From Tuesday next week, Edinburgh residents in shared properties such as tenements will be able to get information and advice from the Council's new Shared Repairs Service (SRS).
Whilst the Council will retain its statutory notice powers and around-the-clock emergency repairs service, the SRS will 'signpost' owners through the maze of:
- finding a contractor
- arranging payment
- property factors
- property management agencies
- mediation
- relevant laws such as the Tenement Management Scheme.
SRS advice and information will be distributed via the Council's website, neighbourhood offices and libraries, the CEC contact centre and individual officers.
The SRS replaces the discredited Property Conservation Service which went belly-up amid allegations of malpractice and excessive costs to householders. Readers may recall how the subject was raised as Question 6 in last year's Leith Walk ward hustings (Breaking news, 20.4.12).
Whilst the new body's powers are fairly modest at the moment, they may be extended later this year following a report to the Council in the summer. This is because consultation with the public in 2012 suggested that many Edinburgh property owners continue to want a (presumably fair, honest and competent) Council-run property management service, particularly for big jobs which lie beyond the expertise and experience of most private individuals.
However, the Council seems in no hurry to involve itself in every case requiring shared repairs. 'Our aim is to find the right balance,' says City Centre councillor and Finance and Budget Convenor Alasdair Rankin. This balance should be based on 'the outcomes of the consultation exercise, with the Council taking a lead role in emergencies and providing support for non-urgent cases'.
Rankin, however, acknowledges that public aspirations at present outstrip Council provisions: 'We also know that there is demand from the public for the Council to have a bigger role in this area and we will be looking at potential options'.
Regular Spurtle contributors do not have recent experience of managing shared repairs, but would be interested to hear from any readers who do. Do you think the new arrangements will be sufficient to cope in non-urgent and non-emergency cases where neighbours' occasional bloody-mindedness, stupidity, lack of finances or unwillingness to spend a penny delay even the simplest of necessary repairs?
Let us know by email: spurtle@hotmail.co.uk Twitter: @theSpurtle Facebook: Broughton Spurtle
[Image © Chris Downer, Creative Commons]
__________
Reactions on Twitter
Sa@theSpurtle I am very much worried that it will not be enough. anticipating nightmares trying to get our roof fixed.
Chris Gray ![Chris Downer](<div%20xmlns:cc="http://creativecommons.org/ns#"%20xmlns:dct="http://purl.org/dc/terms/"%20about="http://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/09/62/2096281_de89881d.jpg"><span%20property="dct:title">Glasgow:%20erection%20of%20scaffolding%20in%20Gordon%20Street</span>%20(<a%20rel="cc:attributionURL"%20property="cc:attributionName"%20href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/profile/14700">Chris%20Downer</a>)%20/%20<a%20rel="license"%20href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/">CC%20BY-SA%202.0</a></div>){kind=link}
@theSpurtle I doubt it. Have had a nightmare with our gable wall repairs - poor communication, unrealistic cost expectations and non-payers
@theSpurtle ps. I asked the Stat Notice Q at last year's Hustings - didn't think anyone had an answer then, don't think they know now!