0:00:02 > 0:00:05That doesn't feel safe. 'Everyone deserves a safe place to live.'
0:00:05 > 0:00:06What's it like for you living here?
0:00:06 > 0:00:09'But with rents rising and demand increasing,
0:00:09 > 0:00:13'it's getting harder and harder to find a secure place to call home.'
0:00:13 > 0:00:16Passers-by have used these as toilets.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19Out she popped, brandishing a bottle above her head.
0:00:19 > 0:00:23'I'm Matt Allwright and I'm back with The Housing Enforcers.'
0:00:23 > 0:00:25There are definitely fleas here. There's infestation.
0:00:25 > 0:00:27He was trying to make this into a home
0:00:27 > 0:00:29and then it just all went horribly wrong.
0:00:29 > 0:00:31'I'm on the front line with those
0:00:31 > 0:00:33'fighting for the right to decent housing.'
0:00:33 > 0:00:35You can actually see the floorboards.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38'As local councils and housing associations
0:00:38 > 0:00:41'battle problem properties and slum conditions...'
0:00:41 > 0:00:42- Are you ready for this, are you? - I don't know.
0:00:42 > 0:00:45'..as they deal with dodgy landlords...'
0:00:45 > 0:00:46So, that's a dead rat.
0:00:46 > 0:00:48What am I going to do?
0:00:48 > 0:00:49'..nightmare neighbours...'
0:00:49 > 0:00:53All hell broke loose and I could hear somebody screaming.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55- Get rid of him. - '..and everything in between...'
0:00:55 > 0:00:58- I think that's referred to as a bong.- A bong, right, OK.
0:00:58 > 0:01:00- A makeshift bong. - Yeah, a makeshift bong.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03'..to help those in need of a happy and healthy home.'
0:01:03 > 0:01:06"If there's something strange in your neighbourhood,
0:01:06 > 0:01:07"who you gonna call?"
0:01:11 > 0:01:13'Today, there's an unpleasant revelation
0:01:13 > 0:01:15'on an estate inspection in Peterborough.'
0:01:15 > 0:01:18Passers-by have used these as toilets.
0:01:18 > 0:01:22I've walked up here once and there's been urine running down
0:01:22 > 0:01:24where somebody recently urinated.
0:01:24 > 0:01:26'In Newcastle, there's an investigation
0:01:26 > 0:01:28'into a shrinking garden.'
0:01:28 > 0:01:30The fence is literally about to come down.
0:01:30 > 0:01:34I mean, it's not the greatest, which is the main concern.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38'There's a shock in store for housing officers in Stroud.'
0:01:38 > 0:01:43It's going to take a few coats of paint on the doors, I would imagine,
0:01:43 > 0:01:45to get them, but we will paint them white.
0:01:45 > 0:01:50'And a 91-year-old resident gets a warm glow all over.'
0:01:50 > 0:01:52Well, it will be a pleasure not to have to walk out there
0:01:52 > 0:01:54in the winter time and get buckets of coal in.
0:01:59 > 0:02:01It used to be so straightforward.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04You leave education, you get yourself a job
0:02:04 > 0:02:08and then settle down once you've found a house or flat.
0:02:08 > 0:02:13And even though happily ever after wasn't guaranteed, you could usually
0:02:13 > 0:02:16depend on getting an affordable and safe place to live.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19Well, it's no secret that, thanks to the housing crisis,
0:02:19 > 0:02:21today, things are a bit more complicated.
0:02:21 > 0:02:25But there are men and women across the UK whose job it is to ensure
0:02:25 > 0:02:29that everyone has the opportunity to enjoy a safe roof over their heads.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32Every day, they're out fighting for your rights.
0:02:32 > 0:02:34They are The Housing Enforcers.
0:02:36 > 0:02:40As a social housing tenant, getting a property is hard enough,
0:02:40 > 0:02:42but what happens if you need to move?
0:02:43 > 0:02:46A mutual exchange means literally swapping homes
0:02:46 > 0:02:50with another social housing tenant, and it can be an easier way
0:02:50 > 0:02:53to move to another area or different-sized property
0:02:53 > 0:02:55without having to join lengthy waiting lists.
0:02:56 > 0:03:00'In Wiltshire, I'm working with housing officer Belinda Eastland
0:03:00 > 0:03:03'on the way to see one tenant who's about to do just that.'
0:03:11 > 0:03:12Today, we're seeing Rosie.
0:03:12 > 0:03:16She's lived in the village for many years in one of our rented homes.
0:03:16 > 0:03:18You know, her family's grown up,
0:03:18 > 0:03:23moved away and she's left in a three-bedroomed house.
0:03:23 > 0:03:25And that means she's got two spare bedrooms.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30'Single mum Rosie has lived here for the past 21 years.'
0:03:32 > 0:03:34KNOCK ON DOOR
0:03:36 > 0:03:39- Hi, Rosie.- Hello.- How are you? - I'm Belinda. This is Matt.
0:03:39 > 0:03:40Hi, I'm Belinda, hi, Matt.
0:03:40 > 0:03:42Nice to meet you. Thank you very much.
0:03:42 > 0:03:43'But with her daughters gone,
0:03:43 > 0:03:47'the introduction in 2013 of the Government's Spare Room Subsidy,
0:03:47 > 0:03:49'otherwise known as the bedroom tax,
0:03:49 > 0:03:53'means she could lose benefits for having unoccupied rooms,
0:03:53 > 0:03:55'so she's decided to downsize.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59'Luckily, after searching a house-swap website,
0:03:59 > 0:04:01'Rosie's found a property that suits her,
0:04:01 > 0:04:04'in a nearby town that's also closer to her kids.'
0:04:06 > 0:04:09- Absolutely.- You've found a wonderful house, haven't you?
0:04:09 > 0:04:12- Have you seen it yet? - No, I've seen where it is,
0:04:12 > 0:04:13but I actually haven't been in it yet.
0:04:13 > 0:04:15- That's later today. - It's beautiful.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18- It's a two-way swap, is it?- Yes. - Just the two of you involved?
0:04:18 > 0:04:20Yeah, she's got a two-bed and she wants a three
0:04:20 > 0:04:23and, um, I've got a three-bed and I want a two.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28'So, it seems there's a very practical reason for the swap.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30'But while Belinda does a final assessment of the property
0:04:30 > 0:04:34'in preparation for the new tenant, I get the feeling that, for Rosie,
0:04:34 > 0:04:36'this move might be a bittersweet one.'
0:04:37 > 0:04:4221 years here, your family and your daughter's family growing up here...
0:04:42 > 0:04:45- Yeah.- ..and now, you're looking at moving,
0:04:45 > 0:04:49- so that must be quite a wrench. - Yeah.- How does that feel?
0:04:49 > 0:04:51Um, mixed feelings, mixed feelings.
0:04:51 > 0:04:53- Yeah.- Sad on one...
0:04:53 > 0:04:55This, the view out there - have you seen the view out there?
0:04:55 > 0:04:58- Yeah, stunning.- It is absolutely amazing - and that was nothing,
0:04:58 > 0:05:00it was fields when I first moved here.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02That I'll miss and I don't know how I'll ever replace it,
0:05:02 > 0:05:05so I'll just have to do something in a different property
0:05:05 > 0:05:08to make an environment nice again, you know, but, yes, it is a wrench.
0:05:08 > 0:05:09How difficult does it make it,
0:05:09 > 0:05:13knowing that you've been kind of forced into the choice a little bit?
