchburgh

New build sites in West Lothian

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Formally the site of a pub (called The Steadings and The Rendezvous at various times), work got underway in December and is due to be completed in Summer 2016. The new housing development, which will be constructed by the Lovell Partnership, will form a total of nine homes, of mainly 1 and 2 bedroom cottage fl ats with one 2 bed wheelchair accessible bungalow.

The housing will be delivered as part of West Lothian’s 1,000 new council house building programme.

West Lothian Council has constructed a drop-off road to provide access to Windyknowe Primary School.

This will ease the serious congestion which occurs in the Windyknowe estate to the rear.

new build council

housing West Lothian Council has a large number of sites currently under diff erent stages of construction.

Glasgow Road, Bathgate Work has started on new council homes for rent at Glasgow Road, Bathgate.

In total, West Lothian Council is investing approximately £100 million to provide much needed, aff ordable council homes for local people. Grant assistance has also been secured from the Scottish Government to support development. The Council is aiming to build 1,000 new council homes by 2017.

New homes are being built at locations across the county and in each of the nine council ward areas.

The project is also delivering community benefi ts for local businesses, who are working on the construction of the new homes. A number of apprentices have also been employed to work on the sites.

An update on the project will be included in each edition of Tenants News, to ensure that our local communities are kept informed of developments within their own local areas but also across West Lothian.

At least 109 new council homes are being built at Deans South in Livingston. 46 are planned to be built by McTaggart Construction and Lovell Partnership plan to build an additional 63 council houses.

The construction of the new homes marks a new era for the Deans South estate and will provide much needed aff ordable housing within Livingston.

Before construction work can begin this year, a large

area within the estate had to be demolished and cleared in separate phases.

The demolition of phase one means that blocks 7 and 9 have been demolished and the site is being prepared to allow for future construction. Contractors are also continually clearing nearby footpaths and roads to ensure they are free of mud and debris.

Executive councillor for services to the community,

George Paul, said: “We are delighted that this very positive chapter in the estate’s history is underway.

“Aff ordable homes are in short supply across the county and the new homes at Deans South will play a very important part in our aim to deliver

new, aff ordable homes for families and individuals.”

He added: “Demolition work is always a fairly complex process and logistically the contractors are doing everything they can to ensure the impact on the local community is minimised.”

Demolition work underway at Deans South

Demolition work at the Deans South estate in Livingston is well underway.

Building new council homes

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West Lothian Council is building 230 new homes at the site. The new houses will include a mixture of 92 cottage fl ats, 105 houses and 33 accessible bungalows and range from 1 bed fl ats to 5 bed houses.

When completed, the site will be one of the largest sites for new council homes for rent to have been built in

Scotland for decades.The removal of surplus soil and rock to enable levelling of the plots will be completed by the Spring and the foundations have been formed on several properties at the north of the site.

The site is beginning to take shape following construction of the new access roads.

Update on kirkhill siteConstruction work at one of the largest new build council housing sites in Scotland is progressing well at Kirkhill, Broxburn.

Largest Livingston site being prepared for new council homes

Lomond House is located at the south end of The Centre in the heart of Livingston.

West Lothian Council is delivering 44 new homes for rent on the former Lomond House site once demolition and clearing of the site is complete. Construction on the new homes will start this

year. New build housing will be built across various sites in Livingston but the Lammermuir development is the closest site to the centre of the town.

Five blocks of fl ats and maisonettes are to be refurbished and there will be 18 new build fl ats constructed.

The existing blocks will be transformed with new windows and doors, roof repairs and external wall insulation.

New boilers and extract ventilation will be installed also. The council’s Building Services will undertake

refurbishment to four of the fi ve blocks and will also build nine of the new build fl ats.

The council’s Building Services will be involved in the construction of parts of the project at Bathville. A block at Station Road will also be refurbished.

It will involve demolition of four properties, refurbishment of one block and nine new build fl ats will be built.

Bathville, ArmadaleA major refurbishment programme is underway in Armadale which will deliver new council homes and refurbishment of existing council properties.

