Scaffolding going up - no notice given & no one knows why?

So scaffolding is going up outside our building. Thank you to the council for letting us residents know. Of course they have not.

The erection of scaffolding is a problem for resdients in that it can effect any insurance you have for the contents of your flat. If you have a break in and the insurance company do not know in advance they may not pay out it may void your policy. So I guess the council are accepting full and all liability in respect of this for any loss a resident suffers.

So I called the Decent Homes contractor, H&F Homes South who told me to speak to the Repairs Department, who told me to call H&F Homes again and ask for the Technical Department. I did ask to speak to our housing officer whoever that is at the moment and was told they wouldn't know about it anyway. The Technical Department are in a meeting. So 4 phone calls so far. I eagerly await to see if they know anything.

I would have thought our housing officer would have knowledge of major works including the erection of scaffolding. You know as it is the estate they are supposed to deal with.

So no communitcation internally and externally to us the residents.

I though "putting residents first" was the new ethos. Clearly it has yet to get off the ground.

Service Charges for Council Tenants.

Service charges for council tenants has been an issue that I have been trying to gain some clarity on for some time. Reading the last Audit Commissions report it recommends Service Charges for Tenants. It also mentioned that H&F council had been in discussion on this matter. See the previous blog entry for the report.

I submitted this question to the last council meeting -

"Question to: The Leader of the Council.

Further to my question of 27 February 2008-

QUESTION

“Does the current administration propose, during the course of its current term in office to make an additional charge to council tenants, in addition to rent, for the provision of Estate Maintenance and up keep? If so, when?”

RESPONSE:

There have been no proposals put to my Administration either by Hammersmith &
Fulham Homes or by Council Officers recommending separate service charging for
services provided to Council tenants although of course council leaseholders are already separately service charged for a range of housing and estate management services.

Current issue arising.

I note that the Audit Commission’s report of June 2007 for Hammersmith & Fulham ALMO states -
“
108 Service charges have not been introduced for tenants. Charges for communally provided services such as grounds maintenance have not been de-pooled and applied as a separate service charge. HFH and the Council have agreed a way forward for the introduction of service charges but will only do this when efficiencies are achieved in key service areas. “

So my questions are –

Why was I misled with the previous response? Given that the report is the subject of consultation with the council over a period of time.

Within what time frame do the council propose to introduce this charge?

Will rent lower as a result of the service charge being “split out” or “de-pooled”?

What is the “way forward agreed by HFH Homes & the council for the introduction of this charge”, that is what is the plan?"

The response is above.

You can make you own mind up about when service charges will be forthcomming.

Cllr Ivimy

Though there was a motion at the last council meeting calling for the resignation of Cllr Ivimy following her comments.

This didn't succeed and the current administration saved her.

Personally I feel that having made the comments the only decent thing she could have done was to resign her seat.

I have not heard nor found from hunting around the Internet any comments from Shaun Bailey on her position. He must fear that this issue will come back to haunt him in the future.