"LPC said they had entered into a contract with the parking enforcement company because of abuse of parking arrangements at the complex and it was up to them how they operated." The parking enforcement company are providing a service, under contract, paid for by LPC. For LPC to think they can wash their hands of the actions of the sub-contractor they hired to act on their behalf is a little short sighted. It is so easy to fob people off by saying "its not us, its them". I guess that the residents do not have a contract with the enforcement company, but do with LPC. My advice - go for the organ grinder not his hired monkey.

If you get in a company to police your car parking because of problems then you need to stick to the rules and if the permits ran out then make sure you renew them before they run out, I bet that this wont happen next year the residents have had a very rude awakening.but please dont moan when they do the job you asked them to do

We have had similar issues with the same firm at another LPC complex. If someone from Quay 5 would like to contact us we have a Residents Association (lakesideresidentsassociation.blackley@hotmail.com)

In response to Tezza, Tyldesley I would say that she would have a different view entirely if the shoe were on the other foot. What Tezza fails to appreciate is that last year (the first year permits were issued) they were placed in the residents' individual locked postboxes. It is therefore not unreasonable to assume that the same procedure would be adopted this year unless notified to the contrary. Basically, the goalposts were shifted without warning. Furthermore, I pay rent for an apartment that includes an allocated parking space. I was parked in my rightful place which was evident from the permit already displayed, despite it having expired some five hours earlier. There were significantly more than 17 residents affected and had CPS applied a little common sense, it was obvious that a substantial number of permits had not been collected for a variety of reasons. Clamping was supposedly introduced for the benefit of residents, not for the purpose of victimising them. Basically CPS, who, you must bear in mind, actually issue the permits and not LPC (who only distribute them), took advantage of the situation. For that reason it is only right to expect LPC, in its capacity as the Management Company who entered into the contract with CPS, to help protect the rights and interests of the residents. I am pleased to say that the Directors of LPC appear to support that view and have at least displayed a willingness to co-operate.

I am a resident of Quay 5 where the clamping took place and agree that this is indeed a money making scheme on behalf of CPS and LPC.

Letters were sent to home owners to inform them of the renewal of parking permits, however there was no date or time frame specified on the letter as to when the permits needed to be renewed by, also collection of parking permits was only permitted during working hours from a site office that has no access to it, not even a doorbell to alert anyone of your presence. All this combined made it extremely difficult for any resident to collect their permit full stop. I had to take time off work to collect my permit for fear of being clamped.

The whole clamping policy has been completely unrealistic and unreasonable on residents from day one. There are over 30 parking spaces in my block and no more than 14 of these spaces are occupied by vehicles, leaving the car parking area looking deserted most days, despite this clamping is strictly enforced and residents are not allowed to park in any other space other than their own and no visitor parking is allowed within the compound, vehicles are to be left on the roadside where vandalism is a regular occurrence.

The parking fiasco is just the latest of a long list of grievances Quay 5 residents have against LPC Living. Residents pay a substantial management fee ever quarter, however what this money is used for, other than lining pockets, I have no idea. It is certainly not used for building upkeep and repair, I’ve stayed in better maintained cheap hotels. The company is a joke, their policy is ‘take the money and run’ and their customer service skills leave a lot to be desired, in fact I no longer contact the company for fear of receiving abuse from a member of their staff, communication and understanding are not on LPC’s list of priorities, in fact it feels more like living in a prison block than an apartment block.

I also live down at Quay 5 and was pretty amazed when I found my car clamped. I hadn't received any letter from LPC informing me of a requirement of a new permit and still haven't to this day. When I phoned them to tell them I hadn't received a permit they replied with 'well we sent one so you must have had it'. The fact that I frequently see mail that has been delivered to the wrong address on top of the badly-kept mail-boxes in the foyer and that Royal Mail loses some 20 million items of mail per year made no difference.

I had to pay the release fee so that I could get to work and was told to apply for a refund if I thought the clamping was unfair. I sent a letter to CPS Enforcement along with an SAE as directed and have so far received nothing in return despite their claim that they reply within 28 days. LPC sent a letter to residents on the 9th stating that we should contact Claire who is head of customer services at CPS Enforcement. I have left 4 messages for her and not received a single reply.

I'm really getting tired of this run-around and am considering action through the Small Claims Court. I would be very interested in hearing from anyone else in the same situation and I will be joining that residents' association that's mentioned in a previous post.

I would have to agree that the upkeep of Quay 5 is also a shambles. One of the corridors was in darkness for a month while LPC waited "for new bulbs to be delivered" before they could replace the old ones. God forbid the caretaker pop to Sainsbury's which is 3 minutes down the road to pick some up with some petty cash.

All this sounds very LPC and very CPS !!

We have been having very similar experiences with LPC and then the clampers ever since the complex was opened and the clamping began.

Residents being clamped whilst moving in, Health Visitors being clamped and sneaky missions during the night to catch residents out for any misdermeanour. And £150 release fee, surely thats not 'reasonable' All LPC say is 'its nothing to do with us' and CPS just ignore your letters, your phone calls and just ignore you.

Also we agree with the comments about the management and upkeep of the complex, lightbulbs, we've had that one too.

This is why we had to set up the Residents Association, individually we were all just getting fobbed off, it was only when we got together that we realised this.

If you want to know more, please do not hesitate to contact the Lakeside Residents Association at Lakesideresidentsassociation.blackley@hotmail.co.uk

Hi

I'd like to get the word out about a new community website aimed at the residents of Quay 5 in Salford.

www.quay5residents.com features a forum for posting news/events, a marketplace, a car space letting/swapping area and a section designed to highlight local businesses that Quay 5 residents - both established and new - may find useful.

We intended to not only provide a way for the residents to communicate more about issues that affect us all - which can be difficult when most of us work during the day - but also as a means to stand together against the management company (LPC Living) when necessary such as with the illegitimate mass-clamping of vehicles at the beginning of October.

All ideas and feedback on the site are welcome, and a section of the forum has been devoted specifically for this.

We'd also be very interested in hearing from people from other communities around Manchester - both established and emerging - about maybe working together in some way.

I'd also like to list more local businesses in the Local Services section, so if anyone wants to get in touch you can either use the forum or email us directly at enquiries@quay5residents.com.

I hope to hear from you soon!

Gareth Jones
www.quay5residents.com