The council is continuing to improve the housing stock in the Mayfi eld area of Armadale. During 2015/16, £1.4 million will be spent on the project. By the time the project is completed in March 2018, £7.2 million will have been spent improving the housing stock in the area.

In Mayfi eld, Armadale new housing will also be constructed by Lovell Partnership which will complement the upgrading works to the council’s existing properties at Mayfi eld and Bathville. The 22 new homes will provide a broad range of house types including wheelchair accessible bungalows.

redevelopment in Armadale Over 280 homes are being completely upgraded at Mayfi eld Drive, Calder Crescent and Wotherspoon Crescent.

UK housing Awards updateWest Lothian Council has been shortlisted for two UK Housing Awards. We have received recognition in the following categories for our eff orts to deliver 1000 council homes: Outstanding Development Programme of the Year and Outstanding Local Authority of the Year.

22

Bridgend, Linlithgow Housing construction work got underway in Bridgend recently.

Three new 1 bedroom bungalows and two, 2 bedroom bungalows are expected to be completed this summer. The site is adjacent to the Community Centre in Bridgend and the development is being built

by McTaggart Construction on behalf of West Lothian Council. The council’s head of housing, construction and building services, Alistair Shaw, said: “It is fantastic to offi cially get work underway at the site

in Bridgend. This work marks the beginning of a partnership with McTaggart Construction which I’m sure will deliver high quality and aff ordable new council homes for the local community.

Aff ordable housing is in short supply across the country and we know that our programme will provide new, aff ordable homes for many, many local people.”

Check all the latest developments onlineAll the latest information and photos, including an interactive map letting you see where we are building next in West Lothian, is available at: www.westlothian.gov.uk/new-1000-houses

23

customers with special requirementsInformation is available in Braille, tape, large print and community languages. Please contact the interpretation and translation service on 01506 280000Text phones off er the opportunity for people with a hearing problem to access the council. The textphone number is 01506 591 652A loop system is also available in all offi ces.

01506 280000our customer information centresAlmondbank Centre: WestCalderAlmondbank&Carmondean@westlothian.gov.uk

Armadale CIS: Armadale&Blackridge@westlothian.gov.uk

Bathgate Partnership Centre: BPC@westlothian.gov.uk

Broxburn CIS: BroxburnCIS@westlothian.gov.uk

Blackburn Connected: BlackburnCIS@westlothian.gov.uk

Carmondean Connected: WestCalderAlmondbank&Carmondean@westlothian.gov.uk

Fauldhouse CIS: FPC@westlothian.gov.uk

Linlithgow CIS: LinlithgowCIS@westlothian.gov.uk

West Calder CIS: WestCalderAlmondbank&Carmondean@westlothian.gov.uk

West Lothian Connected: WestCalderAlmondbank&Carmondean@westlothian.gov.uk

Whitburn CIS: Whitburn@westlothian.gov.uk

www.westlothian.gov.uk online 24 hours a day

Social Work Emergency Number: 01506 281028 (Social Work Only)

For all other emergencies call: 01506 280000If you have used the council’s complaints procedure and you are still unhappy, you can pass your complaint, within a year, to: The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman, Freepost EH641, Edinburgh EH3 0BRTel: 0800 377 7330www.spso.org.uk

Log on and you can: Pay your council tax, rent, or

fines online Apply for a house Report a repair to your home

Make an enquiry for information Make a comment on any

council service

We hope you have enjoyed reading Tenants News. If you would like to get in touch with the editorial panel please contact us by writing to: TP Team, Housing, Construction and Building Services, West Lothian Council, Civic Centre, Howden South Road, Livingston EH54 6FF or email TP@westlothian.gov.uk

got rent arrears?don’t bury your head...Time to take positive action and sort out your rent. WE WANT TO HELP!Contact your local housing offi cer today to discuss your options.

Contact us on 01506 280000, visit one of our local CIS offi ces or email

customer.service@westlothian.gov.uk for more information

paying rent is not a matter of choice.

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If undelivered please return to:The TP TeamWest Lothian CouncilHousing, Construction & Building ServicesWest Lothian Civic CentreHowden South Road, LIVINGSTON EH54 6FF