Yet Another Newspaper Thinks Thistle Housing Needs A Reformer

3 YEARS + 3 MONTHS + 10 DAYS
since Thistle’s mismanaged Major Works Programme started on 7th January 2016
28 MONTHS + 8 DAYS
since 30th November 2016 when “all of the works to all of the houses in Toryglen will be complete“. Today, 17th April 2019, still incomplete, work proven to be shoddy and more importantly, dangerous

Rutherglen Reformer, Wednesday 17 April 2019

Download the above in pdf format:
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Twice in almost as many days, Toryglen residents have again been at the receiving end of Thistle Housing’s failed Major Works Programme and the serious faults they have chosen to ignore.

See here and here and here

Once again, the media attack the failed and under investigation management of Thistle Housing in Toryglen. The media know fine well that’s Thistle is mismanaged, self seeking, incapable and just rotten to the core. By this time, so should the Scottish Housing Regulator and certainly, do Toryglen residents.

Then we have the above article rife with the usual selected part truths from Thistle Housing or was it from their expensive PR Consultants which have, so far, cost Toryglen thousands of pounds in order to allow the untrained, overpaid management to cower from the truth and the increasing problems being suffered by Toryglen residents and increasing more as time goes by.

Let’s have a wee look at Thistle’s comments:

“…the contract for improvements at Toryglen completed in March 2018, insists that all residents were consulted about the project and a majority voted in favour of the works going ahead“

“…all residents were consulted“. An out and out deliberate LIE!

Thistle never, at any time, arranged any residents’ meetings or consultations of any type. Some, note the some, residents in flats were sent a letter telling them to vote for the work and that, after contacting Thistle, were arrogantly told that the work would go ahead no matter how they voted and certainly if there were three or less owners in a close of eight, Thistle would decide. Some democratic choice that.

They did, of course, despatch letters to people who were long dead, people who had moved away, people who never existed. Did they count? Who knows, Thistle never had a meeting with residents to discuss anything.

Has anyone, tenant or owner, been given the opportunity to sign or agree to the work done to their home? Has Thistle ever written to residents advising them that, in their opinion, the Major Works Programme was complete?

“Completed in March 2018“? Who knew and “completed“…
When the chimneys are dangerous, eighteen have already been attended to with a 100% failure rate, every one faulty and extremely dangerous
When the gutters urgently require to be relocated
When rainwater is gushing down building elevations even if it’s not even raining
When bent bits of plastic fascia board pretending to be window cills are insufficiently extended, do not allow water to run off and allow water to soak into the unsealed edges
When the chimneys on blocks are all faulty and dangerous, requiring major work
When residents are increasingly reporting dampness and cold spots
When the roof tiles are not nailed into position
When paintwork to closes and iron work did not receive a protective undercoat
When balconies became immediately stained (due to the trees, according to Thistle’s noted arborist, which have been in situ in excess of fifty years) but coincidentally staining the same colour as sodden Rockwool insulation
When attics are jammed full of potential fire hazard building rubbish and a high likelihood of asbestos contamination which Thistle claimed had been cleared after residents kicked up – another lie Thistle. Unlike Thistle, the camera does not lie…
…and all of the other multitude of incomplete work and faults Thistle’s non technical management has been advised of, been aware of but decided to ignore and, just a small point, never arranged any form of acceptance of the work with residents.

“Subsequently, owner occupiers were asked to make arrangements to pay their contribution, with interest free loans made available to those owners who were unable to fund the work at that time“

“..with interest free loans made available“. What a bloody lie! Or to be more accurate, a selective and manipulated lie. Residents were not all offered loans. Indeed, when some residents enquired about the possibility, they were told, point blank, “no loans“, no time to pay and that they (Thistle) wanted the loot, in full, giving only days’ notice. That must be what Thistle meant by, “make arrangements“.

Mind you, the failed Operations Manager, Daniella Sprott, did later admit that they “hud tae get the money in quick“, ostensibly, as she lied at the time, because the grant funding could be lost.

That was another lie as Thistle Housing Association signed the grant funding agreement with the then Leader of Glasgow City Council, Frank McAveety, in September 2015, followed by their signing of a contract with E.ON on 7 January 2016. During the interval between September 2015 and Thistle demanding and threatening cash up front for the Major Works Programme, some eight months or so had passed without the merest hint to residents who could have used that time to find the funds. But Thistle stayed silent. Why? No one knows.

“Their contribution” as Thistle puts it, a contribution to a programme of works into which residents had absolutely no input and were not afforded the common courtesy of any discussion. It was diktat, residents being told what to do otherwise they were told that Glasgow City Council would take them to court, sue them for £13,000 plus legal fees and at the same time, lose any grant funding, be put on the debtors’ list. To put it mildly, rather than being “asked“, Thistle Housing threatened residents and in particular, they seemed to have singled out older residents who were terrified at the prospect of debt collectors coming to the door. This latter part, is of course, a common tactic of Thistle Housing.

“A small number of isolated issues have required further repairs, and we have worked with residents and contractors on each occasion to ensure these were resolved as quickly and safely as possible!”

“A small number“?????? That comment from Thistle is simply incredulous. Residents know that is a complete and utter lie from start to finish. “A small number”? Residents may wish to reappraise what that phrase means to them and what is seemingly means to Thistle. Not the same, eh?

“…we have worked with residents“??? When? Residents have been bullied, lied to, seldom kept advised, major repairs taking months, even years if at all, done.

More, much more could be said. Much more has been said and scattered throughout this blog whereby Thistle’s arrogant management has serially and constantly ignored residents throughout the failed Major Works Programme to such an extent that residents are now living with major doubts as to, not just the quality of work done to their homes (without their input) but also the safety and the fear of huge and completely unnecessary repairs bills in the not too distant future.

Thistle management cannot grasp that any faults, problems, etc also affect their own properties but with Thistle struggling financially, they have no interest as their usual method of operation is only reactive day at a time and certainly no proactive effort.

Thistle Housing’s lies just go on and on, never ending,
attempting to mask the profound failures of an inept management

When is the Scottish Housing Regulator
going to take appropriate action? 

After eight months, what is the grand plan?