A Honiton council tenant says he would rather be moved than have work to remedy black mould carried out while he remains in his flat.
Paul Crewe, 47, of Custance House, says a ceiling will have to be replaced and that he fears asbestos will be disturbed during the works.
The mobile caretaker for a local authority has been fighting a losing battle with the mould and last week told The Herald he has had enough.
“I had a back operation a couple of weeks ago and I’m struggling with the stairs to my top floor flat. It would make more sense for me to be moved and the work carried out while the flat is empty,” he said.
The district council is inviting him to discuss a possible move to a ground floor property.
Mould became a nightmare for Mr Crewe around four years ago.
“It has got worse since plastic window frames were installed,” he said.
“I have got to leave my windows open - even in the winter.
“I’m not going to do any more to the flat, because it is money down the drain.”
Council officials were shown around the flat by Mr Crewe’s aunty while he was in hospital.
“The ceiling has to come down, not be painted over,” he said. “The council has agreed the work has to be done, but they want me to stay in the flat while it is carried out.
“I am worried asbestos will be disturbed. It is a small, one bedroom flat and they want me to move into one room.
“I am struggling with the stairs and I have sent the council a letter from my doctor saying the flat is no longer suitable for my needs.”
A spokesman for East Devon District Council said: “This tenant has been living in the flat since 1998 and we have always resolved any issues that have cropped up over that period.
“More recently, we have been looking into concerns about mould and dampness.
“An officer attended the flat on July 13 and arranged for repairs to an extractor fan.
“He also agreed to have the bathroom ceiling renewed and to carry out some insulation work on the upper walls. These works were to have been carried out while the tenant was in hospital, but were put on hold when a relative advised that mobility problems might prevent the tenant moving back into the flat.”
The spokesman added: “Work on the loft has been done, as this does not need access from the flat itself.
“The remainder of the works can be done pretty soon, but we would need to work round the tenant.
“Most of the mould is caused by condensation and there are some measures the tenant can take himself to improve the situation.
“We are waiting to hear from the tenant’s relative so that we can resume and complete the works.
“If there is an issue about the tenant wishing to move to a ground-floor flat, he would need to discuss this with us so we can assess his needs and see if alternative accommodation might be available.”
The Midweek Herald was shown around Mr Crewe’s flat on Thursday last week and noted mould throughout the property, particularly in the bathroom and lounge.
2011年7月21日星期四
2011年7月11日星期一
Fighting pollution, with Green Ganpati's blessings
Thousands of idols made from hazardous materials like Plaster of Paris, coated with chemical paints containing injurious substances like Mercury, Cadmium, Lead and Carbon will be immersed in the city's water bodies yet again this year, poisoning it irrevocably.
Amidst this bleak environmental scenario, a faint ray of hope can be discerned, shone by a group of enterprising young students. Last year, this zealous lot at the KPB Hinduja College at Charni Road joined forces to set the bar for eco-friendly worship, modelling their Ganpati idol with newspapers.
The unexpected success of their venture has not only won them accolades, but also a slew of orders for similar models this year.
Responding to this unprecedented windfall, the kids have formed a body, referring to themselves quite fittingly as 'Youth Unite'. This group comprises recent pass outs, as well as present students. Their first were none other than officials of the college management body, who placed orders for two idols.
The novel venture was the brainchild of the NSS section of the student body, who got together with the past club members to create a one-of-its-kind eco-friendly Ganpati idol for their college celebrations.
In course of the workshop, about 25 students were taught how to make Ganpati idols with materials that were easily biodegradable, such as used paper from their notebooks.
Akshay Pawar, who passed out from the college earlier this year, was a member of this student body with a conscience. "We are very happy with the success of our enterprise. Officials from the management were the first takers, asking us to make two Ganpati idols this year."
P Aditya, presently a third year student of the college said, "This Ganpati idol doesn't have the slightest trace of plastic. Apart from the two orders received from college officials, we have received more than three orders from others. We will only ask to be compensated for the building materials.
No making charges will be imposed. Some of our group members go to other colleges, and they have been creating awareness about these eco-friendly idols in their respective colleges.
We will start modeling our idols within ten days. We also await permission from the college authorities to impart our skills to students of other colleges."
Jayesh Patel, vice principal of KPB Hinduja College, said, "We were very impressed by the zeal that they displayed to protect the environment. We have decided to support them this year. We will encourage them to teach pupils at other colleges the skills they have acquired."
Amidst this bleak environmental scenario, a faint ray of hope can be discerned, shone by a group of enterprising young students. Last year, this zealous lot at the KPB Hinduja College at Charni Road joined forces to set the bar for eco-friendly worship, modelling their Ganpati idol with newspapers.
The unexpected success of their venture has not only won them accolades, but also a slew of orders for similar models this year.
Responding to this unprecedented windfall, the kids have formed a body, referring to themselves quite fittingly as 'Youth Unite'. This group comprises recent pass outs, as well as present students. Their first were none other than officials of the college management body, who placed orders for two idols.
