Episode 8 The Housing Enforcers


Episode 8

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Transcript


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That doesn't feel safe. 'Everyone deserves a safe place to live.'

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What's it like for you living here?

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'But with rents rising and demand increasing,

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'it's getting harder and harder to find a secure place to call home.'

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Passers-by have used these as toilets.

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Out she popped, brandishing a bottle above her head.

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'I'm Matt Allwright and I'm back with The Housing Enforcers.'

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There are definitely fleas here. There's infestation.

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He was trying to make this into a home

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and then it just all went horribly wrong.

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'I'm on the front line with those

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'fighting for the right to decent housing.'

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You can actually see the floorboards.

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'As local councils and housing associations

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'battle problem properties and slum conditions...'

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-Are you ready for this, are you?

-I don't know.

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'..as they deal with dodgy landlords...'

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So, that's a dead rat.

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What am I going to do?

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'..nightmare neighbours...'

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All hell broke loose and I could hear somebody screaming.

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-Get rid of him.

-'..and everything in between...'

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-I think that's referred to as a bong.

-A bong, right, OK.

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-A makeshift bong.

-Yeah, a makeshift bong.

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'..to help those in need of a happy and healthy home.'

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"If there's something strange in your neighbourhood,

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"who you gonna call?"

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'Today, there's an unpleasant revelation

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'on an estate inspection in Peterborough.'

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Passers-by have used these as toilets.

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I've walked up here once and there's been urine running down

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where somebody recently urinated.

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'In Newcastle, there's an investigation

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'into a shrinking garden.'

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The fence is literally about to come down.

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I mean, it's not the greatest, which is the main concern.

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'There's a shock in store for housing officers in Stroud.'

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It's going to take a few coats of paint on the doors, I would imagine,

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to get them, but we will paint them white.

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'And a 91-year-old resident gets a warm glow all over.'

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Well, it will be a pleasure not to have to walk out there

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in the winter time and get buckets of coal in.

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It used to be so straightforward.

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You leave education, you get yourself a job

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and then settle down once you've found a house or flat.

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And even though happily ever after wasn't guaranteed, you could usually

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depend on getting an affordable and safe place to live.

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Well, it's no secret that, thanks to the housing crisis,

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today, things are a bit more complicated.

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But there are men and women across the UK whose job it is to ensure

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that everyone has the opportunity to enjoy a safe roof over their heads.

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Every day, they're out fighting for your rights.

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They are The Housing Enforcers.

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As a social housing tenant, getting a property is hard enough,

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but what happens if you need to move?

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A mutual exchange means literally swapping homes

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with another social housing tenant, and it can be an easier way

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to move to another area or different-sized property

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without having to join lengthy waiting lists.

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'In Wiltshire, I'm working with housing officer Belinda Eastland

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'on the way to see one tenant who's about to do just that.'

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Today, we're seeing Rosie.

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She's lived in the village for many years in one of our rented homes.

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You know, her family's grown up,

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moved away and she's left in a three-bedroomed house.

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And that means she's got two spare bedrooms.

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'Single mum Rosie has lived here for the past 21 years.'

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KNOCK ON DOOR

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-Hi, Rosie.

-Hello.

-How are you?

-I'm Belinda. This is Matt.

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Hi, I'm Belinda, hi, Matt.

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Nice to meet you. Thank you very much.

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'But with her daughters gone,

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'the introduction in 2013 of the Government's Spare Room Subsidy,

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'otherwise known as the bedroom tax,

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'means she could lose benefits for having unoccupied rooms,

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'so she's decided to downsize.

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'Luckily, after searching a house-swap website,

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'Rosie's found a property that suits her,

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'in a nearby town that's also closer to her kids.'

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-Absolutely.

-You've found a wonderful house, haven't you?

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-Have you seen it yet?

-No, I've seen where it is,

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but I actually haven't been in it yet.

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-That's later today.

-It's beautiful.

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-It's a two-way swap, is it?

-Yes.

-Just the two of you involved?

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Yeah, she's got a two-bed and she wants a three

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and, um, I've got a three-bed and I want a two.

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'So, it seems there's a very practical reason for the swap.

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'But while Belinda does a final assessment of the property

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'in preparation for the new tenant, I get the feeling that, for Rosie,

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'this move might be a bittersweet one.'

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21 years here, your family and your daughter's family growing up here...

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-Yeah.

-..and now, you're looking at moving,

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-so that must be quite a wrench.

-Yeah.

-How does that feel?

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Um, mixed feelings, mixed feelings.

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-Yeah.

-Sad on one...

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This, the view out there - have you seen the view out there?

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-Yeah, stunning.

-It is absolutely amazing - and that was nothing,

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it was fields when I first moved here.

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That I'll miss and I don't know how I'll ever replace it,

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so I'll just have to do something in a different property

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to make an environment nice again, you know, but, yes, it is a wrench.

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How difficult does it make it,

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knowing that you've been kind of forced into the choice a little bit?

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When the Bedroom Tax came out, I was absolutely livid.

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People can fall on hard times, you know,

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you never know what's round the corner.

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You can have people that have, like myself,

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brought their families up in a property and then aren't actually,

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if anything happens to them, they lose their job,

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they haven't even got anywhere for their grandchildren to stay,

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because they'll be eventually booted out and...

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And 20 years of family life, and I've got six grandchildren.

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I want them to be able to come and stay, not too often,

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but I want them, you know... Or your family and friends.

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Why should you be punished like that?

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'I really do feel for Rosie,

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'but whatever you think about the impact of the Spare Room Subsidy,

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'the current shortage of suitable social housing means

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'there are plenty of families living in overcrowded accommodation,

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'for whom this place would be perfect.'

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There's going to come a point where you're standing at the door

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-and all your stuff's in a van...

-I know!

-21 years.

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Can you imagine what that's going to be like?

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I'm going to cry buckets when I leave here, I know I will.

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But it is what it is, so you just have to, um...

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Sometimes, you've just got to go with it.

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'Of course it can't be easy,

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'but it's great to see Rosie able to see some positives in her move.'

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This other place, it's just...

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a beautiful, old, listed half a farmhouse,

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and I've always wanted to live in a cottage or somewhere old,

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so I'll make something beautiful of it there.

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You know? And she'll make something beautiful of here,

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cos that's how it works.

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-What did you find, Belinda?

