Sniffing out the juiciest gossip – and some fungus
A Hull of a time
Plans are afoot to move John Prescott – the so-called Mouth of the Humber – somewhat nearer the Humber, along with the rest of the ODPM. The Institute of Public Policy Research – the think-tank closest to the New Labour government – is recommending as much in a forthcoming report on regionalising government.

Just imagine the boost a move back to Prescott's home constituency of Hull would make not only to the regeneration of the North, but to the city's ailing council. Think of the benefits from his subtle dispute resolution skills and unparalleled management ability.

Social Animal says: pack your jags, Prescott, and head North!

Climb ev'ry mountain
It could all have been so different. When new Housing Corporation chairman Peter Dixon was supposed to be meeting his boss John Prescott for his final interview, he was already booked to be skiing down an Alpine slope.

No need to change his holiday plans, however – the accommodating deputy prime minister kindly agreed to move the interview forward a couple of days.

A bad week to bury good news
Cynical housing professionals are used to this government re-announcing good news – mostly "new" investment – but something seems to have pushed the ODPM over the edge. It has now started re-announcing bad news. This week it sent out depressing homelessness figures showing a rise in bed-and-breakfast accommodation to hacks twice – and as if that wasn't bad enough, on closer examination it transpired that the press release was dated 11 December 2002.

A mystified press officer couldn't explain why the "news" went out. Karma, perhaps?

Hot stuff
While most social housing tenants were trying desperately to cool down during the recent heatwave, Estuary Housing Association found evidence of some previous inhabitants of a development site and their very different ideas.

An archaeological dig has unearthed a 3000-year-old sweat lodge – a tented area for ritual cleansing heated by hot rocks – in Rainham, Essex, where Estuary is hoping to develop.

Man on a commission
People in the housing sector are becoming all too familiar with the work of the Audit Commission, but outsiders still seem a little confused – not least the friends of one Gerard Lemos, new head of the commission's housing advisory board.

"When I go to parties and tell people I work for the Audit Commission, they say they're surprised because I don't look like an accountant," the flamboyant Lemos revealed recently.

Fungus the bogeydog

Sniffer dogs might be a common sight on inner-city estates riddled with drug problems, but building contractor Osborne has unleashed the beasts to sniff out dry rot and fungal decay ahead of a project to convert listed buildings into flats for Portsmouth Housing Association. “Lottie the labrador was on site for only two hours and knew exactly what she was looking for,” said an obviously impressed Graham Marshall, Osborne’s project manager. But if they’re setting the dogs on the dry rot, the mind boggles as to what they use to root out drug dealers.

Source

Housing Today