Victory for Affinity Sutton residents (From Borehamwood Times)

Victory for Affinity Sutton residents

2:20pm Monday 24th September 2012 in News By Anna Slater

A victory has been won by housing association tenants who will no longer have to pay a “pointless” surcharge.

Residents in Oak Farm, Arundel Drive, were left feeling scammed after a weekly £10.72 fee was added to their bills to pay for services that should be available for free.

But the housing association now seems to have made a u-turn on their initial decision that the charges would stay and has promised to cancel the payments.

David Burcombe, a resident at Oak Farm, spent months campaigning for the fee to be lifted and was delighted with the news.

The 70-year-old said: “It is a victory and I am so thrilled we have won our fight, we were not going to let them get away with this.

“Everyone living here is so happy that the charges will soon no longer apply, but we do not know if we will be reimbursed for what we have already paid.

“I am baffled as to how it took so long for them to come around as well.

“Either way, this is great news.”

The money was supposed to pay for the cost of a repairs manager, help with tenancy issues and tourism advice – services which are available for free from various charities.

Mr Burcombe’s initial attempts to convince the housing association to waive the charges were met with resistance.

He then started a petition, signed by 27 of the 32 residents in Oak Farm, in the hopes of persuading Affinity Sutton to change its mind.

The tenants found out the good news after Councillor Sandra Parnell contacted Affinity Sutton to back their campaign.

She said: “I am absolutely delighted, I am thrilled they have listened to us and we could not ask for more than that.

“They did not want this in the first place and were never consulted, so this is a fantastic result.”

The Borehamwood and Elstree Times is awaiting a statement from Affinity Sutton.