Lambeth Council plans for £8m digital TV upgrade branded 'unecessary'
6:50am Monday 23rd November 2009 in News By Matt Watts
Lambeth Council is set to spend up to £8m on "unneccesary" and very expensive satelite TV systems for council housing blocks.
The plan has been branded bizarre for a council which cannot afford to bring hundreds of void homes up to decent homes standards, and an expert has said all most council homes need is a £20 digital set top box.
The council claims the "new integrated reception system" set to be erected in blocks of four or more homes is necessary to ensure tenants and leaseholders receive a television signal when the analogue system is switched off in 2012.
However an expert said digital TV could still be provided through the majority of the systems already in place in council blocks "without spending hardly a penny."
Bill Wright, who has worked for 38 years installing communal TV systems, and runs digital advice website Professional Aerial Riggers Against The Sharks (PARAS), said: "Local authorities are scared of an electoral disaster from fears residents will lose their TV signal and diving in to pay for expensive systems that are unnecessary."
He said Lambeth homes would all pick up digital signals from the Crystal Palace transmitter and the majority of existing aerials and reception systems - including those in council blocks - would pick up the signal "perfectly" with £20 digital boxes in homes.
He said no adjustments would need to be made to the majority of systems - and the council needing to provide satelite was "a political decison".
The council is considering the most expensive satelite system because of a demand for a wider choice of international channels for its multi-cultural and ethnically diverse population.
Leaseholders face an obligatory charge of between £180 and £340 depending on the system installed, with taxpayers picking up the rest of the bill. A yearly charge of up to £15 will be added to service charges.
Steve Rice, vice chair of Lambeth's leaseholders' council, said it was unfair leaseholders - many of whom already had digital or satellite tv - would have to pay twice for something that they did not need.
Lib Dem spokeman on housing councillor Jeremy Clyne said while it was important everyone got a TV signal it was "bizarre" the council was spending millions on potentially "unnecessary" upgrades "when it cannot even do the basics."
Lambeth Living chief executive Cathy Deplessis said: “This is an issue facing ALMOs and councils across the country."
She added: “A new integrated reception system needs to be introduced. No one wants to see a blank screen at ‘switchover’."