The novel venture was the brainchild of the NSS section of the student body, who got together with the past club members to create a one-of-its-kind eco-friendly Ganpati idol for their college celebrations.
In course of the workshop, about 25 students were taught how to make Ganpati idols with materials that were easily biodegradable, such as used paper from their notebooks.
Akshay Pawar, who passed out from the college earlier this year, was a member of this student body with a conscience. "We are very happy with the success of our enterprise. Officials from the management were the first takers, asking us to make two Ganpati idols this year."
P Aditya, presently a third year student of the college said, "This Ganpati idol doesn't have the slightest trace of plastic. Apart from the two orders received from college officials, we have received more than three orders from others. We will only ask to be compensated for the building materials.
No making charges will be imposed. Some of our group members go to other colleges, and they have been creating awareness about these eco-friendly idols in their respective colleges.
We will start modeling our idols within ten days. We also await permission from the college authorities to impart our skills to students of other colleges."
Jayesh Patel, vice principal of KPB Hinduja College, said, "We were very impressed by the zeal that they displayed to protect the environment. We have decided to support them this year. We will encourage them to teach pupils at other colleges the skills they have acquired."
2011年4月1日星期五
Ford's Chocolate Inspired Weight-Saving Technology
There are many areas where weight can be saved by changing the type or grade of metal used to a stronger, lighter material to trim kilos from the kerb weight. Plastic parts are an area where it is traditionally difficult to save weight without sacrificing strength, durability or function, but Ford has found a solution. MuCell technology introduces gas bubbles into the plastic as it is moulded, leaving a microscopic honeycomb structure. These tiny spaces save weight by reducing the amount of plastic used, without compromising the integrity of the part.
Weight plays a key role in vehicle emissions and reducing the overall mass of the vehicle results in improvements to fuel economy and carbon emissions. Vehicle weights have increased in the last 30 years to allow for much greater levels of equipment and radically improved safety attributes. Ford has targeted reducing weight while still providing class leading levels of equipment and 5-star Euro NCAP safety ratings.
MuCell brings a host of other benefits with lower pressures used to mould the plastic and up to 33 per cent more parts per hour than a conventional process. This increase in speed and efficiency reduces energy consumption, manufacturing emissions and cost for parts produced using the innovative technique.
MuCell technology expert Carsten Starke is excited by the potential of the new process. He says: "The first time I saw this plastic under the microscope I thought to myself it looks like an Aero chocolate bar! The bubbles in the chocolate change the taste, but in our plastics they save weight and making cars lighter reduces emissions and fuel consumption significantly.
"We are saving weight in many ways, not just by using this new plastic, because lighter cars handle better, accelerate faster and stop more quickly. For the customer it is win-win, the plastic is 20 per cent lighter without increasing cost or reducing strength and it will help make their Ford better in almost every aspect."
The MuCell technology will see its first application in engine covers which will be rolled out over the next few years on vehicles such as Focus, C-MAX and Grand C-MAX, S-MAX, Mondeo and Galaxy. Ford has committed to a minimum of 100kg weight reduction from even its smallest cars and 300kg from larger cars by 2020 as part of its environmental initiatives. This weight-saving initiative, which includes MuCell technology, also features a suite of other materials like high-strength Boron steels which are now used extensively in Ford models.
Weight plays a key role in vehicle emissions and reducing the overall mass of the vehicle results in improvements to fuel economy and carbon emissions. Vehicle weights have increased in the last 30 years to allow for much greater levels of equipment and radically improved safety attributes. Ford has targeted reducing weight while still providing class leading levels of equipment and 5-star Euro NCAP safety ratings.
MuCell brings a host of other benefits with lower pressures used to mould the plastic and up to 33 per cent more parts per hour than a conventional process. This increase in speed and efficiency reduces energy consumption, manufacturing emissions and cost for parts produced using the innovative technique.
MuCell technology expert Carsten Starke is excited by the potential of the new process. He says: "The first time I saw this plastic under the microscope I thought to myself it looks like an Aero chocolate bar! The bubbles in the chocolate change the taste, but in our plastics they save weight and making cars lighter reduces emissions and fuel consumption significantly.
"We are saving weight in many ways, not just by using this new plastic, because lighter cars handle better, accelerate faster and stop more quickly. For the customer it is win-win, the plastic is 20 per cent lighter without increasing cost or reducing strength and it will help make their Ford better in almost every aspect."
The MuCell technology will see its first application in engine covers which will be rolled out over the next few years on vehicles such as Focus, C-MAX and Grand C-MAX, S-MAX, Mondeo and Galaxy. Ford has committed to a minimum of 100kg weight reduction from even its smallest cars and 300kg from larger cars by 2020 as part of its environmental initiatives. This weight-saving initiative, which includes MuCell technology, also features a suite of other materials like high-strength Boron steels which are now used extensively in Ford models.
订阅：
博文 (Atom)