Brighton and Hove City Council and Mears Group: A Perfect Partnership

This is the handiwork and Council house maintenance work of Mears. I took these photos recently.

Let me know what you think of their work.

A woman I know was recently moved here by the Council...


Nice touch! Welcome to your new home, with kind regards from Mears Group!

Sorry the place is a dive, because, frankly we couldn't be arsed with it but enjoy a cup of tea in one of our mugs!

Also, here's a brown paper bag in case you vomit once you realise how much money we're making out of this business! Crap decorating, great mugs! Or are the real mugs the poor people who have to live in accommodation maintained by Mears and the people of Brighton and Hove whose Council tax money is going to these cowboys?


Damp extraction?  What, even the weekend before she moves in? Yes! See, at Mears, they really care for their clients! Even though the company grosses huge profits annually, you get a good return because they are prepared to even extract damp out of walls before you move in! Days before!

Novel use for a Council wheelie bin...

'Did you say these guys also do Social Care?' I hear you cry.

Yes! Yes, I did!

See the attention to detail that the Mears boys go into to keep the customer satisfied!

Oh, but the customer isn't the tenant, no, its the Council, and they've already given the Mears the £200 million contract, so, actually, let's not bother with finishing the walls...

Lovely. A dream home. Or is that nightmare? Still, its only a council tenant so let's not bother to paint the walls or remove the existing wallpaper. Let's leave it somewhere in between!

She lives on a pittance on benefits so let her sort out the carpet and decorating. Maybe the local SVP will help.

Nice work, boys!

Sumptuous decorating. Interior decor that anyone would be proud of.

The Mears boys are well worth the local authority's massive expenditure.

What is that expenditure?

Wait for it...

It's £2 million a month! What a snip! These Mears boys are well worth the money! Great job!


Beautiful isn't it?

I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, 'When can I move in?'

Poor? Need accommodation in Brighton? Well, Brighton and Hove City Council have just the place for you, all courtesy of Mears, the firm that just loves to give back to the community...unless you're poor, that is. "Oh well, they're only poor, eh? Nobody's interested in what the houses of poor people look like anyway...right?"


Two tone floor-boards? Something old, something new. Like it!

Hmm...interesting. This is like 1970s British home mixed with a flavour of the Med. Or is it Moroccan-inspired?

Whatever it is, its fantastic!











Of course, this is an exception to the rule. Mears usually provide an exemplary service to the Council and their tenants. This is evidenced by video footage I took of the last place at which the occupier of this property lived. She had someone come round to examine it before she left. They told her that they suspected it had subsidence and that it could fall down any day. Still, that won't stop the Council moving someone in now that the previous tenant has been 'upgraded' to better accommodation, also maintained by Mears Group. 'Mears: Making people smile.'  That's their company motto!

I fear Mears will not be smiling when they see this video below and the images above...



Of course, the tenant could have decorated the last place herself with help from friends, or she could decorate the new place too, but, perhaps after having had five children taken into care by social services because she is 'drink dependent', maybe, at some point, she just lost the heart to decorate. And no, its not the same person that I talked with last night.

Five children, all removed by the State and taken into care. Now, that's what I call another victory for women's rights. Where are all the feminists when women really need them? Actually, where's The Argus when you really need them?

Comments

  1. what a disgusting waste of taxpayers money, want to see some more of mears work come to Burwash Road Hove BN3 8GP and view a flat that has 2 bedrooms and a bathroom with black mold on the ceilings and walls its an eye opener to see this be outside Burwash pharmacy at 12noon on monday 12th may 2012 at 12noon and you can see it for yourself and Brighton Council expect a family with 4 children to move into this health hazard.

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  2. Do please email me at eyeofaneedlebrighton@googlemail.com

    I cannot make that appointment myself but I may be able to talk to someone who can.

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  3. Brooke Packham19 July 2012 at 19:19

    whilst this is all fascinating - it just needs to be decorated - which the majority of people do on their own anyway and i believe that tenants actually have to decorate themselves as (im told) is stated in the tenancy? floor boards are designed to be covered in carpet, as long as its their why does it matter, it will be covered up with furniture mostly. Most houses have pipes near the ceiling - just one of those things! Ok I can't understand the bin myself but most of the stuff that you have complained about in this blog is the aesthetics - and the damp issue......so you're moaning that they are doing something to benefit the person who moves in by getting rid of damp? wow they sound awful! in my opinion majority of house owners have a worse deal - seeing as 8 times out of 10 there are major hidden STRUCTURAL problems they didnt know about when buying it, which could cost a small fortune yet ....... they just get on with it because that is life! it could be worse!

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  4. i agree with BRooke.
    its up to each tenant to decorate their homes. at least they have a roof over their heads.
    when i moved into my place i had to re-decorate.... we shouldnt have to do everything for tenants.
    as for the video all i saw which was needed was some filler and some plastering.

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  5. Mears group are a waste of time my sister has 3 children 2 with health issues and living in a flat with asbestos decaying asbestos at that and they don't want to do anything about it the point in in the whole block of flats is that bad when it rains the carpet gets wet still they don't want to rush all in all they are a wast of space and rude when you call them as someone said when your poor these people do not care

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  6. Have you reported it to Mears? I had similar problem gave them a call and they got it sorted - 0800 052 6140

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  7. Mears have been responsible for harassment in my life i cannot go into it as it is ongoing the family that mainly work there in brighton

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  8. Mears were paid by Lambeth Council for years to fix a leaking roof above my flat. The ingress of water caused damage to my furniture and carpets, Lambeth paid them for the work they claimed to have done, but the leaking continued until earlier this year when I got a solicitor involved - then, as if by magic, all the leaks were fixed. Even my MP, Kate Hoey, asked the Council why they kept on paying Mears when the 'work' was quite obviously not being done. The work involved the erection of scaffolding at least three times a year for ten years. If this isn't a case of 'corruption', I don't know what is. Both on the part of Mears and Lambeth. I cannot print my name as the matter is still in the hands of a solicitor demanding compensation from The London Borough of Lambeth.

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  9. Interesting that at least three have been suspended now, wonder what for!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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