HOUSING bosses are to look at whether Oxford’s estate managers are seen out enough following a rise in complaints.

The Labour-run council cut the managers responsible for areas such as Rose Hill from 12 to five last April.

Tenants say they have been left “bewildered” by the changes and complaints about the service have more than doubled.

The estate managers used to be a first port of call for concerns such as noise nuisance and repairs. But they now cover larger areas and deal only with tenancy agreements, reviews and rent issues.

Tenants have to contact issue-based teams at the council’s St Aldate’s offices.

Lib Dem Stuart McCready said tenants could not be sure of dealing with the same person twice in a row and some cases had stalled.

He added: “Tenants used to know who their estate manager was and could depend on a reply. Now tenants are faced with a more fragmented, and less effective, landlord service.”

Rose Hill Tenants and Residents’ Association secretary Peter Wilkinson said: “Those who are not really canny or able to work through the bureaucratic system are not getting work done. They are finding it bewildering.”

There were 12 complaints about the way tenants’ problems were dealt with in the 12 months before the changes came in and 27 since.

City council housing boss Joe McManners said he would look at making sure city council workers were seen more.

But he stood by changes, saying work by estate managers often overlapped with the issue-based teams and tenants now benefited from more specialist workers.

The number of staff to deal with issues had risen from 12 to 14-and-a-half, he added.

He said: “It was about trying to improve the service for the 21st century.

“It doesn’t mean it is perfect. Some of the visibility and geographical knowledge possibly needs a little bit of a look at.”

And he said community development officers’ work was being reviewed. He said: “Walkabouts are inconsistent and some people do it regularly and less regularly.”

Council spokesman Louisa Dean said: “We have approximately 7,800 tenants and deal with thousands of requests for service each year.”

  • Former patches were Barton Estate East / Risinghurst / Quarry; Wood Farm / Horspath Road; Abingdon / Abingdon Road / Grandpont / Jericho / Kidlington; Northway / Marston / North Headington / Gipsy Lane; Blackbird Leys South; Central Oxford and Donnington Bridge Road; Riverside Court; North Blackbird Leys / Littlemore; Rose Hill / Littlemore; Southfield Park; Barton west and North Oxford; Cowley. The five patches are now Blackbird Leys; West Oxford; East Oxford; Headington and Rose Hill. Tenants are now directed to: landlord services; housing needs; community safety; community and neighbourhoods or strategy and enabling teams.
  • PAIN OF GETTING PLAN ANSWERS: Kath Bayliss said getting help for alterations to her council house was like “banging my head against a brick wall”.

The 45-year-old mum-of-six wanted to speak to Oxford City Council about putting up a conservatory at her home in Aldrich Road, Cutteslowe.

But she said: “Trying to get permission was diabolical, you don’t know who to ask any more.”

She said former estate manager Nick Vernede had been a vital link between residents and the council.

Ms Bayliss said: “When there was an estate manager they got back to you to sort it out. Now you have to speak someone who takes it to a panel but you never get an answer. It was like banging your head against a brick wall.”

With the help of Summertown city councillor Jean Fooks and the NHS, Ms Bayliss got permission for the conservatory.