Tenant Survey 2007 1 Rent Increase Consultation 2 Reduce

FORRESELGIN

BUCKIE

KEITH

The Tenants’

Winter 2007

BUCKIE01542 837200Buckie Area Housing Office, 13 Cluny Square, Buckie, AB56 1AJ.E-mail: [email protected]

ELGIN01343 563429/563433Elgin Area Housing Office,Council Office, High Street, Elgin,IV30 1BX.E-mail:[email protected]

FORRES01309 694000Forres Area Housing Office,Auchernack, High Street, Forres, IV36 1DX.E-mail: [email protected]

KEITH01542 885500Keith Area Housing Office, TheInstitute, Mid Street, Keith, AB55 5BJ.E-mail: [email protected]

Log on to: w w w . m o r a y . g o v . u k

Your local areahousing office

CONTENTS....Tenant Survey 2007 1

Rent Increase Consultation 2

Moray Tenants Conference 2007 3

Handy Hints for Winter 4

Cut your Fuel Bills - SCARF 5

CEIM 6&7

Reduce your Rent & Council Tax 7

Forum News 8&9

Housing Performance 2007/08 10&11

The Housing Sub Committee 12

Allocations Policy Review 13

Garden Competition results 14

Tenants Survey Prize Draw 15

Benefit Fraud 15

Christmas Refuse Collection 16

79% of replies indicated overallsatisfaction with the Council – this isslightly down from 2004, but stillhigher than in 2001. Although yourated staff highly on friendliness andhelpfulness, the results identify someareas where we could improve –particularly in theinformation/explanations we giveand the extent to which we keep youupdated.

The areas of the housing service thatyou rated highly were the rentpayment system, the repairs service,rent levels and the housing benefitservice. The areas identified forimprovement are the improvementservice and the Council’s willingnessto take account of tenants’ views.

The most mentioned problem aboutthe home was the need for a newkitchen, followed by new bathroomsand external repairs. We also askedabout what your priorities were forfuture investment. This againindicated kitchens and bathrooms.For the first time, a significantnumber of you identified a showeras an investment priority.

When we asked about views onpriorities for all housing stock, themost commonly expressed view wasthe need for more Council homes.

There is a huge amount of detail inthe survey results. The results werepresented to the Housing SubCommittee on 7 November 2007.It was agreed that an improvementplan should be drawn up. This willbe considered at the next HousingSub Committee meeting in January2008. You can read the results byvisiting our website atwww.moray.gov.uk/minutes/data/HS20071107A00.htm

If you want to tell us your viewsabout what the improvement planshould contain, please contact:� Jill Stewart

Chief Housing OfficerCommunity ServicesThe Moray CouncilCouncil OfficeHigh StreetElginMorayIV30 1BX

� [email protected]

Tenant Survey 2007Every three years, we carry out a tenant survey. This year, questionnaireswere sent to 2,000 Council tenants in Moray. A response rate of 38% wasachieved. This is a good response rate for a postal survey. As in previousyears, the survey asked for views on satisfaction with the Council andhousing service provided. It asked for views on problems affecting homes,common areas and neighbourhoods. It also asked about communicationwith the Council and involvement in tenants’ forums and so on.

PAGE 2 the tenants’ voice

IntroductionWelcome to the winter edition of Tenants’ Voice.These are exciting times for the Housing Servicein Moray. We have formed a Housing SubCommittee, which includes six tenants. As far aswe are aware no other council in Scotland hastaken such a bold step. More details areincluded in an article on page 12.

I would like to thank all the tenants who took thetrouble to fill in the tenant survey. The results arecurrently being analysed by officers and tenants.We will use the information that you gave us toimprove our services for you. We are consideringyour views about the Tenants’ Voice. A reportwas presented to the Housing Sub Committee inNovember. An improvement plan will besubmitted to the Sub Committee in January. Thisimprovement plan will be reported on in the nextedition of the Tenants’ Voice.

I would also like to thank all of the tenants whoattended the Tenants’ Conference, with particularthanks to the tenants who gave up many hours oftheir own time to fund raise and organise theConference. The Conference was a hugesuccess.

At present we are considering the ScottishGovernment’s Consultation Paper on housing. Init there are proposals for the Right to Buy to beremoved from new build Council Housing. Thereare no proposals for any changes to the right tobuy for current tenants. The paper emphasisesthe importance of the Scottish Housing QualityStandard and I am happy to say that we are onschedule to achieve this.

