Pat, from the Customer Services department of the Holborn District Housing Office, has given SHTA a donation towards our plans for a green pathway.

The front entrance of Somerton House will be bedecked with plants and flowers along the length of the path thanks to a £100 donation from Camden Council. We’ll be purchasing our plant-life from Camden Garden Centre, to ensure that the money stays local and independent. The Camden Garden Centre works as a community garden centre, and helps vulnerable residents in Camden.

John, secretary, is sourcing suitable hard wood planters, and we will discuss funding these at our next meeting.

Simon, chair, has also arranged for Camden Council to eventually remove the builder’s debris from the fire safety works taken out over a year ago, along with the other accumulated items. Dilip Shah, from Camden’s caretaking services, called Simon yesterday to say it would go, and less than 24 hours later it has!

Following the tragic fire in a block of flats in Camberwell, SHTA has some useful advice for residents in Somerton House.

If there is a fire, dial 999 and ask for the Fire Brigade. Leave the building immediately. Do not use the lift.

There are two fire exits, one at each end of the building. If you can’t use your nearest fire exit, make your way to the other fire exit.

Do not use the lift. Lift shafts behave as a chimney, and can become smoke-filled. If you are trapped return to your home and dial 999 to make your presence known to the emergency services.

The best way to get away from the fire will be to the ground floor. The Fire Brigade will check the emergency staircases as far as they can. Being below the fire is important. Every fire is different, make sure that you have planned more than one way out of the building.

The fire meeting point for anyone in Somerton House is by the Church gate opposite the entrance.

SHTA Continues to attempt to bring the fire safety of Somerton House to the attention of Camden Council, as it has since 2006. Please write to or contact our Camden ward Councillors – details on the notice board – to help voice your concerns over the lack of fire protection to our risers – whcih would act as chimneys in the event of a fire – just as the lift shaft would.

The two outside lamps on the lower ground floor, by the sheds and hard parking area have not been working for some months leaving the area dark and unlit at night.

New bulbs have been fitted and they remain unlit, there may be a problem with a time clock, or it may be with the supply, being that they are located on the Hotel’s level, and partly under their supervison and maintainace, we have asked the Caretaking Supervisor to investgate and reported the problem to both repairs and the housing office.

Update 26/09/07: The fault has been identifed as within the Hotels responsibility and representatives from Camden will take the matter up with the Hotel.

Update 11/10/07: The Council Patch Manager is aware and after a walk around the building agreed to install temporary lighting until a soulution is found.

Update 08/02/08: Still waiting for the lights to be put fitted, no responce from Camden Council.

Update 10/04/08: No contact or responce from LBC Camden, yet the Hotel lights have been replaced.

Update 13/02/09: No contact or responce from LBC Camden Council.

Update 13/02/09: The committee has asked LB Camden for and gained, a new security door for Somerton House, the door is to be fitted at the end of the entrance corridor to give maximum space and protection to residents entering / exiting SH. To be fitted 26/02/09

The gate at the end of the pathway has had it’s lock re-fitted by the TRA following several injuries. When the low-level lighting was removed as part of the Costa Coffee refurbishment, we were left somewhat in the dark. The ramp is much safer.

You will have noticed that a hole has appeared in the fence to Costa Coffee. This is apparently so that disabled people can use our ramp to access the coffee outlets’ outside decking area only and not the counter. Full ramp access is available within the Hotel / Costa Coffee building with no steps to the counter and to seating, complying with DDA access. Hotel Guests are using the short cut through the gap in the fence as a main route with luggage in tow and there is much more human traffic of Non Residents of Somerton House blocking the pathway.

Update 22/10/07: After a positive informal meeting between the TA and the General Manager of the Hotel, it was agreed by the GM Mr Steven Luck that the gap was inappropriate and would be replaced in the January programe of works at the Hotel.

Update 08/02/08: No movement yet.

Update 10/04/08: SHTA has emailed the Hotel General Manager.

Update 14/04/08: Email recieved from Hotel GM stating repairs are not finalised  and yet to be costed.

Update 10/02/09: Premier Inn have repaired the gap in the dividing fence with Costa coffee.

Update 27/02/09: Meeting agreed with Gerald Eve, Hotel GM,  Councillor Simpson and SHTA, date to be set.

Update 27/03/09: Date set and agreed for meeting, Wednesday 1st April 2009, 6pm at the Premier Inn Euston.

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We have also been in conversation with Camden Council and the Hotel regarding the umbrellas from Costa Coffee obscuring the sign to Somerton House – especially more now the background is red.This is causing problems with delivery drivers, postmen and callers to our address. Hopefully a solution will follow.

Update 22/10/07: The GM of the Hotel has given permission for the sign to be moved, we are now waiting for Camden Council to move it to the right of the entrance.

Update 08/02/08: Still waiting for the sign to be moved or a light to be fitted above.

Update 10/04/08: Walkabout being arranged with the Patch Manager Dilp Shah, the Somerton House sign remains to have been moved, and delivery problems continue, now even EPS can’t find the building beacuse the sign is obscured.

Update 10/04/08: SHTA has emailed the Hotel General Manager.

Update 14/04/08: Email recieved from Hotel GM stating to relocate the sign should not be a problem.

Update 10/02/09: Premier Inn have repaired the gap in the dividing fence with Costa coffee.

Update 13/02/09: The committee has asked LB Camden for and gained, a new security door for Somerton House, the door is to be fitted at the end of the entrance corridor to give maximum space and protection to residents entering / exiting SH. To be fitted 26/02/09

Update 13/02/09: Premier Inn have commissioned and paid for a new sign for Somerton House – but have not got the equipment to fit it. The committee have asked BAM construction who are working locally at the EGA / Unison Site if they could help fix it to the wall.

Update 27/02/09: Entrance door fitted with new door entry/exit system.

For No Apparent Reason has provided the site at shta.co.uk for the Tenants and Residents of Somerton House. The aim is to give a more structured voice to the members of the TA and to enable the TA to report on their activities. FNAR are designing the site to work alongside the old fashioned meetings, the TA themselves will report on the status of them.

As you see, the first part of the site is up and running – that is this area, where the TA can post news. The second part of the site will come online shortly, and will give you, the residents, a chance to post your comments or views on anything you like. There will be areas about the building you live in, and a general area where you can add anything you find interesting or want to share. If you have suggestions for something the site should be doing or something it could be doing better, please do share it with the TA at shta@shta.co.uk and they will see what they can do.

FNAR has done a fair amount of research into how other Tenant’s Associations run their affairs, and this is the first site of this specific kind, which allows you to input into the site too.  It will evolve as time goes on, I’m sure, and FNAR is here purely in a development capacity should it need any major work.

Look out for a link to the forum appearing soon at the top of the page.