0:05:13 > 0:05:16When the Bedroom Tax came out, I was absolutely livid.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18People can fall on hard times, you know,
0:05:18 > 0:05:20you never know what's round the corner.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22You can have people that have, like myself,
0:05:22 > 0:05:27brought their families up in a property and then aren't actually,
0:05:27 > 0:05:30if anything happens to them, they lose their job,
0:05:30 > 0:05:33they haven't even got anywhere for their grandchildren to stay,
0:05:33 > 0:05:35because they'll be eventually booted out and...
0:05:35 > 0:05:41And 20 years of family life, and I've got six grandchildren.
0:05:41 > 0:05:43I want them to be able to come and stay, not too often,
0:05:43 > 0:05:46but I want them, you know... Or your family and friends.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48Why should you be punished like that?
0:05:48 > 0:05:50'I really do feel for Rosie,
0:05:50 > 0:05:53'but whatever you think about the impact of the Spare Room Subsidy,
0:05:53 > 0:05:56'the current shortage of suitable social housing means
0:05:56 > 0:05:59'there are plenty of families living in overcrowded accommodation,
0:05:59 > 0:06:02'for whom this place would be perfect.'
0:06:02 > 0:06:05There's going to come a point where you're standing at the door
0:06:05 > 0:06:09- and all your stuff's in a van... - I know!- 21 years.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11Can you imagine what that's going to be like?
0:06:11 > 0:06:13I'm going to cry buckets when I leave here, I know I will.
0:06:14 > 0:06:19But it is what it is, so you just have to, um...
0:06:19 > 0:06:21Sometimes, you've just got to go with it.
0:06:21 > 0:06:22'Of course it can't be easy,
0:06:22 > 0:06:26'but it's great to see Rosie able to see some positives in her move.'
0:06:26 > 0:06:28This other place, it's just...
0:06:28 > 0:06:33a beautiful, old, listed half a farmhouse,
0:06:33 > 0:06:36and I've always wanted to live in a cottage or somewhere old,
0:06:36 > 0:06:40so I'll make something beautiful of it there.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43You know? And she'll make something beautiful of here,
0:06:43 > 0:06:45cos that's how it works.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49- What did you find, Belinda? - No, all is well, Rosie.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52Internal decoration, that's up to the tenant anyway...
0:06:52 > 0:06:54- Exactly!- ..so they'll come in and do what they want to do.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57Good. Oh, I'm really pleased for you, Rosie.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59- It's a new start.- Well, it's bittersweet, it's bittersweet.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02It is, it is, but new start.
0:07:02 > 0:07:04Look on the bright side of life.
0:07:04 > 0:07:05Oh, yeah, that's... LAUGHTER
0:07:05 > 0:07:07I can definitely do that one.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10'Well, I'm not one to pass up an opportunity.'
0:07:10 > 0:07:14# Always look on the bright side of life
0:07:17 > 0:07:19# Always look on... #
0:07:19 > 0:07:22'I THINK Rosie's enjoying it. Isn't she?'
0:07:22 > 0:07:24This is hysteria.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29- Anyway...- Very good! - ..the less of that you hear,
0:07:29 > 0:07:32the better, I think, especially on the telly.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35'Leaving a property after so many years is bound to be challenging,
0:07:35 > 0:07:38'but I think the future looks pretty bright for Rosie.'
0:07:39 > 0:07:41We're going to go and see the new place
0:07:41 > 0:07:43- and check it out for you, is that all right?- Yeah, please do.
0:07:43 > 0:07:45- It's amazing!- Thank you ever so much for letting us in
0:07:45 > 0:07:48- and, um, I hope you're really happy there.- Thank you.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51- Thank you.- Nice to meet you. - And you, and you.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54- Good piano-playing.- It's really not. THEY LAUGH
0:07:54 > 0:07:55Really not.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59'Later on, we'll be meeting the tenant with whom Rosie
0:07:59 > 0:08:02'will be swapping properties, and taking a look at her new home.'
0:08:02 > 0:08:07- With all this space, it's great. - HE KNOCKS
0:08:07 > 0:08:10I've given myself a concussion nearly three times.
0:08:15 > 0:08:19With a long waiting list of tenants desperate for a place to call home,
0:08:19 > 0:08:22it's the job of housing officers to ensure any vacated properties are
0:08:22 > 0:08:24reoccupied as soon as possible.
0:08:27 > 0:08:31In Stroud, Zoe and Elaine are heading to check the condition
0:08:31 > 0:08:34'of a recently-vacated flat on the outskirts of town.'
0:08:38 > 0:08:43So, this property we're going to now is a one-bedroom flat.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46We don't know if his furniture will be in there,
0:08:46 > 0:08:51we don't know if there's going to be fleas, infestations of anything.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53We don't know what we're going to expect.
0:08:53 > 0:08:55But we'll see when we get there.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58This property will need to be turned around quickly,
0:08:58 > 0:08:59ready for the next tenant,
0:08:59 > 0:09:02but before they can plan a schedule of work, they'll need to do
0:09:02 > 0:09:05a full evaluation of the place with council contractor Mark.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10- Hello. All right?- Hi, Mark.
0:09:10 > 0:09:12First things first - it seems Elaine's got
0:09:12 > 0:09:14a foolproof trick to check for fleas.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20Do you want to, um, just have a check with me?
0:09:20 > 0:09:23What we do is we put a piece of paper on the floor.
0:09:23 > 0:09:27Just wait. If there were any sort of fleas or anything,
0:09:27 > 0:09:30it would come onto the paper.
0:09:30 > 0:09:33- They're not jumping.- No. - Not jumping.- Yeah.
0:09:33 > 0:09:34So it'll be fine to go in.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38The property might well be flea-free,
0:09:38 > 0:09:41but inside, the decor is, well, alarming.
0:09:43 > 0:09:44Oh!
0:09:46 > 0:09:48Somebody liked red.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51Tenants are allowed to decorate their properties however they wish,
0:09:51 > 0:09:55although this looks like it might need some extra attention.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59I've never seen this as a colour in a property before,
0:09:59 > 0:10:00not with the walls and the doors,
0:10:00 > 0:10:06so it's going to take a few coats of paint on the doors, I would imagine,
0:10:06 > 0:10:10to get them, but we will paint them white with the frames white as well.
0:10:10 > 0:10:12It doesn't help with...
0:10:12 > 0:10:14SHE LAUGHS
0:10:14 > 0:10:15The lightshade as well is quite...
0:10:18 > 0:10:19..quite dark.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23Just wait, Elaine, because in the bedroom...
0:10:23 > 0:10:25it goes purple.
0:10:25 > 0:10:26- Purple room.- Purple!
0:10:28 > 0:10:32And there is, quite literally, a purple patch.
0:10:32 > 0:10:34This is a carpet.
0:10:34 > 0:10:36Why is there a carpet here?
0:10:43 > 0:10:46If that was where the bed was and to protect the bed...
0:10:47 > 0:10:48Who knows?
0:10:48 > 0:10:52The vibrant colour scheme continues in the bathroom,
0:10:52 > 0:10:54which has definitely seen better days.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56Ooh, green.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59The toilet especially is, that's an old cistern on there,
0:10:59 > 0:11:03so, to me, that just shows that it needs a new bath
0:11:03 > 0:11:06and it'll just be all white.
0:11:06 > 0:11:07Meanwhile, in the kitchen,
0:11:07 > 0:11:10the decor is the last thing Mark's worried about.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13The way the layout is with the cooker
0:11:13 > 0:11:15is not really a suitable working kitchen.