Finally with the onset ofwinter I would like to drawyour attention to our handyhints for winter article. Mostimportantly I would like towish you, your family andfriends a very Merry Christmasand a Happy New Year.

Councillor McGillivray

Rentincrease

consultationSetting rents is a balance between providingaffordable housing and making sure there arefunds for future management and maintenancecosts. In February 2008, the Council will decideits housing budget for the forthcoming year.

The Housing Revenue Account (HRA) is thebudget which funds management andmaintenance costs relating to Council housing.As part of the process for preparing the budget,we must consult with you. In line withlegislation, we must consult you where wepropose to increase the amount of rent orservice charges you pay.

Moray Council has had low rent levels for manyyears. Over the last three years, council houserent levels in Moray were the lowest in Scotland.At the same time, we have continued ourcommitment to improving the quality of housing,with almost 50% of the budget being invested inimprovement/repairs.

In past years, the rental increase has beenlimited to inflation plus 1% (3.5%). The budgetprocess for 2008/09 will be based on theassumption that any rent increase will be as inprevious years – i.e. inflation plus 1%. Theproposed increase would add approximately£1.44 to the current average weekly rent of£41.24 (based on 48 weekly payments a year).The extra income generated will be invested inimproving services.

If you have any views on this, please contact

� Jill StewartChief Housing OfficerCommunity ServicesThe Moray CouncilCouncil OfficeHigh StreetElginMorayIV30 1BX

� [email protected]

the tenants’ voice PAGE 3

CHANGES TO THE WAY THAT YOU CAN MAKEPAYMENTS TO THE COUNCIL

From 1 April 2008, instead of making payments at local area offices, you will be able to pay Council bills at local outlets such as the post office, local newsagents, convenience stores and petrol stations.

The new, extended service has many advantages. It will give you a greater choice of where and moreflexibility about when you can make payments. It will mean that:

� There are more places where you can make a payment;

� There will be outlets across Moray, making it more convenient for you to make a payment;

� There will be longer opening hours. Some outlets are open on weekends and on bank holidays andsome are open 24 hours a day and 7 days a week; and

� You will be supporting local business and post offices.

We sent you a letter and leaflet which explained the changes and a response form to find out what youthought. If you want more information please phone 01343 563456.

Moray Tenants Conference 2007

The fourth annual Tenants’Conference took place on 13

September 2007 in Elgin Town Halland has been hailed as the best yet.The event, themed "local connections",had been organised by a group oftenants. The organising group tookcomments made at previousconferences into account. Tenantsattending could choose whichworkshops to attend. The workshopswere carefully chosen to reflect thelocal theme. The workshops were:

� The role of estate caretakers and area housing officers

� Repairs and maintenance

� Fire safety

� Saving energy in Moray (SCARF)

� Local forums and the tenant participation strategy

There were an array of displays for delegates tolook at.

These included:

� SCARF

� Grampian Police

� Waste Aware Grampian

� Neighbourhood Forums

� Grampian Fire and Rescue

� Health Promotions

� Message in a bottle

� Moray Council Housing Service

The organisers would like to thank CommunitiesScotland, the Big Lottery who funded theConference, and the many local business andindividuals who very generously donated prizes forthe free raffle draw.

The organisers have already begun planning fornext years Conference. A date for your diary isWednesday 17 September 2008 at Elgin Town Halland we look forward to seeing you there,

Steven Christie, Chairperson, Moray Tenants’ Core Group

WINTERHandy hints for


Make sure you don’t lose energy out of your windows. Keep allwindows in rooms that are not heated closed in cold weather unlessyou need to air the room after cooking, washing clothes, and so on.Close your curtains and blinds at night.

Find out where your stopcock is (this is the tap that controls the watercoming into your home). Test it to see if it is working so that in anemergency, for example a pipe bursting in your home, you can stopany more water coming in.

Check that your heating is working well and that it is giving a goodspread of heat during the day. If you are going on holiday make surethat the heating is left on low, to prevent any pipes bursting in yourhome and causing water damage. Or, before going off on holiday,you could ask your area housing office to drain down your watersystem. You could also leave a key with a neighbour or a member ofyour family so that they can look after the house for you.

If there’s a draught coming under your door, use rolled up towels toact as a draught excluder. Simply place them at the bottom of thedoor. Or, you can buy draught excluders from most DIY stores to sealdoors and windows.

