Heath Town News September 2022

Check out the latest news from across Heath Town, brought to you by Wolverhampton Homes, the council, and our construction partners.

In this edition:

• your Tenancy Officer, Amie, shares top tips on how to stay safe this season
• we update you on the building works, electric vehicle charging points, health and safety advice and more, overseen by us at Wolverhampton Homes and United Living
• the council gives updates on each of the sites across Hobgate Road and Tithe Croft - which are really starting to take shape!
• we share volunteer opportunities with Read Easy and Hope Community, and your chance to join the Heath Town Tenants and Residents Association (TRA) with much more in community news

Do you have something to share with your fellow residents? If so, get in touch with Evelyn Brown, Community Development Officer. 

Working together, Wolverhampton Homes and United Living oversee the building work. Therefore we like to give you a joint update.

Scaffolding at Campion House

• Scaffolding is progressing well around Campion House. You may experience some disruption during the installation, and we apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.
• There are several satellite dishes and aerials attached to the block. These will be removed to allow for the scaffolding. You have the option of having your dish returned to you or we will dispose of it for you. No satellite dishes or aerials will be refitted to the block.
• After we’ve finished the scaffolding at Campion House, we will start scaffolding Longfield House in the next few months.

Clover Ley and Chervil Rise

• Various building works at Clover Ley and Chervil Rise have been completed including carparking, landscaping and wall installation.
• Work to the carpark at Chervil Rise is continuing and we will keep you informed of any updates.

Pest investigation works

• We are carrying out pest surveys to a percentage of properties across the estate. We have been contacting individual residents and continue to look into this issue.
• If your address has been identified, we would appreciate your co-operation with access to your home to complete a survey. If this applies to your home, we will arrange for the necessary survey and treatment to be carried out.

Join us for a coffee morning ☕

The last Tuesday of each month we host a coffee morning in the tenants meeting room located on the 2nd floor of Brockfield House, from 10am until 12 noon.

We welcome tenants to come and have a chat with us over a hot drink. It's been great seeing you at the coffee mornings so far. It’s an opportunity to catch up on current works and raise any concerns.

Electric vehicle charging points

We are looking at two locations on Heath Town, Hobgate Road and Wednesfield Road, to install electric charge points.

The council, with funding from the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles, plans to install publicly available electric charging points across the city. These will mainly be funded by the On-street Residential Charge point scheme, which currently funds similar projects around the UK.

Charging an electric vehicle at home is currently a challenge for those who don’t have a driveway. Our plan is to install charge point posts, which will be around 1m in height, at a suitable location at the edge of the footway for the use of residents who do not have access to off street parking. These charge points will charge at 22kW, providing approximately 70 miles of range from each hour of charging, making them ideal for overnight charging for local residents.

The introduction of these charge points will support local people who wish to use an electric vehicle but lack off-street charging facilities. 

Health and safety

Building sites seem an exciting place to explore and play to children but they can be very dangerous. Unfortunately, every year children and young people, wander onto building sites not knowing the danger they have put themselves in. Your health and safety is paramount, so please do not allow children to play near to or on scaffolding due to the potential risk of falls.

If you see anyone on the scaffolding, please report it to your local police station on 03451 135000 and contact United Living customer enquiry line on 08000 925344.

There are several play areas across the estate and Hope Community also hold children's activities so make sure to check them out.

For more information about the works, contact Stella Bird, Senior Resident Liaison Officer on: 07825 879384.

United Living’s free phone number is also available during evenings and weekends. Please call: 08000 925344.

Introducing your new Project Manager - Corby Oges

There's a new Project Manager for the City of Wolverhampton Council, who has recently joined the Project team. Corby will now be taking the lead on the Heath Town development project. Corby has been with the council for about two years. He's been involved in some exciting projects and has good experience managing various housing projects.

Corby adds:

"Hello everyone and it's great to be a part of the Heath Town team. A bit about me! I am a Dad to an 11 year-old who is into football, which in turn makes me his chauffeur. I like going for hikes, enjoy going to the gym and I love cooking. When I'm able to, I enjoy travelling and learning about different cultures. It's great to be onboard!"

There's been some real progress on the building sites, here's an update on each: 

Local Lettings Plan

The draft local lettings plan has received feedback from your TRA. The Housing Strategy team and the TRA are working together to achieve a local lettings plan that suits the needs of the area. There are a few amendments that are going to be looked at before the local lettings plan goes through governance procedures for approval.

A polite reminder to all residents to keep clear of all entrances and gates when parking your cars. This will help us to continue the works without delay. Thank you for your co-operation.

If you have any questions, please contact Lucy Cowdell or Corby Oges.

The Heath Town TRA added:

Despite showers of rain, the event was a huge success with all ages and races coming together to celebrate the platinum jubilee. Thanks to our sponsors we were able to fulfil our mission which was to:

• encourage people, after the COVID pandemic, to step back into the community
• reach out to tenants living on their own
• restore pride within the community
• reduce youth crime on the estate through mutual understanding and respect
• support individuals experiencing mental health issues brought on by hardship
• encourage local businesses to have more interaction within the community
• make happy memories
• send families home with food packages and drinks

In summary, we would like to give our sincerest gratitude and thanks to Evelyn Brown from Wolverhampton Homes for her tireless and effortless support throughout the whole planning process and on the day. A stupendous thank you to all volunteers, young and old, throughout this process. And above all else, a big thank you to all residents who made the day what it was.

We are here if you need us 😊

• Are you looking for advice with your bills? Want to reset your finances for the new school year? Don't suffer in silence, contact the Money Smart team today.
• Condensation can be caused by everyday activities in the home. Watch this video to help prevent it.
• Could you do with advice on saving energy at home? Contact the Energy Wise team.

Cost of living support

The cost of living crisis is affecting many people across the city. The price of energy, food and transport is rising and you may find it more difficult to make ends meet.

There is a range of support available, including help to access benefits and grants, and discounts on energy bills. Find out more on the city council's website.