-No, all is well, Rosie.

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Internal decoration, that's up to the tenant anyway...

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-Exactly!

-..so they'll come in and do what they want to do.

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Good. Oh, I'm really pleased for you, Rosie.

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-It's a new start.

-Well, it's bittersweet, it's bittersweet.

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It is, it is, but new start.

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Look on the bright side of life.

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Oh, yeah, that's... LAUGHTER

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I can definitely do that one.

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'Well, I'm not one to pass up an opportunity.'

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# Always look on the bright side of life

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# Always look on... #

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'I THINK Rosie's enjoying it. Isn't she?'

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This is hysteria.

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-Anyway...

-Very good!

-..the less of that you hear,

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the better, I think, especially on the telly.

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'Leaving a property after so many years is bound to be challenging,

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'but I think the future looks pretty bright for Rosie.'

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We're going to go and see the new place

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-and check it out for you, is that all right?

-Yeah, please do.

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-It's amazing!

-Thank you ever so much for letting us in

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-and, um, I hope you're really happy there.

-Thank you.

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-Thank you.

-Nice to meet you.

-And you, and you.

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-Good piano-playing.

-It's really not. THEY LAUGH

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Really not.

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'Later on, we'll be meeting the tenant with whom Rosie

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'will be swapping properties, and taking a look at her new home.'

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-With all this space, it's great.

-HE KNOCKS

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I've given myself a concussion nearly three times.

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With a long waiting list of tenants desperate for a place to call home,

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it's the job of housing officers to ensure any vacated properties are

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reoccupied as soon as possible.

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In Stroud, Zoe and Elaine are heading to check the condition

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'of a recently-vacated flat on the outskirts of town.'

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So, this property we're going to now is a one-bedroom flat.

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We don't know if his furniture will be in there,

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we don't know if there's going to be fleas, infestations of anything.

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We don't know what we're going to expect.

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But we'll see when we get there.

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This property will need to be turned around quickly,

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ready for the next tenant,

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but before they can plan a schedule of work, they'll need to do

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a full evaluation of the place with council contractor Mark.

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-Hello. All right?

-Hi, Mark.

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First things first - it seems Elaine's got

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a foolproof trick to check for fleas.

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Do you want to, um, just have a check with me?

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What we do is we put a piece of paper on the floor.

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Just wait. If there were any sort of fleas or anything,

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it would come onto the paper.

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-They're not jumping.

-No.

-Not jumping.

-Yeah.

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So it'll be fine to go in.

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The property might well be flea-free,

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but inside, the decor is, well, alarming.

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Oh!

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Somebody liked red.

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Tenants are allowed to decorate their properties however they wish,

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although this looks like it might need some extra attention.

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I've never seen this as a colour in a property before,

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not with the walls and the doors,

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so it's going to take a few coats of paint on the doors, I would imagine,

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to get them, but we will paint them white with the frames white as well.

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It doesn't help with...

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SHE LAUGHS

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The lightshade as well is quite...

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..quite dark.

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Just wait, Elaine, because in the bedroom...

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it goes purple.

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-Purple room.

-Purple!

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And there is, quite literally, a purple patch.

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This is a carpet.

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Why is there a carpet here?

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If that was where the bed was and to protect the bed...

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Who knows?

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The vibrant colour scheme continues in the bathroom,

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which has definitely seen better days.

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Ooh, green.

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The toilet especially is, that's an old cistern on there,

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so, to me, that just shows that it needs a new bath

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and it'll just be all white.

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Meanwhile, in the kitchen,

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the decor is the last thing Mark's worried about.

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The way the layout is with the cooker

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is not really a suitable working kitchen.

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And there's no extractor fan, which is a must, really,

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in these properties.

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Let's hope things are in better shape in the next room.

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OK, lounge.

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Nice size.

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The ceiling's OK.

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That's not too bad. We can leave that up, if you like.

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-Just paint it.

-Yeah.

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Strip the wallpaper, see what the walls are like underneath.

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But they look pretty good,

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so it'd just be a redecoration and we would just repaint the walls.

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So, not too bad, then.

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Oh, hold on, hang on a minute.

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They're not... They will need replastering.

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And the coving's coming off as well.

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-Do you see the state of the walls here?

-Yeah.

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-They're all flaking.

-Yeah.

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-Yeah, remove the coving now?

-Yeah.

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That's not good.

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It's clear the property needs a complete refurbish

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before the next tenants can move in.

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The question is, how much will it cost?

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Budget like this one, I would say would probably -

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because it needs new heating, kitchen -

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you're probably talking about 11,000.

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With the void properties, it's the same worktops, same units, flooring.

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It is white suite, white tiles throughout

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and just one floor colouring.

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It's good quality, it is good quality.

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Cost effective, but practical.

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And Elaine is determined that it will be built to last.

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Once we put it in there, we won't be replacing it for another 20 years.

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That's the kitchen and the bathroom.

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It won't be replaced under any programmes for another 20 years.

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If you do it right once, you won't be coming back and, as I say,

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if you leave the property in a nice state, prospective tenant coming in,

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they tend to look after them a bit more, you know?

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This, I would anticipate to be a family home,

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so whether it's a couple with one or two children,

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more than two children, but it would be a family.

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And it's a central location to the town,

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so I think it'd be a popular one for people to bid on.

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A bid is when a tenant expresses an interest in a property.

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The success of the bed depends on their position

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on the council's priority list.

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But whoever the new tenant is,

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they'll be enjoying a completely refurbished flat

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with a colour scheme that's a bit easier on the eye.

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There's a lot of responsibility, cos you've got to get it right,

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you can't keep going back for repairs.

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The big job will be the kitchen and bathroom, really.

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The rest is just decoration.

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Well, true to their word,

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Elaine and the team have managed to complete the work,

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and, three weeks later, it's the role of housing officer Rachel

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to show off the result.

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This is a big day for this property.

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We're showing its new tenant,

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hopefully, around for the first time.

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She'll love it, I hope, and she'll want to move in as soon as possible.

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For mum Abby and daughter Eloise,

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the property could provide a much-needed new home.

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So, the bathroom is all brand-new.

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It's a new bath, new shower, toilet, basin, tiles, everything's new.

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And we'll put a shower curtain up there for you as well.

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The shocking red is gone as well. Much more neutral.

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If you want to come across. A little bedroom.