When driving in the winter, carry out a few safety checks to keep yousafe. Check your battery, antifreeze, wipers/washer fluid, lightsincluding hazard lights, brakes, heater/demister and oil level. Alwaysmake sure you have at least half a tank of petrol.

In the run-up to Christmas, keep presents out of view of windows. Ifthieves can see you have a stack of gifts under the tree they might bemore tempted to break in.

Never leave burning candles unattended. They could easily start a fire.Also, don't place Christmas cards or decorations on or near fires, ifthey fall off, they could catch fire.

If you want any more information, or you need to be shownhow your heating works, or if you are not sure where yourstopcock is, please contact your local area housing office.

With suppliers increasing the cost of fuel,many of you may find it more difficult andexpensive to heat your home, especially

during winter months. If you want to know moreabout ways to cut your fuel bills, then read on.

SCARF, (Save Cash andReduce Fuel) may be ableto help you. SCARF is anagency that provides freeimpartial and accessible energy efficiency adviceand information services to help save energy, savecash and help save the environment.

The SCARF Fuel Cost Campaign aims to addressthe cost of fuel and increase awareness ofopportunities available to help householders, likeyou, to get the best value fuel costs. The campaignmessage is ‘Cut Your Fuel Bills - Best Value Energy’

To help you find the best fuel supplierand secure the lowest possible fueltariff and best payment method, whichwill in turn save you money, there arejust three simple steps.

Step 1 Your fuel supplierSwitching your fuel supplier can saveyou money. You will need to checkthe most up-to-date fuel prices andcompare fuel suppliers to make sureyou are switching to the supplier withthe lowest fuel costs for you.

Step 2 Your tariffFuel suppliers have a range of tariffsavailable. You will need to check thatyou are on the lowest rate tariff foryour heating system and yourhousehold requirements. This is mostimportant if you have an electricstorage heating system or where youhave replaced an electric storageheating system with a new heatingsystem.

Step 3 Your payment methodAll fuel suppliers have a range ofpayment methods available to you.Choose a payment method that givesyou the lowest cost for fuel and suitsyour household budget.

SCARF’s Energy Advice Team can help youwith steps 1, 2 and 3. SCARF Energy Advisors will provide you with free,independent and impartial advice.

How to contact SCARF If you want more advice and information on how tocut your fuel bills and stay warm this winter thencontact SCARF.

℡ Phone the SCARF Energy Advice Team on 0800 512012. This is a free phone call.

� Visit the SCARF website at www.scarf.org.uk.

� E-mail [email protected]

Cut

Your

Fue

l Bill

s

Our offices will close for the festiveseason at 3pm on Monday 24December 2007. We will re-open at8:45am on Thursday 3 January2008.

If you have an emergency when our offices areclosed and it can only be dealt with by aCouncil Officer, for example, loss of electricityin your home, burst water pipes, homelessness,and so on, please phone 08457 565656 forhelp.

You should only use this number when we areclosed and if the matter is urgent. To help us,please wait to report non-urgent matterswhen our offices are open again in January.

Going on holiday?Are you a going on holiday during the winter?You can ask us to drain down your hot andcold water systems, so they cannot freeze up.

Contact your area housing office formore information.

EMERGENCYOUT OF HOURS SERVICE

Out of hours emergency phone number

08457 565656



Community ENVIRO NMENTAL

What is CEIM?

Community Environmental Initiatives Moray (CEIM)was set up by a group of five local, charitable,community recycling organisations in Moray.

CEIM are about more than recycling. Its membersare social enterprises who work in partnership withthe local community providing training and workexperience, as well as supported training and jobplacements for adults with learning disabilities. CEIMalso makes a significant contribution to divertingwaste from landfill.

Each member is involved in a different part ofrecycling but all are enthusiastic about the benefitsthey bring to the local community:

What are the benefits of CEIM?

CEIM work with the people of Moray and aim topromote the recognition, importance and value ofcommunity recycling initiatives. Key benefits include:

1. Work experience and trainingplacements for young people, adultswho have been long-termunemployed and supported trainingplacements for adults with learningdisabilities.

2. A forum for community spiritedvolunteers to can gain new skills andshare ideas and experiences to makea positive contribution within theirlocal area.

3. An opportunity for local people,regardless of age or circumstances,to purchase pre-used, quality itemsat affordable prices in a friendly andnon-judgemental environment.

