So I complained about the bushes (again) & other issues.

You will note that even though we are supposed to have our own Estate Housing Officer now, this compaint was not even handled in our local office at Fulham Town Hall.

I have edited the response as it is unfair to name council individuals.

How not to deal with a complaint.

Click on image to enlarge.

My initial letter.


The H&F Homes response - not even our housing office ????



My escalation - any wonder?

Estate visits and notice boards.

Did you know that the estate visits are still ongoing?

Did you know we have a new estate officer?

Have you noticed the new extremely large notice boards placed at the entrance of every block?

In the spirit of ongoing better communication between H&F Homes and the residents. The information on Estate Visits has been removed from buildings several months ago.

The notice boards contain no information on anything. How much did these cost? As they are not being used is this not a waste of money?

Yes we have a new Estate Officer, second one in as many months.

The only reason I found out Estate Visits were still continuing is I happened accross a group of people looking at the estate buildings and asked.

Satellite Systems.

You will know that I have been concerned about the plans to have a communal satellite dish per block and the mass removal of individual Sky and other satellite dishes.

I objected to the planning application for this on the basis that tenants will have individual contracts where relevant, or have gone to the expense of investing in Free to Air (FTA) or Freesat dishes on their properties.

That enforcing this change on tenants may place the tenant to become in breach and liable under their Sky contracts. Or the loss of the investment for other systems installed.

In my case. When I moved into the estate, several years ago, I invested in my own antenna on the roof to recieve freeview.

There is no need for the council to touch my antenna it is not part of the existing communal system. However they are insisting on proceeding.

I have asked them to compensate me for this loss. So far this point, after 2 years has still been ignored.

The last correspondence on the Satellite front was January of this year. It notes further thinking on the points raised but again the result of this process has not been forthcomming.

Legally, as the council have allowed through in action over several years. People to erect their own satellite systems. I believe they have no right to enforce any removal of existing systems and dishes.

Not everyone will want access to a communal Sky dish - will they have to pay a monthly fee for this anyway?

Those who use other satellite systems to access foreign language or FreeSat will need dishes on the roof to point to the various satellites are they going to be provided so that we have a roof of communal satellite dishes?

What I have noticed from Decent Homes.

Over the last few months, talking to those I know on the estate. The main criticism of the Decent Homes project has been the confusion or lack of communication between the contractor & residents.

Plans seem to have been poorly drafted. Residents undertstood they would be consulted about what was going to happen in their homes. However once the builders are in. Some cases have left many angry that the works have left them with less storage space, no proper showers, external vents have been left exposed for pigeons to roost in.

One resident battled with the contractors to retain some tiles they had already installed and wanted to keep. Thankfully they won out. However this was not without the stress of fighting for it.

Yes this work will create stress and frustration as is the nature of the works. The council seems to sit back and let the contractor deal with the residents. Both unfair on these parties.

It was the council that made the caveat with residents that they would be involved in the decisons concerning their homes. For they are at the end of the day - peoples homes.

So many have told me that they will have to buy in time new kitchen cabinets as those supplied are too small. Replacing existing cupboard space with considerably less.

Would it have been cheaper for the council not to have provided cupboards and had a grant system where tenants could have gone and purchased the cabinets they need for their space requirements?

I also wonder about the elusive representative we have on the Decent Homes board. Supposedly representing tenants.

This is a large capital program and yes the works are needed but I cannot help but wonder about the amount of waste, financially, in the delivery.

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.