0:11:15 > 0:11:19And there's no extractor fan, which is a must, really,
0:11:19 > 0:11:20in these properties.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23Let's hope things are in better shape in the next room.
0:11:23 > 0:11:25OK, lounge.
0:11:25 > 0:11:26Nice size.
0:11:28 > 0:11:29The ceiling's OK.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32That's not too bad. We can leave that up, if you like.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34- Just paint it.- Yeah.
0:11:34 > 0:11:38Strip the wallpaper, see what the walls are like underneath.
0:11:38 > 0:11:39But they look pretty good,
0:11:39 > 0:11:42so it'd just be a redecoration and we would just repaint the walls.
0:11:42 > 0:11:44So, not too bad, then.
0:11:45 > 0:11:47Oh, hold on, hang on a minute.
0:11:47 > 0:11:49They're not... They will need replastering.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52And the coving's coming off as well.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55- Do you see the state of the walls here?- Yeah.
0:11:55 > 0:11:57- They're all flaking.- Yeah.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00- Yeah, remove the coving now?- Yeah.
0:12:03 > 0:12:05That's not good.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08It's clear the property needs a complete refurbish
0:12:08 > 0:12:09before the next tenants can move in.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12The question is, how much will it cost?
0:12:12 > 0:12:16Budget like this one, I would say would probably -
0:12:16 > 0:12:21because it needs new heating, kitchen -
0:12:21 > 0:12:26you're probably talking about 11,000.
0:12:26 > 0:12:32With the void properties, it's the same worktops, same units, flooring.
0:12:32 > 0:12:36It is white suite, white tiles throughout
0:12:36 > 0:12:38and just one floor colouring.
0:12:38 > 0:12:40It's good quality, it is good quality.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42Cost effective, but practical.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46And Elaine is determined that it will be built to last.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50Once we put it in there, we won't be replacing it for another 20 years.
0:12:50 > 0:12:52That's the kitchen and the bathroom.
0:12:52 > 0:12:56It won't be replaced under any programmes for another 20 years.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59If you do it right once, you won't be coming back and, as I say,
0:12:59 > 0:13:03if you leave the property in a nice state, prospective tenant coming in,
0:13:03 > 0:13:05they tend to look after them a bit more, you know?
0:13:07 > 0:13:10This, I would anticipate to be a family home,
0:13:10 > 0:13:14so whether it's a couple with one or two children,
0:13:14 > 0:13:18more than two children, but it would be a family.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20And it's a central location to the town,
0:13:20 > 0:13:24so I think it'd be a popular one for people to bid on.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27A bid is when a tenant expresses an interest in a property.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30The success of the bed depends on their position
0:13:30 > 0:13:32on the council's priority list.
0:13:33 > 0:13:35But whoever the new tenant is,
0:13:35 > 0:13:38they'll be enjoying a completely refurbished flat
0:13:38 > 0:13:41with a colour scheme that's a bit easier on the eye.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46There's a lot of responsibility, cos you've got to get it right,
0:13:46 > 0:13:48you can't keep going back for repairs.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50The big job will be the kitchen and bathroom, really.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52The rest is just decoration.
0:13:57 > 0:13:58Well, true to their word,
0:13:58 > 0:14:00Elaine and the team have managed to complete the work,
0:14:00 > 0:14:03and, three weeks later, it's the role of housing officer Rachel
0:14:03 > 0:14:04to show off the result.
0:14:06 > 0:14:08This is a big day for this property.
0:14:08 > 0:14:09We're showing its new tenant,
0:14:09 > 0:14:11hopefully, around for the first time.
0:14:11 > 0:14:16She'll love it, I hope, and she'll want to move in as soon as possible.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18For mum Abby and daughter Eloise,
0:14:18 > 0:14:20the property could provide a much-needed new home.
0:14:22 > 0:14:24So, the bathroom is all brand-new.
0:14:24 > 0:14:30It's a new bath, new shower, toilet, basin, tiles, everything's new.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33And we'll put a shower curtain up there for you as well.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36The shocking red is gone as well. Much more neutral.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39If you want to come across. A little bedroom.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43Everything's been painted.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46It's all gas central heating and double glazing.
0:14:47 > 0:14:48Is this going to be your room?
0:14:50 > 0:14:52OK, so, this is bedroom one.
0:14:55 > 0:14:59If you come through here, I'll show you the lounge and the kitchen.
0:14:59 > 0:15:01It's a really lovely flat, actually.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04- Cos it's got the two windows, it's really light.- Yeah.
0:15:04 > 0:15:09And then you've got your brand-new kitchen, which has just been fitted.
0:15:09 > 0:15:10- It's nice, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:15:10 > 0:15:12It certainly looks the part,
0:15:12 > 0:15:15but will it get the thumbs-up from Eloise?
0:15:15 > 0:15:18Do you want to live here?
0:15:18 > 0:15:19I think we'll take that as a yes.
0:15:19 > 0:15:23So it will have nice carpet and all your furniture and your bed.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26- Yeah?- And it will look a bit cosier, probably, next time you come in.
0:15:28 > 0:15:29'Yeah, that went really well,'
0:15:29 > 0:15:32and that'll be home next week for her and her little one.
0:15:32 > 0:15:34So she's had a really happy ending.
0:15:34 > 0:15:38I know I've got somewhere I can call home. And it's permanent.
0:15:38 > 0:15:42I can make it actually homely for us, so I feel a lot safer,
0:15:42 > 0:15:46knowing that I've got somewhere now. So it's just amazing. I'm so happy.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55'Back in Wiltshire, the introduction of the Spare Room Subsidy means
0:15:55 > 0:15:59'social housing tenant Rosie has to leave her three-bedroom home,
0:15:59 > 0:16:01'but instead of joining a lengthy waiting list,
0:16:01 > 0:16:04'she's decided to literally swap her property with another tenant.'
0:16:06 > 0:16:0921 years. Can you imagine what that's going to be like?
0:16:09 > 0:16:12I'm going to cry buckets when I leave here, I know I will.
0:16:12 > 0:16:16But it is what it is. Sometimes, you've just got to go with it.
0:16:18 > 0:16:22'It's becoming an increasingly popular way of moving home,
0:16:22 > 0:16:25'and it's enabled Rosie to find a property that is perfect for her -
0:16:25 > 0:16:27'this rather nice two-bedroom barn conversion,
0:16:27 > 0:16:31'currently occupied by 6ft 9 man-mountain John.'
0:16:31 > 0:16:34Please, make yourself at home, anywhere you like.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37You've applied for a mutual exchange with one of our tenants.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40- Yeah.- So we've just been to see Rosie at Marlborough...- Yeah.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43..and you've obviously been to the three-bedroom house there
0:16:43 > 0:16:44- and like it?- Yes.
0:16:44 > 0:16:48'John lives here with his partner, her daughter and her child.
0:16:49 > 0:16:51'But where Rosie's downsizing,
0:16:51 > 0:16:53'for John, it's about needing more space.'
0:16:53 > 0:16:55HE KNOCKS
0:16:55 > 0:16:57I've given myself concussion nearly three times.
0:16:57 > 0:17:01- So it's a fact that you've got the low doorways, low ceilings?- Yes.- OK.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04'Ouch! Despite only having two bedrooms, it looks like there's
0:17:04 > 0:17:08'still plenty of room for Rosie and anyone who wants to visit.'
0:17:08 > 0:17:11- A spacious landing as well, gosh. - Yeah.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14- It's quite old, isn't it?- It's a 16th-century barn conversion
0:17:14 > 0:17:16so, yeah, it is rather old!