4. Making a positive contribution to ourenvironment by diverting tonnes ofwaste away from our landfill sites.

Volunteering and training opportunities

CEIM, are always looking for people to join them aspart of their volunteer teams. Volunteering can beextremely rewarding. It gives you the opportunity toshare experiences, ideas and information, whilstlearning new skills. You do not need any formalqualifications. All that you need is to want to workfor the benefit of the community and a belief in theimportance of Reduce Reuse Recycle.

All CEIM members offer training opportunities andhave built up an expertise in the provision of trainingand all are highly respected within the industry.Working in partnership with agencies including theMoray Council, Scottish Council for VoluntaryOrganisations, Job Centre Plus and local trainingproviders, CEIM members offer a range of trainingexperiences to suit individual needs. The opportunityto work in a range of working environments can beexciting and the possibility of gaining ScottishVocational Qualification Modules and City & GuildCertificates can be a real achievement.

Initiatives Moray

Recycling from home

If you have unwanted household items such as,electrical appliances, white goods, books, toys,bikes, tools and so on pleasephone either The Green Homeon 01542 839600 or MorayWaste Busters on 01309 676056– they will be pleased to help you. TheGreen Home offers a FREE collectionservice for anyone living in Moray.

Who are TEAM?

TEAM is located next to the GoKart Racing Track in Elgin and sells reclaimed andnew timber, decking, used doors, windows,paving slabs, tiles, bricks, rockery and dressedstone as well as new, garden stone ornamentsand wall plaques. There is a lot to see at TEAMso make sure you allow plenty of time forbrowsing. TEAM also has 18 supported trainingplacements. Together with Moray Council TEAMcarries out erosion prevention work on Moray’sforest footpaths and parks using woodchips thathave been made by TEAM. Contact TEAM on01343 546100

Who are ReBOOT?

ReBOOT refurbishes computersystems at very affordable prices –from £39 for a system that has everything youneed. ReBOOT also offers a Repair and SafeData Removal Service. If you have any unwantedcomputers or lap tops, take them to ReBOOT,there’s no charge for householders living inMoray. Contact ReBOOT on 01309 671681

Who are Waste Watchers?

Waste Watchers work inpartnership with Moray Council soall of Moray’s cans (aluminium and steel) endup at their depot in Buckie. They are thenseparated, crushed and palletised beforebeing sent off to either Novelis (aluminium) orChorus (steel). The money received for thesecans helps to maintain 20 supported trainingplacements so please don’t throw your tinsaway, recycle them to help support this charity.

More information

If you want to find out more aboutvolunteering, training or you want moreinformation on any of the above, pleasecontact:

� Isobell Tesch52 Low StreetBuckie AB56 1UX

℡ 01542 831888� [email protected]

www.ceim.org.uk


REDUCE YOURRENT AND

COUNCIL TAXFind out if you can

get a rebate.

If you are on a low income, HousingBenefit and Council Tax Benefit may beable to help by reducing your rent andcouncil tax bill.

If you get other benefits, they won’t beaffected by Housing Benefit or CouncilTax Benefit.

Find out if you are eligible by applying fora rebate today.

For further details and an application formplease contact the Revenues Section on01343 563456.

BilbohallEstate ForumSince the last issue of the Tenants’ Voicethe Bilbohall Estate Forum has been busy.During the summer, work commenced andwas finished to improve the drying areasbehind the Glenlossie Drive flats. Thisincluded the removal of old brokenfencing, levelling and resurfacing theground and the installation of additionalrotary clothes dryers. The Forum has sentout surveys to tenants to find out thecondition of sheds. The Forum will use thisinformation when creating future worksprogrammes.

Recently, after a long wait, work to level offthe concrete parking areas and createmore and better parking facilities on theestate has started.

The Forum had organised a GardenCompetition for tenants within the Forumarea and had secured donated prizes fromPo-teak and Decora.

The Forum meets on the first Wednesday ofeach month in the Cedarwood Centre onEdgar Road at 7:30pm. Our meetings arewell attended by tenants, the localCouncillors, the Area Housing Officer andthe Community Warden. All tenants fromBilbohall, Birnie, Fogwatt, Miltonduff andMosstowie are welcome. The AGM will beheld in early December. For moreinformation about any of the Forum’sactivities please contact:

Steven Christie, Chairperson01343 540524

Moira Sutherland, Secretary01343 547490

BishopmillTenants’ ForumThere is not a forum for the tenants ofBishopmill, Elgin at the moment – but wewould like to start one. Do you have a

view about the service the Councilprovided? Do you want to improve theenvironment you stay in? If you do, whynot become a forum member and help usmake a difference. As a forum memberyou would have the chance to influence theHousing service, and have a say in how theHousing service's environmental andimprovement budget is spent.