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Everything's been painted.

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It's all gas central heating and double glazing.

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Is this going to be your room?

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OK, so, this is bedroom one.

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If you come through here, I'll show you the lounge and the kitchen.

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It's a really lovely flat, actually.

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-Cos it's got the two windows, it's really light.

-Yeah.

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And then you've got your brand-new kitchen, which has just been fitted.

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-It's nice, isn't it?

-Yeah.

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It certainly looks the part,

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but will it get the thumbs-up from Eloise?

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Do you want to live here?

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I think we'll take that as a yes.

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So it will have nice carpet and all your furniture and your bed.

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-Yeah?

-And it will look a bit cosier, probably, next time you come in.

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'Yeah, that went really well,'

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and that'll be home next week for her and her little one.

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So she's had a really happy ending.

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I know I've got somewhere I can call home. And it's permanent.

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I can make it actually homely for us, so I feel a lot safer,

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knowing that I've got somewhere now. So it's just amazing. I'm so happy.

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'Back in Wiltshire, the introduction of the Spare Room Subsidy means

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'social housing tenant Rosie has to leave her three-bedroom home,

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'but instead of joining a lengthy waiting list,

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'she's decided to literally swap her property with another tenant.'

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21 years. Can you imagine what that's going to be like?

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I'm going to cry buckets when I leave here, I know I will.

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But it is what it is. Sometimes, you've just got to go with it.

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'It's becoming an increasingly popular way of moving home,

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'and it's enabled Rosie to find a property that is perfect for her -

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'this rather nice two-bedroom barn conversion,

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'currently occupied by 6ft 9 man-mountain John.'

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Please, make yourself at home, anywhere you like.

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You've applied for a mutual exchange with one of our tenants.

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-Yeah.

-So we've just been to see Rosie at Marlborough...

-Yeah.

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..and you've obviously been to the three-bedroom house there

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-and like it?

-Yes.

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'John lives here with his partner, her daughter and her child.

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'But where Rosie's downsizing,

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'for John, it's about needing more space.'

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HE KNOCKS

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I've given myself concussion nearly three times.

0:16:550:16:57

-So it's a fact that you've got the low doorways, low ceilings?

-Yes.

-OK.

0:16:570:17:01

'Ouch! Despite only having two bedrooms, it looks like there's

0:17:010:17:04

'still plenty of room for Rosie and anyone who wants to visit.'

0:17:040:17:08

-A spacious landing as well, gosh.

-Yeah.

0:17:080:17:11

-It's quite old, isn't it?

-It's a 16th-century barn conversion

0:17:110:17:14

so, yeah, it is rather old!

0:17:140:17:16

-And this is the loft.

-Ah!

-This is all just space. These aren't...

0:17:190:17:24

This isn't an official bedroom up here, then?

0:17:240:17:26

-No, no, because it's a third floor, there's no fire alarm.

-OK.

0:17:260:17:31

Yeah, I mean, it is an enormous property, isn't it?

0:17:310:17:34

But it's classed as a two-bed,

0:17:340:17:36

-cos they're not allowed to use the room there.

-Officially, yeah.

0:17:360:17:39

Yeah, OK.

0:17:390:17:41

'It really is a beautiful property.

0:17:410:17:43

'I'm wondering why would you want to leave a place like this?'

0:17:430:17:46

-So now you're leaving...

-Yeah.

0:17:500:17:52

..what are the reasons for you going this time?

0:17:520:17:54

Because, looking at that, you'd look at that and think,

0:17:540:17:57

why would you want to go from somewhere like this?

0:17:570:17:59

Well, I am 6ft 9 and I bang my head far too regularly,

0:17:590:18:04

-and it really hurts.

-Seriously?

-Yes!

0:18:040:18:07

I mean, this is the thing about country cottages they don't say.

0:18:070:18:10

-Yeah.

-5ft 8, you're fine.

-Yeah.

0:18:100:18:12

-I mean,

-I

-struggle and you are substantially bigger than me.

-I am.

0:18:120:18:17

There's going to be people who say this shouldn't be social housing.

0:18:170:18:21

-Yeah.

-What do you think about that? You know, this is...this is...

0:18:210:18:24

Social housing should be basic and providing a basic need for people,

0:18:240:18:28

-and this is anything but that, isn't it?

-Well, no.

0:18:280:18:31

I mean, it's a bit exotic-looking, but it's very basic in its, um...

0:18:310:18:36

in its purpose.

0:18:360:18:38

You know, there's no central heating, it's all storage heaters,

0:18:380:18:40

there's no double glazing still. We have to use thermal blinds.

0:18:400:18:44

So, you know, people who say that,

0:18:440:18:47

they need to come and live here for a week and I can say it's basic.

0:18:470:18:50

It did its job and now, it's time to move on

0:18:500:18:53

-and stop getting bumps on the head!

-MATT LAUGHS

0:18:530:18:56

-Um, so, you've checked out Rosie's place.

-Yeah, yeah.

0:18:560:18:59

What did you think when you walked through the door there?

0:18:590:19:02

Um, I like the small little community it's in and the door,

0:19:020:19:05

the kitchen door, I walked through without having to duck.

0:19:050:19:09

-That's as simple as it gets?

-It is as simple as it gets.

0:19:090:19:13

-John, it's been lovely meeting you.

-Oh, and you.

0:19:130:19:15

-And I wish you all the best with the move.

-Well, thank you.

0:19:150:19:18

I think it's one of those situations where it seems, touch wood,

0:19:180:19:22

-again, touch wood...

-Yeah.

-..to be working for both parties.

0:19:220:19:26

-Let's hope so.

-The best of luck to you and your family.

0:19:260:19:28

-Nice to meet you.

-You too.

-Cheers, mate.

0:19:280:19:30

What a place. Amazing, isn't it?

0:19:350:19:37

And what a swap as well.

0:19:370:19:39

A mutual exchange that could be perfect.

0:19:390:19:42

Rosie's family, not as big as it used to be,

0:19:420:19:44

John's bigger than it used to be,

0:19:440:19:47

and they're finding themselves in districts which work out better,

0:19:470:19:51

giving them a support structure, a family around them.

0:19:510:19:54

It sounds like the perfect mutual exchange.

0:19:540:19:58

Let's just hope that it goes ahead.

0:19:580:20:00

Well, the good news is the move DID happen

0:20:040:20:07

and both families have settled in well.

