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We have appointed Rand Associates to undertake a full Stock Condition Survey during April and May 2019. This survey will look at the condition of our properties, both inside and out, and will also include all communal areas and outside spaces. The survey findings will be used to help us plan for the future and decide how much money we need to set aside for repairs and improvements in the years to come.

You will receive a letter of introduction from Rand Associates and they will telephone you to book in an appointment. Evening and weekend appointments will be available. Please make sure that you provide access for this important survey – it should only take about 30 minutes.

All surveyors will carry a Rand Associates ID badge with a photograph and letter of authority from Bucks Housing. Please do not let the surveyor into your property if you have any concerns over their identity. If you have any questions about this survey, please call our Maintenance Team on 01494 480340.

Our next Residents’ Panel meeting is at 10.30am on Thursday 30 May 2019 at The Irish Club, Sheehy Way, Slough, SL2 5SS.  Amongst other items, we will be discussing the Stock Condition Survey currently underway, our most recent performance figures and our proposed celebrations for Buckinghamshire Housing Association’s 75th anniversary this year.

Please let us know if you are interested to attend and we will send you more details.

Subsequent meeting dates in 2019 will be:

• Tuesday 20 August 2019
• Thursday 31 October 2019

The venues for these meetings have yet to be arranged.  For more information, please contact 01494 480340 or info@bucksha.co.uk

Please note that our office will be closed from 1pm on Monday 24 December until 8.30am on Wednesday 2 January 2019.

If you have an emergency repair during this period, please call the out of hours phone number: 07900 916874, and you will be directed to one of our emergency contractors.  You should only use this number to report a genuine emergency repair:

• serious flooding
• total electrical failure
• loss of mains water
• property no longer secure and/or water tight
• a health and safety risk
• no heating / hot water (between 1 Oct – 31 March).

Please note, you may be recharged if you call out a contractor and it is found not to be a genuine emergency.

If you smell gas, this should be reported immediately to the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999.

Non-emergency repairs over this period may be reported by email to maintenance@bucksha.co.uk or via our web site www.buckshousing.co.uk and staff will attend to these once the office has reopened.

If you are away over Christmas / New Year, please remember to leave your heating on low in case of a drop in temperature and the risk of frozen or burst pipes.

Bucks Housing has been awarded a £360,000 grant by South Bucks District Council, in order to help fund our purchase of three properties on the open market.  The properties will be used to provide temporary accommodation for potentially homeless households who are undergoing assessment by the local authority.  

Phil Green, Chief Executive, said: ‘‘We are delighted to have received this funding to purchase additional properties in the South Bucks District Council area. The scheme will provide families with good quality, well managed and maintained homes rather than having to live in expensive bed and breakfast accommodation, whilst also reducing the financial burden on the Local Authority.” 

As an organisation, we are committed to doing what we can to help end homelessness.  We are a member of ‘Homes for Cathy’ – a group of organisations who aim to highlight the continuing needs of homeless people and work jointly on strategies to end homelessness.  The group takes their name from the landmark 1966 film, ‘Cathy Come Home’.  We have recently signed up to the nine ‘Homes for Cathy’ commitments, which you can read about here .   

On Saturday 8 September, approximately 30 residents, board members and staff came together at our Stokenchurch office for our Annual Residents’ Meeting.

A review of last year was followed by the launch of our Strategic Plan, outlining our plans for the next five years.  Residents were particularly interested to hear about the forthcoming stock condition survey, which will help us develop our planned maintenance programmes. Other topics discussed were our new arrangements for resident involvement and consultation, our performance in areas such as rent arrears and repairs and our new lettable standard for empty properties. The meeting was followed by a buffet lunch. Thank you to those who gave up their Saturday morning to come along. If you would like to get more involved in Bucks Housing, we’d love to hear from you. You can find details of some of the ways you can get involved here.