Aged residents at a retirement complicated in Kent have been threatened with fines by “Scrooge” housing affiliation bosses who’re refusing to allow them to put up Christmas decorations.
Hyde Housing, which runs Joseph Conrad Home in Canterbury, ordered its residents to take down wreaths from doorways and bushes from communal areas or face £120 fees to take away them.
Residents mentioned they needed to make the complicated extra festive however Hyde informed them the decorations posed a hearth hazard and will put folks in danger.
David Geoghegan, 69, mentioned he and others have been upset by “aggressive” letters Hyde despatched out to residents and claimed that bosses have been performing “performing just like the Gestapo”.
He informed KentOnline: “Residents have been speaking about how upsetting the letters have been, and plenty of us felt it was uncalled for and heavy-handed techniques.
“It’s Christmas and there’s no goodwill in it. The specter of sending folks to take away Christmas bushes and wreaths – we don’t want that, and we’re actually upset.”
He added: “I can’t see how a wreath is a hearth hazard as a result of tens of millions of individuals have them.”
Rosie Duffield, Labour MP for Canterbury, agreed and wrote on Twitter: “This appears completely ‘bah humbug’ Hyde Housing!
“I’ve had a wreath on my entrance door in a block of flats for a number of Christmasses and I guarantee you that it’s by no means as soon as spontaneously combusted. Please enable residents some Christmas cheer in these bleak instances.”
Audrey Williamson, head of housing for Hyde, mentioned it was the affiliation’s coverage to not enable residents to place up Christmas decorations.
She mentioned they pose a threat to security, including that the protection of residents is Hyde’s “utmost precedence”.
She mentioned: “We’re sorry however we will’t enable our residents at Joseph Conrad Home to place up Christmas decorations within the communal areas of their constructing, resulting from hearth security rules,” she mentioned.
“We all know many residents have been wanting ahead to creating issues festive after a tough 12 months, however we’ve obtained to verify everybody’s secure, and hold to the most recent hearth security rules.
“Sadly this consists of door wreaths, as some may be extremely flamable.”
She added: “Whereas we will’t enable Christmas decorations in most communal areas, we’re nonetheless placing up decorations in designated secure areas, together with the lounge at Joseph Conrad Home.
“The £120 was an estimated quantity if Hyde was required to take away any of the gadgets which current a threat to everybody’s security.”
Kaynak: briturkish.com