0:17:19 > 0:17:24- And this is the loft.- Ah!- This is all just space. These aren't...
0:17:24 > 0:17:26This isn't an official bedroom up here, then?
0:17:26 > 0:17:31- No, no, because it's a third floor, there's no fire alarm.- OK.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34Yeah, I mean, it is an enormous property, isn't it?
0:17:34 > 0:17:36But it's classed as a two-bed,
0:17:36 > 0:17:39- cos they're not allowed to use the room there.- Officially, yeah.
0:17:39 > 0:17:41Yeah, OK.
0:17:41 > 0:17:43'It really is a beautiful property.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46'I'm wondering why would you want to leave a place like this?'
0:17:50 > 0:17:52- So now you're leaving...- Yeah.
0:17:52 > 0:17:54..what are the reasons for you going this time?
0:17:54 > 0:17:57Because, looking at that, you'd look at that and think,
0:17:57 > 0:17:59why would you want to go from somewhere like this?
0:17:59 > 0:18:04Well, I am 6ft 9 and I bang my head far too regularly,
0:18:04 > 0:18:07- and it really hurts. - Seriously?- Yes!
0:18:07 > 0:18:10I mean, this is the thing about country cottages they don't say.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12- Yeah.- 5ft 8, you're fine.- Yeah.
0:18:12 > 0:18:17- I mean,- I- struggle and you are substantially bigger than me.- I am.
0:18:17 > 0:18:21There's going to be people who say this shouldn't be social housing.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24- Yeah.- What do you think about that? You know, this is...this is...
0:18:24 > 0:18:28Social housing should be basic and providing a basic need for people,
0:18:28 > 0:18:31- and this is anything but that, isn't it?- Well, no.
0:18:31 > 0:18:36I mean, it's a bit exotic-looking, but it's very basic in its, um...
0:18:36 > 0:18:38in its purpose.
0:18:38 > 0:18:40You know, there's no central heating, it's all storage heaters,
0:18:40 > 0:18:44there's no double glazing still. We have to use thermal blinds.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47So, you know, people who say that,
0:18:47 > 0:18:50they need to come and live here for a week and I can say it's basic.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53It did its job and now, it's time to move on
0:18:53 > 0:18:56- and stop getting bumps on the head! - MATT LAUGHS
0:18:56 > 0:18:59- Um, so, you've checked out Rosie's place.- Yeah, yeah.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02What did you think when you walked through the door there?
0:19:02 > 0:19:05Um, I like the small little community it's in and the door,
0:19:05 > 0:19:09the kitchen door, I walked through without having to duck.
0:19:09 > 0:19:13- That's as simple as it gets? - It is as simple as it gets.
0:19:13 > 0:19:15- John, it's been lovely meeting you. - Oh, and you.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18- And I wish you all the best with the move.- Well, thank you.
0:19:18 > 0:19:22I think it's one of those situations where it seems, touch wood,
0:19:22 > 0:19:26- again, touch wood...- Yeah. - ..to be working for both parties.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28- Let's hope so.- The best of luck to you and your family.
0:19:28 > 0:19:30- Nice to meet you. - You too.- Cheers, mate.
0:19:35 > 0:19:37What a place. Amazing, isn't it?
0:19:37 > 0:19:39And what a swap as well.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42A mutual exchange that could be perfect.
0:19:42 > 0:19:44Rosie's family, not as big as it used to be,
0:19:44 > 0:19:47John's bigger than it used to be,
0:19:47 > 0:19:51and they're finding themselves in districts which work out better,
0:19:51 > 0:19:54giving them a support structure, a family around them.
0:19:54 > 0:19:58It sounds like the perfect mutual exchange.
0:19:58 > 0:20:00Let's just hope that it goes ahead.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07Well, the good news is the move DID happen
0:20:07 > 0:20:10and both families have settled in well.
0:20:17 > 0:20:19Defending our right to a safe place to live
0:20:19 > 0:20:22is the job of housing officers right across the UK.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24You've done a great thing. You've done a superb thing.
0:20:24 > 0:20:28It's like a red rag to a bull, isn't it, doing something like that?
0:20:28 > 0:20:32'I'm working alongside the men and women who do exactly that...'
0:20:32 > 0:20:34There's a window open there as well.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37That's not so bad. I've seen worse.
0:20:37 > 0:20:38'..hitting the streets,
0:20:38 > 0:20:40'finding out what's happening on the front line...'
0:20:40 > 0:20:43The smell round here is... is really strong.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47'..as we make sure a house is a fit place to call a home.'
0:20:47 > 0:20:50- Oh, so you've got a choice?- Yeah. It's a tomahawk of some sort.
0:20:50 > 0:20:55The choice of the tomahawk or the bayonet.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58So that's a parting shot, basically, is it, from the tenant?
0:21:02 > 0:21:06"Anti-social behaviour" - three little words that can mean
0:21:06 > 0:21:10a whole lot of trouble for both tenants and housing offices.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13For tenants, it's no fun living next door to noisy neighbours,
0:21:13 > 0:21:17overgrown gardens or having a collection of refuse
0:21:17 > 0:21:20dumped unceremoniously on your doorstep.
0:21:20 > 0:21:22And for the housing officer, well,
0:21:22 > 0:21:26tackling antisocial behaviour can mean having to play the role
0:21:26 > 0:21:31of policemen, diplomat and councillor all rolled into one.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36'And today, in Peterborough, that role lands in
0:21:36 > 0:21:39'the capable hands of housing officer Jasmine Hammond.
0:21:40 > 0:21:44'I'm joining Jasmine as she visits a local estate that's suffering
0:21:44 > 0:21:47'from, amongst other things, unsightly fly-tipping.
0:21:47 > 0:21:49'It's been causing the tenants big problems,
0:21:49 > 0:21:53'but providing a solution has been difficult.'
0:21:53 > 0:21:57The residents themselves, I mean, cos it affects them most directly...
0:21:57 > 0:22:00- Mm-hm.- ..and, you know, they're the eyes and ears of the estate
0:22:00 > 0:22:04of an area, aren't they? Do you get much help from them?
0:22:04 > 0:22:07Well, um, I was getting complaints from residents saying,
0:22:07 > 0:22:11"Oh, you're not doing anything, the police are not doing anything,"
0:22:11 > 0:22:13so I wrote to them and said to them,
0:22:13 > 0:22:18"You actually do need to be reporting this to us, and giving us,
0:22:18 > 0:22:22"you know, number plates and descriptions,
0:22:22 > 0:22:25"so we can actually do something about it,"
0:22:25 > 0:22:27and just in the past week,
0:22:27 > 0:22:30two fly-tippers have been reported to us.
0:22:30 > 0:22:32'Jasmine's point is a good one.
0:22:32 > 0:22:35'Housing offices and tenants are much a stronger force
0:22:35 > 0:22:38'when they work together. And when we arrived,
0:22:38 > 0:22:41'I see just why residents here are so concerned.'
0:22:41 > 0:22:43'The estate is home to many families,
0:22:43 > 0:22:45'including those with young children.
0:22:45 > 0:22:47'Not only is the tipping an eyesore,
0:22:47 > 0:22:50'you can see why they might not want their kids anywhere near it.'
0:22:50 > 0:22:53So that looks like someone's had a refurb of their house,
0:22:53 > 0:22:55they've taken out some old doors, maybe a kitchen
0:22:55 > 0:22:59and just, er, dumped it, right in this corner.
