Forster Oaks, SG1

Please tell us about the good and bad aspects of living in your local area:

Shop on site very expensive. But close enough to other stores. Parking is a nightmare. Can't hear traffic inside the house

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

They don't respond in a good manner. Don't take anything on board if you bring up an issue. They just do as they want in any way they can get more money

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

Wish I'd known about the parking inforcement before. I mean it wasn't there for over a year then they had a resident vote for which the residents voted about 80 percent in favour of not having parking inforcement but they got it in anyway

Please tell us about the good and bad aspects of living in your local area:

There are no guests parking spaces, apart from the 6 available for the WHOLE estate. When we were asked to vote and voted against parking restrictions, Metropolitan still went ahead and put the restrictions in place. The shops/businesses we were told were going to be built ended up being more flats and the few remaining parking spaces which could have been used as additional guests parkings were given to the Budgen which barely has more than 5 customers in at the same time. At least a Morrison will be built walking distance from the estate, so we will have cheaper alternative than Budgens. Bin collections have been missed a few times, which causes bin sheds to overflow and become extremely messy. Bin sheds are easily accessible by anyone outside the estate, a few instances where pieces of furniture were dumped in, and Metropolitan advised that the removal costs of these items would be added to our service charge. There are no cameras around the estate so any evidence of anti social behaviour has to be captured by residents.

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

In my experience, the response time from the building management is very slow and they hardly provide any solutions.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

I wish I had known about the parking situation before moving in. I also wish I had know how bad the soundproofing is.

Please tell us about the good and bad aspects of living in your local area:

Unfortunately due to covid the shops expected were not used but there is a local budgens. There is due to be a Morrisons supermarket built opposite my block of flats which apprehensive about. Can be the odd idiot driving on the main road fast but it’s ongoing issue for the town. Neighbours in block all friendly

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

I have had issues resolved with MTVH by email, online repair reporting and complaints process

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

History of voting / information given by other blocks as we were last block to move in and not aware of important decisions

Please tell us about the good and bad aspects of living in your local area:

There is only one shop in our complex which is very useful, there is also the prospect of having a superstore in the future. Town centre is less than a 10 minute drive and there are bus stops within a few minute walk of the area. There are also parks and fields within a 10 minute walk. Parking availability is terrible frankly, not every apartment gets a space and there are only 6 guest spaces which have to be paid for. Personally I think it's ridiculous for friends or family to have to pay to come to my home. Location is next to an industrial area so there's a heavy flow of traffic at peak times, occasional trucks and lorries at all hours of the night. The traffic is also unregulated around the industrial area, so there is occasionally people who like to race down the road and skid round into the t-junction opposite the complex.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

Our building was the first to be constructed so parking availability was up in the air at the time, if you're a household with more than one vehicle there are limited places nearby where you'd be able to park.

Please tell us about the good and bad aspects of living in your local area:

It's far enough away from Stevenage centre that you don't really get any of the associated issues, and very close to great ashby and boxwood. Very nice walks and a generally very nice area. Looking forward to the Morrisons

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

No they havent, when I have tried to contact them, I have been ignored

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

That they would start charging for the visitors parking