Face-lift for flats to deter anti-social behaviour

Baird House in Chapel Park Road, St Leonards, has had the undergrowth cleared, new fences erected, and measures taken to reduce anti-social behaviour.

Baird House is owned by housing charity BHT Sussex having formerly been run by Hastings Community Housing Association before the two organisations merged in 2008.

Grounds maintenance contractors, Groundscapes, cut back undergrowth where drinkers had begun to congregate, and BHT staff working with its contractors GMS erected a fence to stop access from a neighbouring area of overgrown unkept land.

Housing management staff from BHT organised the event to encourage tenants to engage in the clean-up day, meet staff and spend time with their neighbours, with around half of the 28 tenants doing so.

BHT’s Hastings housing officer, Carey-Ann Burt, said: “It was wonderful to have so many tenants join my colleagues and me to make the day so successful.

“We achieved so much and have come up with ideas for future activities and improvements.

“Baird House is a lovely development with fantastic tenants. There has been some anti-social behaviour issues which we are tackling and we have enhanced the visual environment by clearing undergrowth and putting up fences.

“We are particularly grateful for our regular grounds maintenance contractor, Groundscapes and another contractor, GMS, for the additional improvements they have made.”

BHT’s director of housing and property services, David Chaffey, said: “We aim to achieve the highest standards of service to our tenants and we invest large sums of money each year to maintain and improve our homes.

“We work closely with our tenants I am so grateful for the contributions made by the residents of Baird House, our housing staff and our colleagues at Groundscapes and GMS who all helped make this community event such an out and out success.”

BHT plans further community days at the 83 homes they own in Hastings and St Leonards.