The sector seems to have gone mad for animals. First there were the finches and hamsters in Nottingham, then the tortoise eviction in the same city and now pigeons have fluttered into social housing's roost.
Aragon Housing Association in Bedfordshire have given its annual report a pigeon theme. The birds flutter from section to section of the report, which is entitled – oh my sides – Homing Instincts.
One hopes the birdies don't beg for crumbs from passers-by or leave droppings on people's heads. That would be antisocial behaviour, surely?
Penne for your thoughts
Anyone who's seen Lady and the Tramp will know that spaghetti bolognese truly is the food of love. But at the Olive Grove restaurant in Canterbury, pasta-lovers can take a literally philanthropic approach to their dinner. For every spag bol ordered, the restaurant will donate £1 to homelessness charity East Kent Cyrenians.
Tower Hamlets killed the radio star
East London has a proud history of launching pop careers. Remember East 17, anybody? But Tower Hamlets is now acting as Simon Cowell. The council is so fed up with pirate radio DJs vandalising tower blocks and transmitting on the emergency service frequencies that it has decided to crack down. Heavy-duty doors have been installed to keep DJs out.
Local hero
Slade frontman Noddy Holder will be handing out the mayor's civic awards in Walsall next month. Ten lucky citizens will be presented with a "Dora", an accolade named after one Sister Dora – apparently, Walsall's best-known historical figure.
It took Social Animal 10 minutes on an internet search engine and a call to Walsall council's press office to find out that Sister Dora was Walsall's answer to the altogether better-known nurse Florence Nightingale …
oh, and that she came from Yorkshire. But community Oscars have no place for grouches.
The plan's the thing
It's been quite the week for wacky planning rows. First up, the Welsh couple who had the temerity to request permission to build an indoor bathroom and toilet on their grade II-listed cottage. Carmarthenshire council, thank goodness, was having none of it. Next in line, the Cornish architect who plans to build a copper-clad, space-age pod that will turn green as it corrodes in the sea air.
Finally, a cautionary tale for anyone who thinks of themselves as the next Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen. An accountant who refused to demolish a four-bedroom lean-to was jailed for three months and ordered to pay more than £26,000 in fines and costs. Structural engineers said the extension was the worst piece of building they had ever seen.
Source
Housing Today
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