PLANS are underway to put an end to the significant problems with antisocial behaviour which have blighted Southend’s Elizabeth Tower as residents campaign for the housing association to make their building liveable again.

Councillor for Housing, Planning and Sustainability, Mark Flewitt, said: “I immediately alerted our housing team who are now looking into the matter and are in contact with the landlord, Genesis.

“We have raised these concerns with the police, via the community safety partnership, to ensure a joined-up approach to resolving these issues. We have also notified our partners at Family Mosaic, who carry out outreach work with rough sleepers, to assist us with this matter.

One resident of the flats, in Baxter Avenue, shared a copy of a letter sent by her support worker to the Antisocial Behaviour Officer. Almost a month later and they are yet to receive a response.

Another resident, who didn’t want to be named, said: “It’s affecting us a lot, Genesis give out all their information about antisocial behaviour but they don’t act on it.

“We’ve called the council multiple times but they say we need to take it up with the housing association”

The communal area inside the block of flats has been overrun with homeless people in the past three months.

Homeless charity Harp’s chief executive, Gill Garwood, said: “It’s saddening to hear of the situation at Elizabeth Tower and wrong that residents have been made to feel unsafe in their own homes. It’s also shocking that people are reportedly having to resort to sleeping in corridors.

“We are reaching out to Genesis Housing to find out how we can get involved to help both now and in the future to prevent similar situations from happening.”

A spokesman for Essex Police said: “We have set up Operation Overrun to monitor and patrol the blocks and try to tackle the problem. Persons found within stairwells or public areas of the tower blocks with no reason can also be issued community protection notices that ban them from entering.”