0:20:070:20:10

Defending our right to a safe place to live

0:20:170:20:19

is the job of housing officers right across the UK.

0:20:190:20:22

You've done a great thing. You've done a superb thing.

0:20:220:20:24

It's like a red rag to a bull, isn't it, doing something like that?

0:20:240:20:28

'I'm working alongside the men and women who do exactly that...'

0:20:280:20:32

There's a window open there as well.

0:20:320:20:34

That's not so bad. I've seen worse.

0:20:340:20:37

'..hitting the streets,

0:20:370:20:38

'finding out what's happening on the front line...'

0:20:380:20:40

The smell round here is... is really strong.

0:20:400:20:43

'..as we make sure a house is a fit place to call a home.'

0:20:440:20:47

-Oh, so you've got a choice?

-Yeah. It's a tomahawk of some sort.

0:20:470:20:50

The choice of the tomahawk or the bayonet.

0:20:500:20:55

So that's a parting shot, basically, is it, from the tenant?

0:20:550:20:58

"Anti-social behaviour" - three little words that can mean

0:21:020:21:06

a whole lot of trouble for both tenants and housing offices.

0:21:060:21:10

For tenants, it's no fun living next door to noisy neighbours,

0:21:100:21:13

overgrown gardens or having a collection of refuse

0:21:130:21:17

dumped unceremoniously on your doorstep.

0:21:170:21:20

And for the housing officer, well,

0:21:200:21:22

tackling antisocial behaviour can mean having to play the role

0:21:220:21:26

of policemen, diplomat and councillor all rolled into one.

0:21:260:21:31

'And today, in Peterborough, that role lands in

0:21:330:21:36

'the capable hands of housing officer Jasmine Hammond.

0:21:360:21:39

'I'm joining Jasmine as she visits a local estate that's suffering

0:21:400:21:44

'from, amongst other things, unsightly fly-tipping.

0:21:440:21:47

'It's been causing the tenants big problems,

0:21:470:21:49

'but providing a solution has been difficult.'

0:21:490:21:53

The residents themselves, I mean, cos it affects them most directly...

0:21:530:21:57

-Mm-hm.

-..and, you know, they're the eyes and ears of the estate

0:21:570:22:00

of an area, aren't they? Do you get much help from them?

0:22:000:22:04

Well, um, I was getting complaints from residents saying,

0:22:040:22:07

"Oh, you're not doing anything, the police are not doing anything,"

0:22:070:22:11

so I wrote to them and said to them,

0:22:110:22:13

"You actually do need to be reporting this to us, and giving us,

0:22:130:22:18

"you know, number plates and descriptions,

0:22:180:22:22

"so we can actually do something about it,"

0:22:220:22:25

and just in the past week,

0:22:250:22:27

two fly-tippers have been reported to us.

0:22:270:22:30

'Jasmine's point is a good one.

0:22:300:22:32

'Housing offices and tenants are much a stronger force

0:22:320:22:35

'when they work together. And when we arrived,

0:22:350:22:38

'I see just why residents here are so concerned.'

0:22:380:22:41

'The estate is home to many families,

0:22:410:22:43

'including those with young children.

0:22:430:22:45

'Not only is the tipping an eyesore,

0:22:450:22:47

'you can see why they might not want their kids anywhere near it.'

0:22:470:22:50

So that looks like someone's had a refurb of their house,

0:22:500:22:53

they've taken out some old doors, maybe a kitchen

0:22:530:22:55

and just, er, dumped it, right in this corner.

0:22:550:22:59

But it's not the only one.

0:22:590:23:01

I mean, we've got more over there.

0:23:010:23:03

It's becoming quite a major problem in this area.

0:23:030:23:06

-Yeah.

-I mean, it was only cleared up last week.

0:23:060:23:09

And this has been dumped in the meantime.

0:23:090:23:12

'Jasmine suspects this isn't any common-or-garden waste

0:23:120:23:15

'from the local residents.'

0:23:150:23:16

We're finding that people are coming on a daily basis now to fly-tip.

0:23:160:23:20

Is it happening at the same time, in the middle of the night?

0:23:200:23:23

-Cos that's when you'd probably...

-Well, one resident reported to me

0:23:230:23:26

that, at the weekend when they fly-tipped,

0:23:260:23:28

there were six families out here playing, because, obviously,

0:23:280:23:31

this is quite a large area and, when it's clear,

0:23:310:23:34

it's somewhere that the children do play,

0:23:340:23:36

cos they obviously play here - and they actually came along

0:23:360:23:40

and dumped the rubbish in front of six families playing out.

0:23:400:23:42

-While they were there? That brazen?

-Yeah, yeah.

-Wow.

0:23:420:23:46

-That's... That takes..

-And when somebody confronted them,

0:23:460:23:49

he just gave them the V sign and drove off.

0:23:490:23:52

-Fair enough. That's what you'd...

-So they're that blase about it.

0:23:520:23:55

Yeah.

0:23:550:23:57

'It's a lovely quiet spot here lined with trees, but it's possible

0:23:570:24:00

'the picturesque surroundings might, in this instance,

0:24:000:24:03

'be making it harder to spot the culprits.'

0:24:030:24:05

So, you've got, I mean,

0:24:070:24:09

I'm trying to look at it as an area and see what there is

0:24:090:24:11

-to stop people doing it, cos it's so secluded here.

-Yeah.

0:24:110:24:14

I mean, even the flats kind of look in the opposite direction

0:24:140:24:17

and you'd have to crane your neck from one of those

0:24:170:24:19

-to see what's going on.

-To see what's going on.

0:24:190:24:21

I've got a couple of residents that are quite vigilant

0:24:210:24:24

and we caught a fly-tipper last week.

0:24:240:24:27

And the one that fly-tipped here at the weekend,

0:24:270:24:30

we've got his registration number as well,

0:24:300:24:32

so we'll be passing that on to the council.

0:24:320:24:34

'Residents here get the double whammy.

0:24:350:24:38

'Not only do they have to put up with the mess,

0:24:380:24:40

'they have to pay to clear it up, too.'

0:24:400:24:42

Something like that, along with the rest,

0:24:450:24:48

is probably going to be in the region of 200, £300,

0:24:480:24:51

potentially more. It goes on to the service charge

0:24:510:24:54

that is spread out over the year, but obviously,

0:24:540:24:57

the service charge goes up and up every year,

0:24:570:24:59

and it just seems to be becoming more of a problem.

