MEMBERS of Parliament and councillors have been working with residents at a housing association’s properties to find solutions after costs soar.

Residents at Stonewater Ltd properties across the conurbation have seen huge increases to bills, including some charges increasing by over 500 per cent, with some residents’ total bills going up by more than £100 a week.

After a meeting held with Conor Burns MP at Williams Court in Westbourne on Friday, March 10, residents had a meeting with Stonewater on Zoom on Tuesday, March 21, to discuss the increases.

Bournemouth Echo:

Stonewater has said it will work with residents on an individual basis, allowing them to set up payment plans so no one is evicted.

Dennis O’Mahoney, a resident at Harbour Court, Poole, said the price increases were the latest in a series of issues residents have had with the company.

Stephen Tallamy, who lives at Tanglewood Lodge, Poole, said residents have been left frustrated with the communication with the company.

“We’re all still trying but we’re so frustrated at the slow speed that things are happening,” he said.

“It’s frustration building up on top of the anger and the frustration we’ve already got because we don’t know what’s going on.”

Christine Wood, a resident at Warren Court in Bournemouth, said she is willing to take Stonewater to court over these price rises.

“I’m still pursuing it, I won’t let it go,” she said.

Member of Parliament for Poole, Sir Robert Syms, said he would take it up in Parliament.

“What I’m going to have to do is have a discussion with my colleagues to see if we can move this on, or maybe talk to the housing minister to see whether or not there can be any kind of intervention because it is a large increase which they’re facing,” he said.

Bournemouth Echo:

BCP Council leader, Cllr Phil Broadhead, said the levels of proposed rises were “unbelievable”.

“Upon being made aware of these astronomical amounts, we’ve been liaising directly with Stonewater – alongside a number of our local MPs – to demand action and see what can be done to protect the residents involved, many of whom are very vulnerable,” Cllr Broadhead said.

“I have a meeting directly with the CEO of Stonewater this week, where we will be pressing them to come up with a pragmatic solution to solve this issue – which is obviously completely unacceptable.”