We are looking for members to start thegroup. If you are interested or would justlike to know more please contact:

Fiona Shand,Area Housing Officer01343 563429 or 01343 [email protected]

Forres Tenants’ForumThe Forres Area Tenants’ Forum coversBrodie, Dyke, Findhorn, Kinloss, HalfDavoch, Rafford, Dallas, Burghead,Hopeman, Duffus, Kellas and Alves, as wellas Forres. This widespread area hasapproximately 940 council houses.

The Forum organised a garden competitionopen to tenants in its area. The Forumalso organised a competition presentationtea on 17 August 2007 in the MossettTavern, paid for from their grant funding,which was attended by Forum members,the winning tenant and 3 Councillors.

The Forres Area Tenants’ Forum is alwayslooking for new members. We meetregularly in the GP Room of Forres Houseat 10.30am on every second Friday ofeach month. If you would like to getinvolved please come along. If you wantto know more about what we do pleasecontact:

Sandra Ross,Secretary01309 675311

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LossiemouthTenants’ ForumThe Lossiemouth Tenants’ Forum hasagreed to commit its Environmental Budgetto fencing and outdoor security lightingprojects.

The Forum continues its efforts to developits website using funding from CommunitiesScotland and expects the website to beoperational by the end of 2007. TheForum held its Annual General Meeting on11 September 2007.

All tenants are members of the Tenants’Forum and can attend the committeemeetings, which are held on the secondTuesday of the month in the Seaview Suiteof the Lossiemouth Town Hall. If you wantto get more involved you can join theCommittee and help us carry out thenecessary work to improve the tenants’ lot.

Charles French, Chairperson 07887 921553

New ElginTenants’ ForumThe New Elgin Tenants' Forum is a small butbusy group as one of our members is alsoan office bearer in the Tenants' Core Group.

We have regular estate walk-aboutslooking at ways to improve the area andwould be pleased to hear from anyone withideas on this.

The New Elgin Tenants' Forum meets in theCottar Hoose and is always looking fornew members with new ideas. If youwould like to join the forum or if you wantto put forward any ideas please contacteither:

Muriel Ettles, Chairperson 01343 545394 or

Gayle Henderson, Secretary 01343 552891

RothesTenants’ ForumRothes Tenants’ Forum is always looking fornew members. The Forum meets every 4/5weeks in the Grant Hall at 7pm. All Rothestenants are welcome to attend.

For more information please contact:

Audrey Murray, Chairperson01340 831703

Spey CoastTenants' ForumThe Spey Coast Forum is always looking toattract new members, who will be madevery welcome if they want to join. TheSpey Coast Forum meets in Buckie HighSchool at 7.30pm on the last Thursday ofeach month.

For more information please contact:

Gilbert Grant, Chairperson 01542 839528

Other areasIf you would like to know more about howyou can influence housing services, butthere is not a forum in your area, pleasecontact:

Fiona Geddes, Policy Officer01343 563588

[email protected]


�


Housing Performa

REPAIRS

At the end of September 2007, rent arrears for houseand garage rents was 4.05% of net rent receivable,against a target of 3.2%. Although not meeting ourtarget, we continue to perform well in comparisonwith other councils. As with Quarter 1 performance,the level of arrears has been affected by the timing ofdirect debits. If these were discounted, performancewould equate to 3.7%. Housing staff continue toimplement the new Rent Arrears Policy and Procedureto meet the target.

At the end of the second quarter of thefinancial year 2007/2008, the percentage ofrent lost due to empty properties was 0.36%.The target for 2007/2008 is 0.45%. Wecontinue to perform extremely well incomparison with other councils in Scotland.

