Severn Vale Housing Society

FROM SEVERN VALE HOUSING SOCIETY

TUESDAY 24TH JULY 2007

Due to the unprecedented floods in the Gloucestershire area Severn Vale housing is keen to give our customers advice about how we propose to respond to our customers needs and what service we can provide in the current situation.

• We are currently collating all the information we have about the severity of flooding in the areas where we operate.
• We are working to identify the areas that are in the greatest need and then
• We will prioritise the work to the most affected places.
• We will be issuing a list of the most affected areas and we ask anyone whose area is not listed to help us update our information.
• We will provide this information via our website www.svhs.org.uk but we realise that many people do not currently have internet access.
• Our main switchboard number is 01684 272727 and our staff will be provided with the most up to date information.
• However in order to avoid jamming our switchboard we do ask our customers to co-operate with their neighbours and appoint a spokesperson to call us and then relay the information to others.
• We will also be issuing information to each of our tenants associations. They will be able to keep our customers up to date about matters in their local area.
• We would be grateful to our residents to try and co-ordinate information on a street by street basis so that we have certain points of contact for each one.

Water

If householders are without water there is a list that we have from Severn Trent water which gives the location of all water bowsers (small mobile water containers) and water distribution points. This is updated on a regular basis. For the latest information you can call Severn Trent on 0800 783 4444 or if you have internet access visit http://www.stwater.co.uk/ to find a list of access to water supplies.

Householders are warned not to use flood water as it may be contaminated.

Electricity

We are in touch with the electricity companies to monitor the current situation. Where supplies have been cut off we will do our best to let people know when their power is likely to be restored.

Flood water

As so many households around the county have been affected it will be some time before we can carry out repair work to all the Severn Vale homes that have been damaged by flood water. We sympathise with the plight of our customers and offer them our thanks in understanding the current situation. We ask them to continue to be patient. We will be sending out inspectors to make assessments once areas can be accessed. The official insurance assessor will be visiting the area on Wednesday so we can begin the mop up operation. Many parts of Tewkesbury are still under water and until it is safe we must wait for the floods to recede before commencing repairs.

Customers are reminded that we are only responsible for the fabric of the buildings. We will be unable to help with contents and if customers have contents insurance they should contact their provider in the first instance.