0:22:59 > 0:23:01But it's not the only one.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03I mean, we've got more over there.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06It's becoming quite a major problem in this area.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09- Yeah.- I mean, it was only cleared up last week.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12And this has been dumped in the meantime.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15'Jasmine suspects this isn't any common-or-garden waste
0:23:15 > 0:23:16'from the local residents.'
0:23:16 > 0:23:20We're finding that people are coming on a daily basis now to fly-tip.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23Is it happening at the same time, in the middle of the night?
0:23:23 > 0:23:26- Cos that's when you'd probably... - Well, one resident reported to me
0:23:26 > 0:23:28that, at the weekend when they fly-tipped,
0:23:28 > 0:23:31there were six families out here playing, because, obviously,
0:23:31 > 0:23:34this is quite a large area and, when it's clear,
0:23:34 > 0:23:36it's somewhere that the children do play,
0:23:36 > 0:23:40cos they obviously play here - and they actually came along
0:23:40 > 0:23:42and dumped the rubbish in front of six families playing out.
0:23:42 > 0:23:46- While they were there? That brazen?- Yeah, yeah.- Wow.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49- That's... That takes.. - And when somebody confronted them,
0:23:49 > 0:23:52he just gave them the V sign and drove off.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55- Fair enough. That's what you'd... - So they're that blase about it.
0:23:55 > 0:23:57Yeah.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00'It's a lovely quiet spot here lined with trees, but it's possible
0:24:00 > 0:24:03'the picturesque surroundings might, in this instance,
0:24:03 > 0:24:05'be making it harder to spot the culprits.'
0:24:07 > 0:24:09So, you've got, I mean,
0:24:09 > 0:24:11I'm trying to look at it as an area and see what there is
0:24:11 > 0:24:14- to stop people doing it, cos it's so secluded here.- Yeah.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17I mean, even the flats kind of look in the opposite direction
0:24:17 > 0:24:19and you'd have to crane your neck from one of those
0:24:19 > 0:24:21- to see what's going on. - To see what's going on.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24I've got a couple of residents that are quite vigilant
0:24:24 > 0:24:27and we caught a fly-tipper last week.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30And the one that fly-tipped here at the weekend,
0:24:30 > 0:24:32we've got his registration number as well,
0:24:32 > 0:24:34so we'll be passing that on to the council.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38'Residents here get the double whammy.
0:24:38 > 0:24:40'Not only do they have to put up with the mess,
0:24:40 > 0:24:42'they have to pay to clear it up, too.'
0:24:45 > 0:24:48Something like that, along with the rest,
0:24:48 > 0:24:51is probably going to be in the region of 200, £300,
0:24:51 > 0:24:54potentially more. It goes on to the service charge
0:24:54 > 0:24:57that is spread out over the year, but obviously,
0:24:57 > 0:24:59the service charge goes up and up every year,
0:24:59 > 0:25:03and it just seems to be becoming more of a problem.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06'It's money that could've been used to improve services
0:25:06 > 0:25:08'for local people, but instead...
0:25:08 > 0:25:11'Well, it's going to waste, quite literally.'
0:25:11 > 0:25:13Oh, it's a wheelie bin!
0:25:13 > 0:25:16- It's got wheels.- Yeah.
0:25:16 > 0:25:17- Oh!- That's what's left.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20So that's what happens if you set light to a wheelie bin.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23'Fly-tipping isn't the only antisocial problem here.'
0:25:23 > 0:25:27I mean, it's full of little nooks and crannies, this estate, isn't it?
0:25:27 > 0:25:30- Yeah, yeah.- There are loads of little dark corners
0:25:30 > 0:25:33where, if you wanted to get up to something, you could.
0:25:33 > 0:25:35'And these dark corners have encouraged
0:25:35 > 0:25:38'more sinister activities. As well as reports
0:25:38 > 0:25:42'of couples engaged in inappropriate behaviour in the alleyways,
0:25:42 > 0:25:45'there's also been sightings of drug use on the estate.'
0:25:47 > 0:25:49At night-time, there's no lighting.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52Is there lighting here or have I missed it somewhere?
0:25:52 > 0:25:55- There's outside lighting on the blocks...- Yeah.
0:25:55 > 0:25:57..but it would be fairly limited.
0:25:57 > 0:26:01- Cos it's really nice and peaceful. - Yeah.- That's the plus side of it.
0:26:01 > 0:26:03- Yeah.- Lovely and peaceful. - And the flats are actually
0:26:03 > 0:26:05- really nice inside.- Yeah.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08For the residents here, it's not too attractive, is it?
0:26:08 > 0:26:13You've got people having illicit liaisons in alcoves, then you've got
0:26:13 > 0:26:17teenagers coming here to smoke drugs, cos it's nice and secluded,
0:26:17 > 0:26:20- and you've got people... - Fly-tipping.- ..fly-tipping.
0:26:20 > 0:26:21So you've got...
0:26:21 > 0:26:23You have got sex, drugs and carpet roll.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26SHE LAUGHS
0:26:26 > 0:26:28That is awful. Come on.
0:26:28 > 0:26:30Let's have a little look around, see what else we can find.
0:26:30 > 0:26:32'It is a bad joke,
0:26:32 > 0:26:35'and it's clearly no laughing matter for the many residents here.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38'Later on, I'll be chatting to a couple to discover
0:26:38 > 0:26:40'the real cost of the antisocial behaviour.'
0:26:40 > 0:26:42My son is not playing outside,
0:26:42 > 0:26:46- because the kids come in, they're smoking weed.- Smoking weed.- Yeah.
0:26:46 > 0:26:50- So you don't like leaving your son out the front there?- Exactly.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59Many of us dream of moving to a home with a bigger garden,
0:26:59 > 0:27:02a large outdoor space to call our own.
0:27:03 > 0:27:05But here in Northumberland, housing officers
0:27:05 > 0:27:07Laura Barnett and Lindsay Jones
0:27:07 > 0:27:10are on their way to investigate a mysterious case
0:27:10 > 0:27:13where the garden of one of their homes might actually have shrunk.
0:27:17 > 0:27:22The property we're going to now has just recently been re-let.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25When it was void, um, we had a massive clearance in the garden,
0:27:25 > 0:27:28cos the rear garden hadn't been maintained,
0:27:28 > 0:27:30and, as we started to clear the garden,
0:27:30 > 0:27:34we then noticed it appeared that the owner-occupier next door
0:27:34 > 0:27:37had slightly encroached on our land with his fence.
0:27:38 > 0:27:40The new tenant isn't at the property today,
0:27:40 > 0:27:43but the neighbour responsible for the new fence is.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48Hello there! I'm just going to go and measure up in the garden.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51- Oh?- Yes, is that OK?
0:27:51 > 0:27:53So, armed with a trusty tape measure,
0:27:53 > 0:27:55it's time for a little bit of detective work.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59Just measuring up, cos we've got the measure
0:27:59 > 0:28:00of what it should be off the deeds.
0:28:00 > 0:28:04So we'll find out where the actual position of the fence should be.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09After some detailed investigation, the verdict is in.
0:28:12 > 0:28:15So, we're looking at the right measurement.
0:28:15 > 0:28:17It should be 8.1 metres, which is to this post,
0:28:17 > 0:28:21so that's the same all the way up and down the garden, so all of this,
0:28:21 > 0:28:23the fence should go straight from this post
0:28:23 > 0:28:25instead of coming outwards.
