Brooke House lifts damaged

4:00pm Saturday 9th February 2013 in Echo News By Luke Lambert

Brooke House Brooke House

A COUNCIL has vowed to take action again thugs who continue to target a troubled tower block.

For the 11th time in a year, contractors have been called in to repair lifts at Brooke House in Basildon town centre. In the latest incident, contractor Liftec had to shut down one of the two lifts because of dents in the doors on different floors, which meant they could not shut properly.

This is the latest in a long line of vandalism at Brooke House and Basildon Council estimates 70 per cent of maintenance call-outs are caused by vandals.

Phil Turner, deputy council leader and councillor for housing and landlord services, said: "It is estimated that around 70 per cent of the maintenance call outs about the lift breaking down are due to vandalism and this is not acceptable.

"The costs the council is having to bear is not acceptable and I am demanding that the tenants who are causing this damage and making the lives of their neighbours a misery be caught.

Phil Rackley, ward councillor, said: “The council is trying to do everything it can but there seems to be an element that is causing disruption. Fixing the lift is a long old job and I hope this doesn’t delay everything.”

Comments(16)

Cosmo Spring says...
5:22pm Sat 9 Feb 13

the quicker they turn it into a hotel the better

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Carnabackable says...
7:16pm Sat 9 Feb 13

Let 'em use the stairs, lifts are for hotels....

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asbo. just the truth says...
7:30pm Sat 9 Feb 13

the residents must prefer the stairs otherwise they wouldn't keep vandalising the lifts.

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Devils Advocate says...
11:58pm Sat 9 Feb 13

asbo. just the truth wrote:
the residents must prefer the stairs otherwise they wouldn't keep vandalising the lifts.
You have some evidence that it is all of the residents? why are you picking on the whole block for the sake of a few brain-dead? That is like saying all Southend cyclists should have their bikes seized because one cyclist knocked down that poor lass last week!

I hope she is recovering OK of course.

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norfolkbroad says...
8:45am Sun 10 Feb 13

And spare a thought for those residents who aren't able to use the stairs! They become totally housebound when something like this happens... hope they catch the vandals ASAP

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Nebs says...
8:59am Sun 10 Feb 13

Get a concierge.

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Druggie Scumbag says...
9:23am Sun 10 Feb 13

It may be that that it is naughty boys and girls committing criminal acts who damage the lifts to delay any police arrival (not that police attendance is likely to be speedy in any event). If that is the case it should be a simple matter of removing the criminal element from the flats and all will be well.

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Biker One says...
10:26am Sun 10 Feb 13

Knock the poxy thing down!! How long before the stupid stilts it sits on decay and it falls over anyway?

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asbo. just the truth says...
5:19pm Sun 10 Feb 13

Devils Advocate wrote:
asbo. just the truth wrote:
the residents must prefer the stairs otherwise they wouldn't keep vandalising the lifts.
You have some evidence that it is all of the residents? why are you picking on the whole block for the sake of a few brain-dead? That is like saying all Southend cyclists should have their bikes seized because one cyclist knocked down that poor lass last week!

I hope she is recovering OK of course.
sorry that's life. there are always a few monkeys who ruin it for everyone else. the solution is to ensure there are no monkeys in your group and if there are expel them.

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boyracer21 says...
5:32pm Sun 10 Feb 13

This tower block should come down. It needs to be turned into something better. Its been there for about 50 years, and the place is an absolute dump. It needs to come down and something else needs to be built there. New luxury flats would be good, but prefrably a block of offices as it would create more jobs in the Basildon area which is currently needed for alot of people. Is this part of the Basildon regeneration plan to knock down Brooke house?

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Devils Advocate says...
8:10pm Sun 10 Feb 13

boyracer21 wrote:
This tower block should come down. It needs to be turned into something better. Its been there for about 50 years, and the place is an absolute dump. It needs to come down and something else needs to be built there. New luxury flats would be good, but prefrably a block of offices as it would create more jobs in the Basildon area which is currently needed for alot of people. Is this part of the Basildon regeneration plan to knock down Brooke house?
When this was built, it was a prestige block on a prestige site in a prestige town. The tenants were made up of "onward and upward" people and there was a long waiting list for the chance to live there. If it gets pulled down in the regeneration, what do you imagine would be in its place? More charity/ pound shops? perhaps some nice "estate agents"
There are many empty shops in this town now, yet look back to the 1960's and it was a thriving dynamic town, with free parking and a great deal of choice. I wonder exactly what spoilt that?

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Cosmo Spring says...
11:00am Mon 11 Feb 13

Is this part of the Basildon regeneration plan to knock down Brooke house?


it is a grade II ( I believe) listed building so cannot be demolished.


Unless the Laindon Hotel gambit is put into operation.....

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Devils Advocate says...
5:56pm Fri 15 Feb 13

I strolled past Brooke house today and noticed that the nearest lift, which is closed down, is in the process of being re-roped. Perhaps the damage to the doors is actually timely. New, more vandal proof doors, a modern PLC controlled collect system with intelligent speed control, cameras in the cars (recording passenger behaviour) and perhaps evicting tenants who abuse the lifts may lead to a more reliable, more sturdy system. If the control system is as old as the building then it is way overdue for renewal. Plus, a recording camera in the foyer could pin point some of the unauthorised "visitors" to this building.

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grimmy18 says...
11:45pm Sun 17 Feb 13

knock it down its full of druggies and trust me i know as im one the younger ones around the town

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Devils Advocate says...
1:42pm Mon 18 Feb 13

I was told by a shopkeeper in the town that the police last week raided at least three flats and removed some nice green plants from each!

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brooke80 says...
6:08pm Wed 27 Feb 13

I heard that there was a stabbing a while back also it's a druggies haven. pull it down its had its day,the structure is'nt good for the amount of activity it has.it's like living in a drum.used to be lovely now totally dread the place.

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