Scottish Housing Regulator Publishes Latest Engagement with Failed Thistle Housing

1,504 DAYS – FOUR YEARS + 1 MONTH + 12 DAYS
since Thistle’s mismanaged Major Works Programme started on 7th January 2016
1,176 DAYS – THREE YEARS + 2 MONTHS + 20 DAYS
since 30th November 2016 when “all of the works to all of the houses in Toryglen will be complete“. Today, Wednesday 19th February 2020, still incomplete, work proven to be shoddy and more importantly, dangerous and now possibly hazardous to life and limb with millions of pounds required for rectification work

Today, the Scottish Housing Regulator published its latest engagement plan detailing the multitude shortfalls, lack of ability, faked statistics, dangerous practices adopted by Thistle Housing over many years until they were found out.

Quite simply, Thistle had neither a clue nor any interest in Toryglen, never built any new homes (unlike most associations), never upgraded the general realm of the estate and only undertook the two phases of improvements to buildings when they were forced to do so by the Scottish Government.

Thistle did, however, spare no effort in paying themselves more than attractive salaries, most of which were (and are) not deserved, especially highlighted now by the urgent requirement to have Sanctuary Scotland provide “immediate support” which more than suggests that hitherto, Thistle just hadn’t the slightest idea how to run a housing association. That’s a shocker!

The Regulator’s report can be seen here or in the graphics below. It certainly does not shine a good light on Thistle.

There is also a corresponding Regulator engagement report applying to Sanctuary Scotland, as the proposed takeover association of Thistle. That can be seen here.

Information regarding Sanctuary Group

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• The Sanctuary Housing Independent Complaints group on Facebook can be accessed here
• There is a Sanctuary Scotland residents’ Facebook page which can be seen here (which is more than Thistle ever had).
• The Facebook referred to in the above graphic, “Sanctuary Newspaper Articles“, can be accessed here.
• In addition, here is a blog site by Tim Burness again as referred to above, similar to this one, detailing certain experiences with Sanctuary, mainly in England, a blog site which apparently Sanctuary Group tried to use their solicitors to take down. Oops! Similar tactic as Thistle has used with this site.

Bear in mind that people will frequently go to more effort to complain than to comment on success but having said that, some of the alleged Sanctuary incidents provide grim and rather worrying reading. It might offer Thistle Housing’s tenants and factored owners some food for thought regarding the direction into which Thistle seems to be heading although, despite Facebook comments from “Team Thistle”, it is not a done deal, not by a long chalk.

Scottish Housing Regulator Engagement Plan, 18 February 2020