Locksmith help in Stevenage

How did Stevenage's housing come about?

Stevenage was the first new town to be designated under the 1946 New Towns Act. Before then it was a small market town on the Great North Road, and that older core survives as the Old Town, whose High Street is a conservation area lined with listed buildings.

The plan divided the new town into neighbourhoods, and each was given a centre with shops, a school and other services close to the houses. Bedwell came first, followed by Broadwater and Shephall in the 1950s, Chells in the 1960s and Pin Green and Symonds Green later. Great Ashby, to the north, was built much more recently. Much of the original housing was built for rent by the development corporation, and the council still manages thousands of homes, although many were bought by their tenants and are now privately owned.

What doors do Stevenage homes have?

The original new town houses mostly had timber doors and windows. Over the decades most have been replaced, often with uPVC and later composite doors. That means many homes in SG1 and SG2 now rely on a multipoint lock and a euro cylinder, some of them fitted twenty or more years ago. Older cylinders may not resist snapping. If you cannot see a TS 007 Kitemark with three stars on yours, or a one-star cylinder paired with two-star handles, it is worth asking about an upgrade.

Terraces in the neighbourhoods often have rear gardens reached by shared paths or garage courts. Back doors and side gates there can be less overlooked than the front, which makes them worth checking too.

What about the Old Town?

Houses and cottages along and behind the High Street are older, with timber doors and sash or casement windows. Locks there may be traditional mortice and rim locks. A locksmith can usually fit a lock made to BS 3621 into an existing timber door. Replacing a door or windows in the conservation area, or in a listed building, may need consent from Stevenage Borough Council.

What about garages in the courts?

Many Stevenage homes have a garage in a court or block a short walk away, rather than beside the house. An up-and-over door with a single handle lock in the centre can often be forced at one corner. Extra locks fitted to the sides of the door, or a lock set into the ground in front of it, make that harder. If you rent the garage from the council or another landlord, read the agreement or ask them before fitting anything, because the door may not be yours to alter. Avoid keeping house keys or ladders in a garage that is out of sight.

My landlord is the council or a housing association. What now?

Report lock problems to your landlord first, and read your tenancy agreement before changing any lock yourself, because most agreements say you need permission. If you have been locked out, your landlord may have its own arrangements.

And flats?

Many blocks have a shared entrance door controlled by the landlord or managing agent. Problems with that door are usually theirs to fix, while the lock on your own flat door is a matter for you, or for your landlord if you rent.

What should my enquiry say?

Give your postcode, the kind of door and lock, and what has happened. With your agreement, we send it to a single locksmith who works across SG1 and SG2, where there is one.