Flats 'upholding highest standards' despite residents complaints

Last month, the Adver reported on safety concerns, a lack of general cleanliness and dangerous cladding at a block of flats in Swindon but the property managers have since said many of the maintenance issues have been addressed.

As previously reported they claim their concerns have been ignored at Wellington House, owned by Pinnacle Property Management.

Renter Sophie Christopher reported rife drug-use, overflowing bins, leaking sewage, blocked drains and trespassers ‘tailgating’ residents into the building and said many residents had been left to clean faeces, sick and needles to maintain a liveable, safe environment.

Additionally, there were reports of men trying to unlock doors when they suspected women were home alone and a case of a man allegedly entering a flat while a woman was in the shower, as well as reports of human trafficking and sexual exploitation.

She said the Wellington House Residents Association was set up to represent the 61 flats and they had legally been awarded the Right to Manage, but claimed the property managers were reluctant to give up the responsibility.

READ MORE: Residents look to takeover flats attracting 'the worst of Swindon'

Although the property managers Pinnacle Property Management were contacted and did not provide a comment, they have since highlighted several improvements at Wellington House.

The Swindon branch manager said: “The soft wash of the walls has since been carried out on the entrance. The cleaning of the disabled lift has been carried out and the steps leading to both sides of the entrance have been cleaned.

“There have been incidents of illicit activity as you report. These are confidential and private matters which we cannot discuss in further detail but can confirm that they have been resolved by the appropriate authorities.

“Overflowing bins are a continuous issue we deal with despite several letters being sent to residents. Unfortunately, the council reduced the frequency of general waste collections from weekly to fortnightly which has significantly impacted the tidiness of the bin store.

“We are liaising with the council regarding this. Resident usage and the council’s lack of collection also contributes significantly to the state of the bin store, however, we are making every effort to improve this issue."

They continued: “We have had several repairs carried out to the front door over the years and have written out to all residents regarding the security of the building to prevent the door being left on the latch, and therefore we have now installed an alarm that is triggered when the door has been left open.

“As the post boxes are demised to the flats, we have advised leaseholders to repair their broken post boxes. However, we have said that we will be looking to replace these when we do the internal decoration.

“We can confirm the CCTV is in working order, and we have given footage to the police when requested.

“The cladding replacement is a profoundly complex matter, as it is across the country, but we are working closely with the government to resolve this matter and ensure the building materials are safe whilst ensuring it is not the leaseholders who fund these works.”

They concluded: “At Pinnacle Property Management, we value transparency and accountability. We are always open to constructive feedback and welcome the opportunity to address any concerns or issues that may have arisen.

"We are committed to upholding the highest standards of property management.”

However, Sophie claims there is still tension between the property management company and residents.

She added: "Pinnacle are taking most of the leaseholders to court for advanced service charges, so that they can extract as much money as they possibly can without doing anything on site. The situation is just getting worse."