0:24:590:25:03

'It's money that could've been used to improve services

0:25:040:25:06

'for local people, but instead...

0:25:060:25:08

'Well, it's going to waste, quite literally.'

0:25:080:25:11

Oh, it's a wheelie bin!

0:25:110:25:13

-It's got wheels.

-Yeah.

0:25:130:25:16

-Oh!

-That's what's left.

0:25:160:25:17

So that's what happens if you set light to a wheelie bin.

0:25:170:25:20

'Fly-tipping isn't the only antisocial problem here.'

0:25:200:25:23

I mean, it's full of little nooks and crannies, this estate, isn't it?

0:25:230:25:27

-Yeah, yeah.

-There are loads of little dark corners

0:25:270:25:30

where, if you wanted to get up to something, you could.

0:25:300:25:33

'And these dark corners have encouraged

0:25:330:25:35

'more sinister activities. As well as reports

0:25:350:25:38

'of couples engaged in inappropriate behaviour in the alleyways,

0:25:380:25:42

'there's also been sightings of drug use on the estate.'

0:25:420:25:45

At night-time, there's no lighting.

0:25:470:25:49

Is there lighting here or have I missed it somewhere?

0:25:490:25:52

-There's outside lighting on the blocks...

-Yeah.

0:25:520:25:55

..but it would be fairly limited.

0:25:550:25:57

-Cos it's really nice and peaceful.

-Yeah.

-That's the plus side of it.

0:25:570:26:01

-Yeah.

-Lovely and peaceful.

-And the flats are actually

0:26:010:26:03

-really nice inside.

-Yeah.

0:26:030:26:05

For the residents here, it's not too attractive, is it?

0:26:050:26:08

You've got people having illicit liaisons in alcoves, then you've got

0:26:080:26:13

teenagers coming here to smoke drugs, cos it's nice and secluded,

0:26:130:26:17

-and you've got people...

-Fly-tipping.

-..fly-tipping.

0:26:170:26:20

So you've got...

0:26:200:26:21

You have got sex, drugs and carpet roll.

0:26:210:26:23

SHE LAUGHS

0:26:230:26:26

That is awful. Come on.

0:26:260:26:28

Let's have a little look around, see what else we can find.

0:26:280:26:30

'It is a bad joke,

0:26:300:26:32

'and it's clearly no laughing matter for the many residents here.

0:26:320:26:35

'Later on, I'll be chatting to a couple to discover

0:26:350:26:38

'the real cost of the antisocial behaviour.'

0:26:380:26:40

My son is not playing outside,

0:26:400:26:42

-because the kids come in, they're smoking weed.

-Smoking weed.

-Yeah.

0:26:420:26:46

-So you don't like leaving your son out the front there?

-Exactly.

0:26:460:26:50

Many of us dream of moving to a home with a bigger garden,

0:26:560:26:59

a large outdoor space to call our own.

0:26:590:27:02

But here in Northumberland, housing officers

0:27:030:27:05

Laura Barnett and Lindsay Jones

0:27:050:27:07

are on their way to investigate a mysterious case

0:27:070:27:10

where the garden of one of their homes might actually have shrunk.

0:27:100:27:13

The property we're going to now has just recently been re-let.

0:27:170:27:22

When it was void, um, we had a massive clearance in the garden,

0:27:220:27:25

cos the rear garden hadn't been maintained,

0:27:250:27:28

and, as we started to clear the garden,

0:27:280:27:30

we then noticed it appeared that the owner-occupier next door

0:27:300:27:34

had slightly encroached on our land with his fence.

0:27:340:27:37

The new tenant isn't at the property today,

0:27:380:27:40

but the neighbour responsible for the new fence is.

0:27:400:27:43

Hello there! I'm just going to go and measure up in the garden.

0:27:450:27:48

-Oh?

-Yes, is that OK?

0:27:480:27:51

So, armed with a trusty tape measure,

0:27:510:27:53

it's time for a little bit of detective work.

0:27:530:27:55

Just measuring up, cos we've got the measure

0:27:560:27:59

of what it should be off the deeds.

0:27:590:28:00

So we'll find out where the actual position of the fence should be.

0:28:000:28:04

After some detailed investigation, the verdict is in.

0:28:060:28:09

So, we're looking at the right measurement.

0:28:120:28:15

It should be 8.1 metres, which is to this post,

0:28:150:28:17

so that's the same all the way up and down the garden, so all of this,

0:28:170:28:21

the fence should go straight from this post

0:28:210:28:23

instead of coming outwards.

0:28:230:28:25

It seems the neighbour has built a new fence halfway down the garden

0:28:250:28:29

that encroaches onto this tenant's lawn,

0:28:290:28:32

creating a larger space for himself in the process.

0:28:320:28:35

Yeah, it sticks out, and we're also concerned with

0:28:360:28:38

the health and safety of the fence. It's literally about to come down.

0:28:380:28:41

I mean, it's not the greatest, which is the main concern as well.

0:28:410:28:45

On this occurrence, I think we'll be taking down the fence

0:28:470:28:50

and putting up a six-foot fence in the correct position.

0:28:500:28:53

The tape measure doesn't lie.

0:28:530:28:55

Now it's time to report the findings to the neighbour

0:28:550:28:57

whose impromptu spot of DIY appears to have caused the problem.

0:28:570:29:01

-We've measured it. So up to the post next to your gate...

-Uh-huh?

0:29:010:29:06

-..is the actual width of the garden, right?

-Mm-hm.

0:29:060:29:10

So we're going to remove your existing fence

0:29:100:29:13

and follow it up in a straight line, OK. And we'll do that.

0:29:130:29:17

The first post that's in place, where your gate is...

0:29:170:29:19

-Where your gate...

-That's right.

-So it should be up from there.

0:29:190:29:22

And then, it comes out on a bend and then goes straight.

0:29:220:29:25

That's where it's been pushed across a little bit.

0:29:250:29:28

-The fence at the back of the garden?

-Yeah.

-That one's changed.

0:29:280:29:32

Oh, yeah, at the back, along the back?

0:29:320:29:34

-That's on the border-line?

-Yeah.

0:29:340:29:35

Yes, so you'd be just going straight up to that.