0:28:25 > 0:28:29It seems the neighbour has built a new fence halfway down the garden
0:28:29 > 0:28:32that encroaches onto this tenant's lawn,
0:28:32 > 0:28:35creating a larger space for himself in the process.
0:28:36 > 0:28:38Yeah, it sticks out, and we're also concerned with
0:28:38 > 0:28:41the health and safety of the fence. It's literally about to come down.
0:28:41 > 0:28:45I mean, it's not the greatest, which is the main concern as well.
0:28:47 > 0:28:50On this occurrence, I think we'll be taking down the fence
0:28:50 > 0:28:53and putting up a six-foot fence in the correct position.
0:28:53 > 0:28:55The tape measure doesn't lie.
0:28:55 > 0:28:57Now it's time to report the findings to the neighbour
0:28:57 > 0:29:01whose impromptu spot of DIY appears to have caused the problem.
0:29:01 > 0:29:06- We've measured it. So up to the post next to your gate...- Uh-huh?
0:29:06 > 0:29:10- ..is the actual width of the garden, right?- Mm-hm.
0:29:10 > 0:29:13So we're going to remove your existing fence
0:29:13 > 0:29:17and follow it up in a straight line, OK. And we'll do that.
0:29:17 > 0:29:19The first post that's in place, where your gate is...
0:29:19 > 0:29:22- Where your gate...- That's right. - So it should be up from there.
0:29:22 > 0:29:25And then, it comes out on a bend and then goes straight.
0:29:25 > 0:29:28That's where it's been pushed across a little bit.
0:29:28 > 0:29:32- The fence at the back of the garden? - Yeah.- That one's changed.
0:29:32 > 0:29:34Oh, yeah, at the back, along the back?
0:29:34 > 0:29:35- That's on the border-line?- Yeah.
0:29:35 > 0:29:38Yes, so you'd be just going straight up to that.
0:29:38 > 0:29:40- Oh, right, yeah. - We'll go straight up.
0:29:40 > 0:29:43- So it's from the edge of the hedge straight down.- Yeah.
0:29:43 > 0:29:45It seems like a straightforward open-and-shut case.
0:29:45 > 0:29:48The neighbour accepts his new fence is in the wrong place.
0:29:48 > 0:29:51So Lindsay and Laura will instruct their maintenance team
0:29:51 > 0:29:54to put up a brand-new one in the correct position,
0:29:54 > 0:29:57and that gives their tenant back the whole garden.
0:29:57 > 0:30:00But you know, it's not all bad news for the neighbour.
0:30:00 > 0:30:02We're going to take on the costs,
0:30:02 > 0:30:04because, obviously, it's deteriorated in standard
0:30:04 > 0:30:07because of the neighbour and it wasn't anything you'd done
0:30:07 > 0:30:10or anything, so we'll take the cost on board for that, OK?
0:30:10 > 0:30:12- All right, I will let you know anyway.- Right.
0:30:12 > 0:30:14- OK, then?- Thank you very much. - Thank you!- Thanks very much.
0:30:14 > 0:30:16I'd say that's case closed.
0:30:17 > 0:30:20That's right, we've gone with what's on the deeds.
0:30:20 > 0:30:21He's seen the deeds, he is happy with that.
0:30:21 > 0:30:25He understands that, yeah, he did take a little bit of our land.
0:30:25 > 0:30:27He's taken about half a metre at the back of the property,
0:30:27 > 0:30:29probably a couple of metres squared,
0:30:29 > 0:30:31just so that he could have more room for his shed, really.
0:30:33 > 0:30:35Certainly, in a close community like this, um, you know,
0:30:35 > 0:30:39if one person says, "Well, I've taken a foot of land there,"
0:30:39 > 0:30:41it goes on down the street.
0:30:41 > 0:30:44Another person takes another foot, and it goes on and on and on.
0:30:44 > 0:30:47So we have to try and nip it in the bud as soon as we can.
0:30:52 > 0:30:55'I'm back in Peterborough with housing officer Jasmine Hammond.
0:30:55 > 0:30:58'She's been called into a local estate where residents are having
0:30:58 > 0:31:01'big problems with antisocial behaviour.
0:31:01 > 0:31:04'There have been reports of fly-tipping
0:31:04 > 0:31:08'where vehicles are taking an untidy detour to dump piles of waste.
0:31:08 > 0:31:10'But they're not the only ones making the place look a mess.'
0:31:10 > 0:31:14Is this just residents who are chucking stuff out?
0:31:14 > 0:31:16I would assume that that is residents.
0:31:16 > 0:31:18Cos it's kind of ordered, isn't it?
0:31:18 > 0:31:23Yes. This was put out quite a while ago for a council collection
0:31:23 > 0:31:26- and somebody has just put, "When?" - "When," right.
0:31:26 > 0:31:29MATT LAUGHS It's been too long!
0:31:29 > 0:31:31So we've had to raise that for clearance. Yet again,
0:31:31 > 0:31:35that's going to be a cost that'll be passed on to the residents.
0:31:35 > 0:31:38So, normally, what you'd have to do is call the council and you'd say,
0:31:38 > 0:31:41"I've got a fridge," and the council would say,
0:31:41 > 0:31:43"That's going to be..." I don't know.
0:31:43 > 0:31:46- 25 quid, possibly.- Right, 25 quid. - It's no more than £30.
0:31:46 > 0:31:52So the alternative here is just to leave it until everyone gets fed up
0:31:52 > 0:31:56- with it...- And reports it, or I spot it and it gets raised.
0:31:56 > 0:31:59How do you persuade them that it's actually better
0:31:59 > 0:32:01to pay the money upfront? And these are people
0:32:01 > 0:32:05- that might not have that money or much money?- What I say to them,
0:32:05 > 0:32:08and I do send the letters out quite regularly, is,
0:32:08 > 0:32:12if we catch you fly-tipping, we will report you to the council,
0:32:12 > 0:32:15they will investigate that, you will get a fine off the council,
0:32:15 > 0:32:20then we will charge you up to £250 to arrange for that to be cleared.
0:32:20 > 0:32:23OK, so, that's the big stick at the back of that.
0:32:23 > 0:32:26- Yeah.- That, if you do this sort of thing, actually,
0:32:26 > 0:32:29- it could cost you ten times as much further down the road.- Yeah, yeah.
0:32:29 > 0:32:32'Jasmine has another rather graphic illustration of how the layout
0:32:32 > 0:32:35'of the estate might be encouraging antisocial behaviour.'
0:32:35 > 0:32:38The thing is, with these alleyways, these...
0:32:38 > 0:32:42- I mean, you're out of the public view, aren't you?- Mm-hm.
0:32:42 > 0:32:45And you've got this little narrow thing, anything can happen in there.
0:32:45 > 0:32:48Well, we've had complaints from residents that passers-by
0:32:48 > 0:32:52have used these as toilets. Um, I've walked up here once
0:32:52 > 0:32:56and there's been urine running down, where somebody's recently urinated.
0:32:56 > 0:33:00It's not nice and it's not nice for the residents either,
0:33:00 > 0:33:02because, obviously, they're the ones that have to clean it
0:33:02 > 0:33:05and complain about it. But it's catching somebody, really.
0:33:05 > 0:33:07I'd rather not, in some ways, what, mid...
0:33:07 > 0:33:10- HE CLEARS HIS THROAT - I'd make him clean it up himself.
0:33:10 > 0:33:12I would! THEY LAUGH
0:33:12 > 0:33:16- You'd have serious words with them once they'd finished.- Yes.
