Retro Queen

The trams have gone back to public service and I've heard that the buses will be doing the same. There is going to be a change from tomorrow, and it says, for the better so we shall see.

People were using them. I guess you think everyone in this area has cars and can afford taxis.

The 52a has been put back on at Wisewood and Loxley due to demand because its not fair that a whole community are left without a viable bus service. Obviously someone has listed to a degree and put it back on. Not everyone has cars and can afford taxis. How are people supposed to get to work, shops, medical appointments etc. Buses ran OK before they were privatised. The bus has always been well used going from town and Hillsborough to Wisewood as I have seen this for myself.

The 52a is replacing the 32 bus I think.

It seems the 52a is finally going to be extended to Wisewood and Loxley after being drastically cut two years ago after many compliants, quite rightly so. However, looking at the new timetables from 7 April it still won't be running in the evenings and on Sundays. The only difference will be from the 32 bus is that it will run every half hour instead of every hour. People without cars who live in these areas or visiting still have no service on Sundays and evenings like other First bus routes have. How is this fair?

That'; That is a lot but worth it if you're happy there. Are all the bills included too?

How much is your weekly rent though?

Thank you for the calculation Resident. Not keen on the other sarcastic replies. I don't want to try my luck in the private sector thank you. According to the rent increase of 7.7% my rent should go up accordingly, like it has done previously. I know what my calculation is and fair enough about the leap year, but to add extra for the financial year is a nonsense. Rents always go from April to April so why should this mean a hike like this? Incidentially I am now being charged 500.00 for a one bed flat as Resident has calculated this on the private sector. My flat is not private, the Council is my landlord so it should it be cheaper.

Just after some clarification please. I've had my letter from the Council giving details of the rent increase from 1 April which I expected. I calculated it using the forumla that the Council use. Turns out they have lumped on almost £30 a month. I rang them this morning to ask why and it seems some has been added on because its a leap year this year so they calculate it over 50 days and not 51. The rest of the increase is to cover costs until the next financial year. They have offered to lower it what the set direct debit should be but have said it won't be an even balance by April 2025. My online balance is showing I am in arrears, which I never am, I pay direct debit every month. I was told this looks outstanding until my rent goes out in April and then will clear. If I was in arrears I would have received a letter about it. So where has this ludicrous increase come from? Has any other Council tenant had it? I live in a one bedroomed flat by the way.

True but then there's the repairs to pay for and as I am now 61 I don't want to take out a mortgage as the repayments would be high.

Hi, yes I can understand that rents need to go up but why so high when they don't do the repairs half the time? I don't want to buy my flat. I have a friend who has done that and he can't sell it or move for five years. Not that I am planning to move but I think it will be difficult to sell a Council flat anyway.

How do other Council tenants feel about this? I find it very unfair as rents always used to go up a lot less than this in the past. I know Council rents are cheaper than private rents but I still don't know how they can justify the higher rise, especially as they don't bother to do repairs half the time. I even pay more rent than people in the same type of property as me on my estate (a one bedroomed flat), only because the person who lived there before me had bought it from the Council and sold it back to them. How is that fair?

Thanks for this. Its not only the cheap bus fares from pre 1986 that made it good, moreso the frequency of the buses and hardly any missing. You didn't need to check a timetable in those days as there were always buses there.

Thanks, will this make the services better or worse?

Will the TM 32 bus still be going down Herries Road? When the Council take over the buses will they be owning them like they did before privatisation?