We continue to improve our performance on repairs,showing a marked improvement on the number ofrepairs completed within target time-scales:

Emergency – within 2 hours Urgent – within 1 working dayPriority – within 5 working daysOrdinary – within 20 working days

8.00%

7.00%

6.00%

5.00%

4.00%

3.00%

2.00%

1.00%

0.00%

2006/2007 Q1 (Apr - Jun 2007) Q2 (Jul - Sep 2007)

2006/2007 Q1 (Apr - Jun 2007) Q2 (Jul - Sep 2007)

VOIDS

ARREARS

100.0%

90.0%

80.0%

70.0%

60.0%

50.0%

40.0%

30.0%

20.0%

10.0%

0.00%

1.80%

1.60%

1.40%

1.20%

1.00%

0.80%

0.60%

0.40%

0.20%

0.00%

2006/2007 Q1 (Apr - Jun 2007) Q2 (Jul - Sep 2007)

Moray CouncilScotland

Moray CouncilScotlandMoray Council Target

Moray CouncilScotlandMoray Council Target


REPAIRS

If we have carried out a repair on yourproperty you may have received afollow-up questionnaire. The results ofreturned questionnaires are shownright. On average during Quarter 2,95% of the tenants who respondedwere satisfied with the service theyreceived. However only 13% of thequestionnaires were returned. If youreceive one, please do return it as wevalue your opinion.

We have a formal complaints procedure and weaim to make sure that we reply to complaintswithin 20 working days. As shown opposite, wehave continued to improveour response ratesthroughout the year. InQuarter 2 of 2007/2008,100% of complaintsreceived their response ontime. The Housing Serviceaims to continue to achievethis performance and meettimescales in 100% of allcases in 2007/2008.

COMPLAINTS

% complaints replied to within target timescale of 20 working days

nce 2007/2008

100.0%

90.0%

80.0%

70.0%

60.0%

50.0%

40.0%

30.0%

20.0%

10.0%

0.0%

% Repair carried out to tenant’s satisfaction

% Repair carried out in a competent,friendly and helpful manner

100.00%

90.00%

80.00%

70.00%

60.00%

50.00%

40.00%

30.00%

20.00%

10.00%

0.00%

2006/2007 Q1 (Apr - Jun 2007) Q2 (Jul - Sep 2007)

2006/2007 Q1 (Apr - Jun 2007) Q2 (Jul - Sep 2007)


The Housing Sub Committee

The Moray Council has taken the boldstep of introducing a Housing Sub

Committee with 6 tenant representativeson it. The tenant representatives are onefrom each area forum. The Councillorrepresentatives are made up of 5 from theAdministration, 3 SNP and 1 Labour. A listof Committee members is contained in thebox below. Tenant representatives arenominated from their area forums and willreport back to them.

Housing Sub Committee members

The purpose of the Committee is primarily to dealwith the Council’s landlord role. So most of thediscussion will focus on how we manage, maintainand improve your homes. The Housing SubCommittee has powers to agree certain matters butin other instances, it can make representation to thePolicy Committee. A list of the functions is below.

Summary of the Housing Sub CommitteeFunctions

1. To agree the terms of draft housing policies forwider consideration with tenants.

2. To agree housing policy in relation to theCouncil's landlord role.

3. To monitor performance of housing landlordservices, including tenant satisfaction.

4. To monitor performance on housing investmentprogrammes and the attainment of the ScottishHousing Quality Standard in the Council'shousing stock.

5. To develop the Council's Tenant ParticipationStrategy, and monitor performance in relation tomilestones and targets.

6. To agree responses to consultation papersrelating to the Council's landlord role.

7. To comment to the Policy Committee on drafthousing strategies.

8. To Comment to the Policy Committee onHousing Revenue Account budgetaryperformance and proposals

9. To comment to the Policy Committee onconsultation papers relating to the Council'swider housing role.

The first Committee meeting took place on 7November 2007 and received a presentation onthe Tenant Survey from the consultants. Othermatters it considered included kitchen programmingand decoration and the Housing Revenue AccountBudget.

Housing Sub Committee meetings are open to thepublic. Like all other Council committee reports, theSub Committee reports and meeting minutes will beavailable on the Council’s website atwww.moray.gov.uk/minutes/listdocs.html

The arrangements mean that tenants are situated atthe heart of the decision making process about yourhomes and how they are managed. We wouldencourage anybody who wants to influence how weprovide housing and related services to join theirlocal area forum. For contact details for eachforum, please see the article on forum news.

www.moray.gov.uk

Councillors

Eric McGillivray(Chairman)Gary Coull

Stewart CreeBarry Jarvis

Graham LeadbitterAnita McDonald

Joe MackayRon Shepherd

Iain Young

Ms Heather AndersonMr Steven ChristieMs Muriel Ettles

Mr Charles FrenchMs Elaine Martin

Mrs Audrey Murray

Tenantrepresentatives


The Council introduced a revised Allocations Policy inApril 2005. Since then, the Council has consideredtwo reports on the operation of the policy.