0:29:350:29:38

-Oh, right, yeah.

-We'll go straight up.

0:29:380:29:40

-So it's from the edge of the hedge straight down.

-Yeah.

0:29:400:29:43

It seems like a straightforward open-and-shut case.

0:29:430:29:45

The neighbour accepts his new fence is in the wrong place.

0:29:450:29:48

So Lindsay and Laura will instruct their maintenance team

0:29:480:29:51

to put up a brand-new one in the correct position,

0:29:510:29:54

and that gives their tenant back the whole garden.

0:29:540:29:57

But you know, it's not all bad news for the neighbour.

0:29:570:30:00

We're going to take on the costs,

0:30:000:30:02

because, obviously, it's deteriorated in standard

0:30:020:30:04

because of the neighbour and it wasn't anything you'd done

0:30:040:30:07

or anything, so we'll take the cost on board for that, OK?

0:30:070:30:10

-All right, I will let you know anyway.

-Right.

0:30:100:30:12

-OK, then?

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you!

-Thanks very much.

0:30:120:30:14

I'd say that's case closed.

0:30:140:30:16

That's right, we've gone with what's on the deeds.

0:30:170:30:20

He's seen the deeds, he is happy with that.

0:30:200:30:21

He understands that, yeah, he did take a little bit of our land.

0:30:210:30:25

He's taken about half a metre at the back of the property,

0:30:250:30:27

probably a couple of metres squared,

0:30:270:30:29

just so that he could have more room for his shed, really.

0:30:290:30:31

Certainly, in a close community like this, um, you know,

0:30:330:30:35

if one person says, "Well, I've taken a foot of land there,"

0:30:350:30:39

it goes on down the street.

0:30:390:30:41

Another person takes another foot, and it goes on and on and on.

0:30:410:30:44

So we have to try and nip it in the bud as soon as we can.

0:30:440:30:47

'I'm back in Peterborough with housing officer Jasmine Hammond.

0:30:520:30:55

'She's been called into a local estate where residents are having

0:30:550:30:58

'big problems with antisocial behaviour.

0:30:580:31:01

'There have been reports of fly-tipping

0:31:010:31:04

'where vehicles are taking an untidy detour to dump piles of waste.

0:31:040:31:08

'But they're not the only ones making the place look a mess.'

0:31:080:31:10

Is this just residents who are chucking stuff out?

0:31:100:31:14

I would assume that that is residents.

0:31:140:31:16

Cos it's kind of ordered, isn't it?

0:31:160:31:18

Yes. This was put out quite a while ago for a council collection

0:31:180:31:23

-and somebody has just put, "When?"

-"When," right.

0:31:230:31:26

MATT LAUGHS It's been too long!

0:31:260:31:29

So we've had to raise that for clearance. Yet again,

0:31:290:31:31

that's going to be a cost that'll be passed on to the residents.

0:31:310:31:35

So, normally, what you'd have to do is call the council and you'd say,

0:31:350:31:38

"I've got a fridge," and the council would say,

0:31:380:31:41

"That's going to be..." I don't know.

0:31:410:31:43

-25 quid, possibly.

-Right, 25 quid.

-It's no more than £30.

0:31:430:31:46

So the alternative here is just to leave it until everyone gets fed up

0:31:460:31:52

-with it...

-And reports it, or I spot it and it gets raised.

0:31:520:31:56

How do you persuade them that it's actually better

0:31:560:31:59

to pay the money upfront? And these are people

0:31:590:32:01

-that might not have that money or much money?

-What I say to them,

0:32:010:32:05

and I do send the letters out quite regularly, is,

0:32:050:32:08

if we catch you fly-tipping, we will report you to the council,

0:32:080:32:12

they will investigate that, you will get a fine off the council,

0:32:120:32:15

then we will charge you up to £250 to arrange for that to be cleared.

0:32:150:32:20

OK, so, that's the big stick at the back of that.

0:32:200:32:23

-Yeah.

-That, if you do this sort of thing, actually,

0:32:230:32:26

-it could cost you ten times as much further down the road.

-Yeah, yeah.

0:32:260:32:29

'Jasmine has another rather graphic illustration of how the layout

0:32:290:32:32

'of the estate might be encouraging antisocial behaviour.'

0:32:320:32:35

The thing is, with these alleyways, these...

0:32:350:32:38

-I mean, you're out of the public view, aren't you?

-Mm-hm.

0:32:380:32:42

And you've got this little narrow thing, anything can happen in there.

0:32:420:32:45

Well, we've had complaints from residents that passers-by

0:32:450:32:48

have used these as toilets. Um, I've walked up here once

0:32:480:32:52

and there's been urine running down, where somebody's recently urinated.

0:32:520:32:56

It's not nice and it's not nice for the residents either,

0:32:560:33:00

because, obviously, they're the ones that have to clean it

0:33:000:33:02

and complain about it. But it's catching somebody, really.

0:33:020:33:05

I'd rather not, in some ways, what, mid...

0:33:050:33:07

-HE CLEARS HIS THROAT

-I'd make him clean it up himself.

0:33:070:33:10

I would! THEY LAUGH

0:33:100:33:12

-You'd have serious words with them once they'd finished.

-Yes.

0:33:120:33:16

'Although the problems of this estate are not the worst

0:33:160:33:18

'I've ever come across, it's clear that a build-up of issues like these

0:33:180:33:22

'can have a big effect on the tenants who live here.

0:33:220:33:24

'People like Eduardo.'

0:33:240:33:26

THEY LAUGH

0:33:260:33:27

'Eduardo's a big family man.

0:33:290:33:31

'He's lived happily here on the estate for a while, but recently,

0:33:310:33:34

'parts of the communal space have become a no-go area for his son.'

0:33:340:33:38

This side is sometimes terrible.

0:33:380:33:40

For example, my son in the school time is not playing this side,

0:33:400:33:44

because the kids come in, they're smoking.

0:33:440:33:47

OK, so they're smoking what?

0:33:470:33:49

-Weed.

-Smoking weed?

-Yeah.

-So you don't like leaving...

0:33:490:33:53

-Exactly.

-..your son out the front there?

0:33:530:33:55

-Mm-hm.

-That's not so good for you?

-No, it's no good for my son, for me.

0:33:550:33:58

-Yeah.

-Yeah, yeah.

