In an effort to counteract the Londoner's lifestyle of isolation, a new web service has been set up by ex-lawyer and joint managing director of the Solitaire Group, Harvey Shulman, which aims to bring together residents of the capital's apartment blocks.

Newsontheblock.com is a series of websites individually tailored to cater for the needs of residents of any given apartment block in London.  The sites, currently available for 1,400 blocks, intend to reduce service charges for the overall building by 10% through revenue gathered from local and national online advertising.  In addition, residents are encouraged to go out and look for more advertising themselves as a means of increasing the saving.

Residents are mailed passwords and login names, which give them, access to the sites facilities, which include news, information on the building and discussion groups for flat dwellers.  Residents are even encouraged to contribute to the site's editorial content, being paid up to £1,000 for each article published and syndicated to other block sites.

Kristen Lazur, spokesperson for News on the Block, told Negotiator:  "The hard part was making the residents aware of the site.  But we have used mail shots and publicised ourselves through Residential Association Chair people who talk to residents directly."

Harvey Shulman said:  "Newsontheblock.com was piloted four months ago and we were overwhelmed by the response.  Eighty per cent of the residents used the facility and we also achieved good support from local shops and service."  He added: "The key is that we provide the core elements and residents are able to mould their site to suite each block's individual needs."

THE NEGOTIATOR, 23rd March 2001