The most recent report considered the operation ofthe policy for the period April 2006 until March2007. This indicated that of 364 allocations ofcouncil housing carried out, 83.2% were to waitinglist applicants (those not currently in a counciltenancy) and 16.8% were to transfer list applicants(those in an existing council tenancy).

The number of council houses becoming availablefor let in 2006/07 was slightly less than in theprevious year. There was also an increase from theprevious year in the number of houses allocated towaiting list applicants with more than 500 points.

The detailed analysis is available on the Council’swebsite (www.moray.gov.uk/minutes/data/PH20070829A00.htm)– what it does reinforce is that there is a shortage ofaffordable rented accommodation in Moray, as therewere 2,374 applicants on the waiting list in April2007 and 456 applicants on the transfer list.

The Council agreed to make an immediate changeto the Allocations Policy. When an applicant wasprepared to accept a smaller house than required,any overcrowding points were reduced to reflect this.As there is an acute shortage of larger councilhouses, due to the impact of Right to Buy, applicantswho are willing to accept a smaller house will nolonger lose overcrowding points.

The Council also agreed that a number of aspects ofthe current policy should be reviewed. This work isstill at an early stage but may result in proposals toamend the current policy. If this is the case, theCouncil will consult with applicants and tenants onany changes proposed.

Allocations PolicyReview

Allocations for 2006/07

168 157

1 38

1 bed or less2 beds3 beds4 beds

Cllr Michael J McConachie Cllr Fiona J Murdoch Cllr Pearl B PaulSNP Independent SNP

WARD 1 SPEYSIDE GLENLIVET

Cllr Gary S Coull Cllr Stewart Cree Cllr Ronald H ShepherdSNP Independent Independent

WARD 2 KEITH AND CULLEN

Cllr Joe Mackay Cllr Gordon McDonald Cllr Anne C McKayIndependent SNP Independent

WARD 3 BUCKIE

Cllr Anita D McDonald Cllr George McIntyre Cllr Douglas G RossSNP Independent Scottish Conservatives

WARD 4 FOCHABERS LHANBRYDE

Cllr John C Hogg Cllr Eric M McGillivray Cllr David C Stewart Cllr Allan G WrightIndependent Independent SNP Scottish Conservatives

WARD 5 HELDON AND LAICH

Cllr Barry Jarvis Cllr John G Russell Cllr Mike ShandScottish Labour Party Independent SNP

WARD 6 ELGIN CITY NORTH

Cllr Alastair Bisset Cllr John A Divers Cllr Graham LeadbitterIndependent Scottish Labour Party SNP

WARD 7 ELGIN CITY SOUTH

Cllr Lee A Bell Cllr Jeff Hamilton Cllr Irene Ogilvie Cllr Iain YoungIndependent Independent SNP Scottish Conservatives

WARD 8 FORRES

Elected Members


In the summer 2007 edition of theTenants’ Voice, we asked you to show off yourachievements in the garden. Congratulations and thank you to all of you whoentered. As always, the standard was very high. Even though this year was not thebest weather for gardening, you did not let the weather dampen your enthusiasmfor your blooms, baskets and borders.

This year our judges were from Threaplands Ltd in Lhanbryde. Judging took placeon Thursday 26 and Friday 27 July 2007. Here are our winners.

BUCKIEFirst place Mr & Mrs G Stephen 2 Stuart Place, PortknockieSecond place Mr James Runcie 26 Admiralty Street, PortknockieThird place Mr Andrew Boylan 144 Milton Drive, Buckie

ELGINFirst place Mr Bob Martin 53 Kingsmills, ElginSecond place Mr & Mrs P Whyte 6 Calcots Court, South Lesmurdie, ElginThird place Mrs Sheila Hay 24 Glen Moray, Drive, Elgin

FORRESFirst place Mrs Elizabeth McKay 27 Shieldaig Road, ForresSecond place Mr Brian Ritchie 12 Fleurs Road, ForresThird place Mr Alexander McDonald 15 Leys Road, Forres

LOSSIEMOUTHFirst place Mr Peter Stewart 1 Macduff Street, Lossiemouth

KEITHFirst place Mrs Josephin Mitchell 104 Fife Street, KeithSecond place Mr Alexander Oag 4 Den Crescent, Keith

Special to our overall winners

There are many beautiful gardens in Moray.So if you did not enter the competition this year why not enter next year?

