The Hackney branch of the community union Acorn has won its campaign for accessibility improvements on a social housing block in Frampton Park Estate, which has experienced years of neglect.
Hackney Council have informed the Frampton Park Residents Association they are planning on a new scheme for accessibility improvements in the six-story block, Exbury House.
The plan includes a new ramp and bringing forward lift repairs to next year. The renovations were announced following Acorn’s summer campaign for improvements of the housing block.
Acorn organised marches across the borough in June and disrupted council meetings in September.
This action led to the council submitting planning permission for a new maintenance service starting in 2025 to support the new ramp and replace broken lifts and lighting.
VICTORY 📢📢📢 After our campaign over the summer, Hackney Council have agreed to some of our members’ key demands for Exbury House. pic.twitter.com/HJyJwwWM1N
— ACORN Hackney (@AcornHackney) October 28, 2024
Exbury House currently does not have any wheelchair access, despite being home to many elderly and disabled residents who are forced to take the stairs when the lifts are broken.
Residents of Exbury House have also experienced issues with broken lighting not being fixed and damp and mould in their flats.
Fredi Gentz, Acorn Hackney’s branch organiser, said the campaign lasted many months, which started with door knocking, housing meetings and sending letters to the council.
This led to a group march on Hackney Town Hall in June. The council responded with minor adjustments, which the union felt were not enough, so they acted again in September by “disrupting the full council meeting”.
During door knocking, Acorn spoke to angry residents who felt they were neglected and isolated by the council.
Cllr Clayeon McKenzie, Cabinet member for Housing Services and Resident Participation, told Eastlondonlines the council is fully aware of the issues raised by the residents on the Frampton Park estate and are working hard to remedy their concerns so all the families have “a secure and warm place to call home”.
“We are also in the process of carrying out a rolling programme to survey the condition of all of the Council’s homes over the next three years. The surveys will include a full internal and external inspection to see what work needs to be done on the blocks,” McKenzie said.
Back in June, during the march, a resident of Exbury House, Lorraine Smith, told Hackney Citizen the lack of council input in the estate had left “residents to feel frustrated, angry, and let down by Hackney Council for letting us continue to live in filthy, unmanaged, and neglected areas of the building.”
Gentz hopes their win will build the relationship with the council and residents, and the union will keep pushing with further improvements of the estate.