0:33:16 > 0:33:18'Although the problems of this estate are not the worst
0:33:18 > 0:33:22'I've ever come across, it's clear that a build-up of issues like these
0:33:22 > 0:33:24'can have a big effect on the tenants who live here.
0:33:24 > 0:33:26'People like Eduardo.'
0:33:26 > 0:33:27THEY LAUGH
0:33:29 > 0:33:31'Eduardo's a big family man.
0:33:31 > 0:33:34'He's lived happily here on the estate for a while, but recently,
0:33:34 > 0:33:38'parts of the communal space have become a no-go area for his son.'
0:33:38 > 0:33:40This side is sometimes terrible.
0:33:40 > 0:33:44For example, my son in the school time is not playing this side,
0:33:44 > 0:33:47because the kids come in, they're smoking.
0:33:47 > 0:33:49OK, so they're smoking what?
0:33:49 > 0:33:53- Weed.- Smoking weed?- Yeah. - So you don't like leaving...
0:33:53 > 0:33:55- Exactly. - ..your son out the front there?
0:33:55 > 0:33:58- Mm-hm.- That's not so good for you? - No, it's no good for my son, for me.
0:33:58 > 0:34:00- Yeah.- Yeah, yeah.
0:34:00 > 0:34:02And how about the rubbish that we see, the fly-tipping?
0:34:02 > 0:34:04So, the rubbish is terrible.
0:34:04 > 0:34:08- Any idea who's doing it?- No, no. - Do you ever see them?- No.
0:34:08 > 0:34:12And then, in terms of the costs of that, does that go to you?
0:34:12 > 0:34:14- Yeah.- You end up paying for that rubbish?- Yeah.
0:34:14 > 0:34:16So what's the answer?
0:34:16 > 0:34:20- So put the camera...- Yeah.- ..for, yeah, the surveillance camera,
0:34:20 > 0:34:23I think it's better for seeing that.
0:34:23 > 0:34:26- So if there was a camera up there to watch it...- Yeah, watch it.
0:34:26 > 0:34:29..and get rid of it, that would be better?
0:34:29 > 0:34:31- Yeah.- Thanks for talking to me.
0:34:31 > 0:34:33- Really nice to meet you. - Nice to meet you.
0:34:33 > 0:34:35I hope it all gets sorted for you.
0:34:37 > 0:34:39'It's clearly tough on Eduardo and his family,
0:34:39 > 0:34:43'as this estate should be a very pleasant place to live.'
0:34:43 > 0:34:46The thing about not being able to send your kids out to play...
0:34:46 > 0:34:49Well, they can't, that's where they come here and smoke the cannabis.
0:34:49 > 0:34:53It's really difficult for families to let the children play out here.
0:34:53 > 0:34:55You think about that, and you know it goes on,
0:34:55 > 0:34:56you know it happens in places,
0:34:56 > 0:34:59- but then, you put it right next to families...- Mm-hm.
0:34:59 > 0:35:03..and, of course, you know, it influences those kids.
0:35:03 > 0:35:06- They see it, they're around it. - Yeah. It's really bad for them.
0:35:06 > 0:35:09The behaviour that goes on with it as well is really...
0:35:09 > 0:35:12- It's not what you want your kids to be around.- No.
0:35:12 > 0:35:16'For Jasmine, the visit has provided a lot of food for thought,
0:35:16 > 0:35:19'but unfortunately, it hasn't offered any easy answers.'
0:35:19 > 0:35:22We've used CCTV before. That wasn't successful,
0:35:22 > 0:35:27because nobody gave us any reports or they'd say, "Sometime last week."
0:35:27 > 0:35:31We can't go through that much footage, we need specifics,
0:35:31 > 0:35:34and that's why I've ended up writing to the residents and saying,
0:35:34 > 0:35:38we really need you to be reporting, even if it's just the number plate,
0:35:38 > 0:35:40day and time, and that you're prepared to give a statement,
0:35:40 > 0:35:42we can do something about this,
0:35:42 > 0:35:44but we need the residents to be on board with it.
0:35:44 > 0:35:46The thing about this estate, though,
0:35:46 > 0:35:51is it's got loads of potential to be lovely. It is quiet, it is secluded,
0:35:51 > 0:35:53which should make it a lovely place to live.
0:35:53 > 0:35:56It's got bags of parking, loads of amenities.
0:35:56 > 0:36:00We do really need to tighten it up and see if we can open up the area
0:36:00 > 0:36:04for families, rather than for people committing crimes!
0:36:04 > 0:36:06Yes, ideally. In an ideal world.
0:36:06 > 0:36:10'Everyone has the right to feel safe and secure in their own home,
0:36:10 > 0:36:13'a right to a quality of life, but it's also clear that,
0:36:13 > 0:36:15'for that to happen on this estate,
0:36:15 > 0:36:17'it's going to require a team effort.'
0:36:17 > 0:36:19It's always the way, though, isn't it?
0:36:19 > 0:36:23You know, probably 85% of the residents here want it to be as good
0:36:23 > 0:36:28- as it possibly can be for them and their kids and everything...- Yeah.
0:36:28 > 0:36:32..and it's just there's a few that are ether turning a blind eye...
0:36:32 > 0:36:35- Or they don't care about their area.- ..or doing it themselves.
0:36:35 > 0:36:37You can smell that rubbish still, can't you, even from here?
0:36:37 > 0:36:40Yeah. It's really bad.
0:36:40 > 0:36:43'I don't envy the scale of Jasmine's task here,
0:36:43 > 0:36:45'but she's a no-nonsense character.
0:36:45 > 0:36:48'Something tells me she'll be getting things sorted
0:36:48 > 0:36:50'sooner rather than later.'
0:36:53 > 0:36:55Well, since our visit, I'm pleased to report
0:36:55 > 0:36:58that there have been more residents coming forward to report incidents
0:36:58 > 0:37:00of fly-tipping on the estate.
0:37:00 > 0:37:03Registration numbers have been reported to the authorities
0:37:03 > 0:37:06and gardening contractors are looking at the possibility
0:37:06 > 0:37:07of reducing the height of the trees,
0:37:07 > 0:37:11to help residents keep a further lookout for offenders.
0:37:11 > 0:37:14The police have also teamed up with a local college to target the area
0:37:14 > 0:37:18and help reduce complaints about groups of young adults congregating
0:37:18 > 0:37:22to take drugs. That's great news for tenants like Eduardo and his family.
0:37:28 > 0:37:31Official figures indicate that Britain's population is
0:37:31 > 0:37:33an ageing one, with statistics suggesting that,
0:37:33 > 0:37:38in less than 25 years' time, 1 in 12 of us will be over 80.
0:37:38 > 0:37:41'That's going to present some pretty big housing challenges
0:37:41 > 0:37:43'in the future, but today, here in Aylesbury,
0:37:43 > 0:37:45'there are more immediate issues
0:37:45 > 0:37:49'facing housing officer Tony Proud and one of his elderly tenants.'
0:37:49 > 0:37:50So where are we going today?
0:37:50 > 0:37:56This lady's had solid fuel for a long while, a number of years,
0:37:56 > 0:38:00and she's now got to the point where it's hard for her to maintain it.
0:38:00 > 0:38:03And we've now just put her electric central heating in?
0:38:03 > 0:38:05So she had coal fires up till now, then?
0:38:05 > 0:38:08- She did, yes.- That's what it was? - She was looking after it herself,
0:38:08 > 0:38:11going outside and getting her coal in.
0:38:11 > 0:38:14Quite an extraordinary lady, really, for her age.