Look out for more information in next year’s Tenants’ Voice.

2007BEST KEPT GARDEN COMPETITION RESULTS

Representing the East of Moray(Buckie and Keith) are

Mr & Mrs G Stephen,2 Stuart Place, Portknockie.

Representing the West of Moray(Elgin and Forres) isMr Bob Martin,53 Kingsmills, Elgin.

CONGRATULATIONS


On 1 February 2007 we started sending outquestionnaires to our new tenants. New

tenants should receive a questionnaire a few weeksafter they have moved in. If your tenancy startedafter 1 February 2007 you may remember receivinga questionnaire like this.

We want to hear what new tenants think about theirnew home, their new neighbourhood and what theythink about how weallocate houses. Also,returned questionnairesare entered into anannual free prize drawto win £50 in vouchers.

We have a winner!Miss Elaine Royfrom Keith has wonthis years draw.

Pictured belowpresenting Elainewith her vouchers are Councillor McGillivray,watched by Tracey McKie, Area Housing Officer(Keith).

The results of this survey will be used to monitor andimprove our services to you and future tenants, andto make sure that we are providing the best service

possible. Questionnaires we havereceived so far show that new tenants aregenerally quite happy with their newhome, but some have concerns aboutthe internal decoration and some are notconfident about how to use their centralheating system. If you need adviceabout how to use your central heatingsystem please contact your AreaHousing Team. The phone numbers areon Page 1.

The Government estimates that Welfare BenefitFraud costs each and every family in the UnitedKingdom £80 per year. The Moray Council is committed to protectingpublic funds and tackling benefit fraud and has a dedicated anti-fraud team whoinvestigate allegations of suspected Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit fraud.

Typical examples of benefit fraud include:� People who work but do not declare this when they claim benefit � People who claim from an address but do not live there

� People who claim they are single but actually live with a partner � People who do not tell us their full income, savings or capital

DO NOT LET FRAUDSTERS TAKE MONEY DIRECTLY OUT OF POCKET.

If you suspect someone is claiming Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Benefit to which they are not entitled

PLEASE TELL US ABOUT IT.You can call us on 01343 563611 or

write to the Benefit Fraud Team, Moray Council, Revenues Section, High Street, Elgin, IV30 1BX.Any information you give will be treated in the strictest confidence.

YOUR

New Tenant Survey Prize Draw

WINNER


Produced by The Moray Council Printing Services • 2007 • 28463

Your old

Your present to the environment this year - RECYCLE YOUR TREEPlease take it to:

TEAM (Wood Recycling Training Project),Unit 9 Chanonry Spur Industrial Estate Elgin

One of The Moray Council Recycling Centres at:-• Moycroft, Elgin;• Waterford Road, Forres;• Dallachy, Spey Bay;• Balloch Road, Keith;• Gollachy, Golf View Road,

Buckie.

For further information please contact telephone no:

01343 557045

OR

CHRISTMAS TREE

Environmental Services Waste Management ServiceCHRISTMAS & NEW YEAR ARRANGEMENTS2007/08

Please note the following arrangements

REFUSE COLLECTIONDate To be Collected on Collection Time Bin Colour

Tuesday 18 December 2007 Tuesday 18 December 2007 Green Bin Tuesday 25 December 2007 Saturday 29 December 2007 Green Bin

Tuesday 1 January 2008 Tuesday 8 January 2008 Green Bin Wednesday 19 December 2007 Wednesday 19 December 2007 Green BinWednesday 26 December 2007 Saturday 5 January 2008 Green Bin

Wednesday 2 January 2008 Saturday 5 January 2008 Green Bin

There will be no brown bin collection from 17 December 2007 to 18 January 2008

Special Collections: The Special Collection line will close on Friday 21 December 2007 at 4pm and will re-openon Thursday 3 January 2008 at 9am.

OTHER SERVICESDisposal at Landfill Sites, All facilities will be closed on Tuesday 25 and Wednesday 26 December 2007,Civic Amenity Sites and Tuesday 1 and Wednesday 2 January 2008Recycling Centres

Public Conveniences All facilities will be closed on Tuesday 25 and Wednesday 26 December 2007,Tuesday 1 and Wednesday 2 January 2008

Your collection will be earlier than

normal - please putyour bin out by 7:30am

Documents

Tenant Survey 2007 1 Rent Increase Consultation 2 Reduce