0:33:580:34:00

And how about the rubbish that we see, the fly-tipping?

0:34:000:34:02

So, the rubbish is terrible.

0:34:020:34:04

-Any idea who's doing it?

-No, no.

-Do you ever see them?

-No.

0:34:040:34:08

And then, in terms of the costs of that, does that go to you?

0:34:080:34:12

-Yeah.

-You end up paying for that rubbish?

-Yeah.

0:34:120:34:14

So what's the answer?

0:34:140:34:16

-So put the camera...

-Yeah.

-..for, yeah, the surveillance camera,

0:34:160:34:20

I think it's better for seeing that.

0:34:200:34:23

-So if there was a camera up there to watch it...

-Yeah, watch it.

0:34:230:34:26

..and get rid of it, that would be better?

0:34:260:34:29

-Yeah.

-Thanks for talking to me.

0:34:290:34:31

-Really nice to meet you.

-Nice to meet you.

0:34:310:34:33

I hope it all gets sorted for you.

0:34:330:34:35

'It's clearly tough on Eduardo and his family,

0:34:370:34:39

'as this estate should be a very pleasant place to live.'

0:34:390:34:43

The thing about not being able to send your kids out to play...

0:34:430:34:46

Well, they can't, that's where they come here and smoke the cannabis.

0:34:460:34:49

It's really difficult for families to let the children play out here.

0:34:490:34:53

You think about that, and you know it goes on,

0:34:530:34:55

you know it happens in places,

0:34:550:34:56

-but then, you put it right next to families...

-Mm-hm.

0:34:560:34:59

..and, of course, you know, it influences those kids.

0:34:590:35:03

-They see it, they're around it.

-Yeah. It's really bad for them.

0:35:030:35:06

The behaviour that goes on with it as well is really...

0:35:060:35:09

-It's not what you want your kids to be around.

-No.

0:35:090:35:12

'For Jasmine, the visit has provided a lot of food for thought,

0:35:120:35:16

'but unfortunately, it hasn't offered any easy answers.'

0:35:160:35:19

We've used CCTV before. That wasn't successful,

0:35:190:35:22

because nobody gave us any reports or they'd say, "Sometime last week."

0:35:220:35:27

We can't go through that much footage, we need specifics,

0:35:270:35:31

and that's why I've ended up writing to the residents and saying,

0:35:310:35:34

we really need you to be reporting, even if it's just the number plate,

0:35:340:35:38

day and time, and that you're prepared to give a statement,

0:35:380:35:40

we can do something about this,

0:35:400:35:42

but we need the residents to be on board with it.

0:35:420:35:44

The thing about this estate, though,

0:35:440:35:46

is it's got loads of potential to be lovely. It is quiet, it is secluded,

0:35:460:35:51

which should make it a lovely place to live.

0:35:510:35:53

It's got bags of parking, loads of amenities.

0:35:530:35:56

We do really need to tighten it up and see if we can open up the area

0:35:560:36:00

for families, rather than for people committing crimes!

0:36:000:36:04

Yes, ideally. In an ideal world.

0:36:040:36:06

'Everyone has the right to feel safe and secure in their own home,

0:36:060:36:10

'a right to a quality of life, but it's also clear that,

0:36:100:36:13

'for that to happen on this estate,

0:36:130:36:15

'it's going to require a team effort.'

0:36:150:36:17

It's always the way, though, isn't it?

0:36:170:36:19

You know, probably 85% of the residents here want it to be as good

0:36:190:36:23

-as it possibly can be for them and their kids and everything...

-Yeah.

0:36:230:36:28

..and it's just there's a few that are ether turning a blind eye...

0:36:280:36:32

-Or they don't care about their area.

-..or doing it themselves.

0:36:320:36:35

You can smell that rubbish still, can't you, even from here?

0:36:350:36:37

Yeah. It's really bad.

0:36:370:36:40

'I don't envy the scale of Jasmine's task here,

0:36:400:36:43

'but she's a no-nonsense character.

0:36:430:36:45

'Something tells me she'll be getting things sorted

0:36:450:36:48

'sooner rather than later.'

0:36:480:36:50

Well, since our visit, I'm pleased to report

0:36:530:36:55

that there have been more residents coming forward to report incidents

0:36:550:36:58

of fly-tipping on the estate.

0:36:580:37:00

Registration numbers have been reported to the authorities

0:37:000:37:03

and gardening contractors are looking at the possibility

0:37:030:37:06

of reducing the height of the trees,

0:37:060:37:07

to help residents keep a further lookout for offenders.

0:37:070:37:11

The police have also teamed up with a local college to target the area

0:37:110:37:14

and help reduce complaints about groups of young adults congregating

0:37:140:37:18

to take drugs. That's great news for tenants like Eduardo and his family.

0:37:180:37:22

Official figures indicate that Britain's population is

0:37:280:37:31

an ageing one, with statistics suggesting that,

0:37:310:37:33

in less than 25 years' time, 1 in 12 of us will be over 80.

0:37:330:37:38

'That's going to present some pretty big housing challenges

0:37:380:37:41

'in the future, but today, here in Aylesbury,

0:37:410:37:43

'there are more immediate issues

0:37:430:37:45

'facing housing officer Tony Proud and one of his elderly tenants.'

0:37:450:37:49

So where are we going today?

0:37:490:37:50

This lady's had solid fuel for a long while, a number of years,

0:37:500:37:56

and she's now got to the point where it's hard for her to maintain it.

0:37:560:38:00

And we've now just put her electric central heating in?

0:38:000:38:03

So she had coal fires up till now, then?

0:38:030:38:05

-She did, yes.

-That's what it was?

-She was looking after it herself,

0:38:050:38:08

going outside and getting her coal in.

0:38:080:38:11

Quite an extraordinary lady, really, for her age.

0:38:110:38:14

-So how old is she?

-91.

0:38:140:38:16

Wow!

0:38:160:38:18

'It is a beautiful spot, but the very rural location

0:38:180:38:21

'makes it more difficult to access utilities like gas central heating.

0:38:210:38:26

'The tenant here, Mrs Dumpleton,

0:38:260:38:27

'has been relying on a solid fuel solution,

0:38:270:38:30

'something that clearly isn't practical at her time of life.'

0:38:300:38:33

Mrs Dumpleton, could you tell me how long you've lived in this house?

0:38:330:38:36

85 years last month.