0:38:14 > 0:38:16- So how old is she?- 91.
0:38:16 > 0:38:18Wow!
0:38:18 > 0:38:21'It is a beautiful spot, but the very rural location
0:38:21 > 0:38:26'makes it more difficult to access utilities like gas central heating.
0:38:26 > 0:38:27'The tenant here, Mrs Dumpleton,
0:38:27 > 0:38:30'has been relying on a solid fuel solution,
0:38:30 > 0:38:33'something that clearly isn't practical at her time of life.'
0:38:33 > 0:38:36Mrs Dumpleton, could you tell me how long you've lived in this house?
0:38:38 > 0:38:4085 years last month.
0:38:40 > 0:38:42So you moved into this when it was brand-new?
0:38:42 > 0:38:44- Yes.- This house?- Yes.- Wow!
0:38:44 > 0:38:47Do you remember that, cos you would've been a very small girl?
0:38:47 > 0:38:51- I can remember it as though it was yesterday.- Really?- Yes.
0:38:51 > 0:38:54- Do you remember? Cos you're with your mum and dad...- Yes.
0:38:54 > 0:38:57- ..you're about six years old? - Yes, that's right.
0:38:57 > 0:38:59So what happened? Talk me through it.
0:38:59 > 0:39:02Well, you just carried your things.
0:39:02 > 0:39:04You didn't need furniture vehicles
0:39:04 > 0:39:10and anything like that to remove you, just, er...
0:39:10 > 0:39:15You had neighbours, everybody was helpful to one another,
0:39:15 > 0:39:19and you just carried your things across the road and done with it.
0:39:19 > 0:39:22- So you went from that house over there...- Yes, yes.
0:39:22 > 0:39:25- ..to this one here...- Yes. - ..when it was brand-new?- Yeah.
0:39:25 > 0:39:29And you've had, what, 85 Christmases in here?
0:39:29 > 0:39:33- Yes.- Wow! - My father was here for a time,
0:39:33 > 0:39:36then my brothers, and, of course, my husband.
0:39:36 > 0:39:38But I lost him 19 years ago,
0:39:38 > 0:39:41and I've had to manage on my own ever since.
0:39:41 > 0:39:43Can you tell me what your daily routine was,
0:39:43 > 0:39:46- with getting the house warm? - How would it work?
0:39:46 > 0:39:51I used to get up at half past five every morning, did the ashes,
0:39:51 > 0:39:53and stoke up for the day.
0:39:53 > 0:39:57- Shifting bags of coal and bags of logs and chopping wood.- Yeah.
0:39:57 > 0:40:00- All of that sounds like quite a job? - It was always a job.
0:40:00 > 0:40:03This last few months, to do the ashes
0:40:03 > 0:40:06and all of that sort of thing in the morning,
0:40:06 > 0:40:10that was a bit of a nightmare, to be quite truthful, for me.
0:40:10 > 0:40:12'Fortunately, thanks to Tony and his team,
0:40:12 > 0:40:15'a more hi-tech solution has now been implemented.'
0:40:15 > 0:40:18In the whole of the house now, we've installed these
0:40:18 > 0:40:22high-efficiency storage heaters. Simple controls, easy-to-use.
0:40:22 > 0:40:25Every one can be done individually.
0:40:25 > 0:40:29They're a lot cheaper than propane gas and solid fuel.
0:40:29 > 0:40:32Which is what we need to have out here in the country?
0:40:32 > 0:40:34So, when you're out in the sticks, it's a lot better.
0:40:34 > 0:40:36- Very modern technology. - Consider myself educated.
0:40:36 > 0:40:38Thank you very much, Tony.
0:40:38 > 0:40:41'Despite Tony's admirable enthusiasm,
0:40:41 > 0:40:43'no-one's going to claim that radiators are the new rock and roll.
0:40:43 > 0:40:47'But for Mrs Dumpleton, they're going to make a massive difference
0:40:47 > 0:40:49'and help her remain in the property
0:40:49 > 0:40:52'she's called home for more than eight decades.
0:40:52 > 0:40:54'But the changes have left one small issue,
0:40:54 > 0:40:56'as her son Dennis explains.'
0:40:56 > 0:41:01- That's it there, is it? - This is the coal bunker outside.
0:41:01 > 0:41:04- Er, completely filled up. - How do you get in there?
0:41:04 > 0:41:06SLAB SCRAPES Oh, my God!
0:41:06 > 0:41:09- Look at it!- So what are we going to do with that, then?
0:41:09 > 0:41:11You look at that and what your mum
0:41:11 > 0:41:13used to have to do to try and get that inside...
0:41:13 > 0:41:15- That's right.- 91!
0:41:15 > 0:41:19She was carrying coal in, er...in buckets.
0:41:19 > 0:41:21You can't carry coal at her age.
0:41:21 > 0:41:23How important is this place for your mum?
0:41:23 > 0:41:27I mean, 85 years is such an incredibly long time, you know,
0:41:27 > 0:41:31and, during that time, births, deaths, marriages, Christmases,
0:41:31 > 0:41:34all of that stuff that's taken place here.
0:41:34 > 0:41:36She's seen her husband die here,
0:41:36 > 0:41:40she seen her mother die here, her grandfather, er...
0:41:40 > 0:41:43Whenever anything happened years ago,
0:41:43 > 0:41:45everyone came to the family home.
0:41:45 > 0:41:49This central heating enables her to carry on here and, at the moment,
0:41:49 > 0:41:52she's got her independence for another however many years.
0:41:52 > 0:41:55'Which is great, but that still leaves the question,
0:41:55 > 0:41:57'what to do with all this coal?
0:41:57 > 0:41:58'I'm determined to do my bit.'
0:41:58 > 0:42:02- I'll take one as a souvenir, there you go.- Please do.- That's it.
0:42:02 > 0:42:04- That's only a small piece. - That's a help!
0:42:04 > 0:42:05THEY LAUGH
0:42:07 > 0:42:11If you've lived here for 85 years, with bags of coal,
0:42:11 > 0:42:13this is a big change for you?
0:42:13 > 0:42:16Yes. Well, it will be a pleasure not to have to walk out there
0:42:16 > 0:42:19in the wintertime and get buckets of coal in.
0:42:19 > 0:42:20- That's good to hear.- Yes.
0:42:20 > 0:42:25- Have you noticed a difference in the house?- Yes, it's much better.
0:42:25 > 0:42:27Well, I'm glad you're happy with the way it is now.
0:42:27 > 0:42:29- I'm very happy with it. - Apart from anything else,
0:42:29 > 0:42:33- it does look the part, doesn't it? - It's very nice, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:42:33 > 0:42:36'It's been great to meet Mrs Dumpleton, and today's visit
0:42:36 > 0:42:40'just goes to show that, when a housing officer gets involved,
0:42:40 > 0:42:43'even small changes can make huge difference to people's lives.'
0:42:43 > 0:42:45Just to give you an idea,
0:42:45 > 0:42:48when Mrs Dumpleton first moved into her house...
0:42:49 > 0:42:51..this is where she got her water from.
0:42:51 > 0:42:5485 years later, that place is still
0:42:54 > 0:42:59knitted into the DNA of her family. Six generations!
0:42:59 > 0:43:02They've been born there, they've died, they've got married,
0:43:02 > 0:43:07and now a simple thing like fitting new heaters to that place means that
0:43:07 > 0:43:11Mrs Dumpleton can carry on for a few more years at least.
0:43:11 > 0:43:12That's gotta be a good thing.