0:38:380:38:40

So you moved into this when it was brand-new?

0:38:400:38:42

-Yes.

-This house?

-Yes.

-Wow!

0:38:420:38:44

Do you remember that, cos you would've been a very small girl?

0:38:440:38:47

-I can remember it as though it was yesterday.

-Really?

-Yes.

0:38:470:38:51

-Do you remember? Cos you're with your mum and dad...

-Yes.

0:38:510:38:54

-..you're about six years old?

-Yes, that's right.

0:38:540:38:57

So what happened? Talk me through it.

0:38:570:38:59

Well, you just carried your things.

0:38:590:39:02

You didn't need furniture vehicles

0:39:020:39:04

and anything like that to remove you, just, er...

0:39:040:39:10

You had neighbours, everybody was helpful to one another,

0:39:100:39:15

and you just carried your things across the road and done with it.

0:39:150:39:19

-So you went from that house over there...

-Yes, yes.

0:39:190:39:22

-..to this one here...

-Yes.

-..when it was brand-new?

-Yeah.

0:39:220:39:25

And you've had, what, 85 Christmases in here?

0:39:250:39:29

-Yes.

-Wow!

-My father was here for a time,

0:39:290:39:33

then my brothers, and, of course, my husband.

0:39:330:39:36

But I lost him 19 years ago,

0:39:360:39:38

and I've had to manage on my own ever since.

0:39:380:39:41

Can you tell me what your daily routine was,

0:39:410:39:43

-with getting the house warm?

-How would it work?

0:39:430:39:46

I used to get up at half past five every morning, did the ashes,

0:39:460:39:51

and stoke up for the day.

0:39:510:39:53

-Shifting bags of coal and bags of logs and chopping wood.

-Yeah.

0:39:530:39:57

-All of that sounds like quite a job?

-It was always a job.

0:39:570:40:00

This last few months, to do the ashes

0:40:000:40:03

and all of that sort of thing in the morning,

0:40:030:40:06

that was a bit of a nightmare, to be quite truthful, for me.

0:40:060:40:10

'Fortunately, thanks to Tony and his team,

0:40:100:40:12

'a more hi-tech solution has now been implemented.'

0:40:120:40:15

In the whole of the house now, we've installed these

0:40:150:40:18

high-efficiency storage heaters. Simple controls, easy-to-use.

0:40:180:40:22

Every one can be done individually.

0:40:220:40:25

They're a lot cheaper than propane gas and solid fuel.

0:40:250:40:29

Which is what we need to have out here in the country?

0:40:290:40:32

So, when you're out in the sticks, it's a lot better.

0:40:320:40:34

-Very modern technology.

-Consider myself educated.

0:40:340:40:36

Thank you very much, Tony.

0:40:360:40:38

'Despite Tony's admirable enthusiasm,

0:40:380:40:41

'no-one's going to claim that radiators are the new rock and roll.

0:40:410:40:43

'But for Mrs Dumpleton, they're going to make a massive difference

0:40:430:40:47

'and help her remain in the property

0:40:470:40:49

'she's called home for more than eight decades.

0:40:490:40:52

'But the changes have left one small issue,

0:40:520:40:54

'as her son Dennis explains.'

0:40:540:40:56

-That's it there, is it?

-This is the coal bunker outside.

0:40:560:41:01

-Er, completely filled up.

-How do you get in there?

0:41:010:41:04

SLAB SCRAPES Oh, my God!

0:41:040:41:06

-Look at it!

-So what are we going to do with that, then?

0:41:060:41:09

You look at that and what your mum

0:41:090:41:11

used to have to do to try and get that inside...

0:41:110:41:13

-That's right.

-91!

0:41:130:41:15

She was carrying coal in, er...in buckets.

0:41:150:41:19

You can't carry coal at her age.

0:41:190:41:21

How important is this place for your mum?

0:41:210:41:23

I mean, 85 years is such an incredibly long time, you know,

0:41:230:41:27

and, during that time, births, deaths, marriages, Christmases,

0:41:270:41:31

all of that stuff that's taken place here.

0:41:310:41:34

She's seen her husband die here,

0:41:340:41:36

she seen her mother die here, her grandfather, er...

0:41:360:41:40

Whenever anything happened years ago,

0:41:400:41:43

everyone came to the family home.

0:41:430:41:45

This central heating enables her to carry on here and, at the moment,

0:41:450:41:49

she's got her independence for another however many years.

0:41:490:41:52

'Which is great, but that still leaves the question,

0:41:520:41:55

'what to do with all this coal?

0:41:550:41:57

'I'm determined to do my bit.'

0:41:570:41:58

-I'll take one as a souvenir, there you go.

-Please do.

-That's it.

0:41:580:42:02

-That's only a small piece.

-That's a help!

0:42:020:42:04

THEY LAUGH

0:42:040:42:05

If you've lived here for 85 years, with bags of coal,

0:42:070:42:11

this is a big change for you?

0:42:110:42:13

Yes. Well, it will be a pleasure not to have to walk out there

0:42:130:42:16

in the wintertime and get buckets of coal in.

0:42:160:42:19

-That's good to hear.

-Yes.

0:42:190:42:20

-Have you noticed a difference in the house?

-Yes, it's much better.

0:42:200:42:25

Well, I'm glad you're happy with the way it is now.

0:42:250:42:27

-I'm very happy with it.

-Apart from anything else,

0:42:270:42:29

-it does look the part, doesn't it?

-It's very nice, isn't it?

-Yeah.

0:42:290:42:33

'It's been great to meet Mrs Dumpleton, and today's visit

0:42:330:42:36

'just goes to show that, when a housing officer gets involved,

0:42:360:42:40

'even small changes can make huge difference to people's lives.'

0:42:400:42:43

Just to give you an idea,

0:42:430:42:45

when Mrs Dumpleton first moved into her house...

0:42:450:42:48

..this is where she got her water from.

0:42:490:42:51

85 years later, that place is still

0:42:510:42:54

knitted into the DNA of her family. Six generations!

0:42:540:42:59

They've been born there, they've died, they've got married,

0:42:590:43:02

and now a simple thing like fitting new heaters to that place means that

0:43:020:43:07

Mrs Dumpleton can carry on for a few more years at least.

0:43:070:43:11

That's gotta be a good thing.

0:43:110:43:12

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