Lawson Estate T&RA Report: September 2013
1. Resident Participation Strategy
Anne talked about our Resident Participation Strategy at our last meeting. The objective is more communication with and participation by residents. To free up resident representative and staff time we are proposing four formal TRA meetings a year, with each TRA having an option to organise as many or as few informal/ social meetings as they wish. There are a number of stands to this strategy.
a. Tenants Levy
We want to re-negotiate the tenants’ levy rules for funding T&RAs, based on what residents think is important, rather than the existing Southwark criteria. Whilst this is happening we will ensure that enough JMB wide meetings are happening for each T&RA to meet the existing criteria.
b. Website
We now have a news page on our website www.leathermarketjmb.org.uk. The emphasis is on providing the information that residents are interested in, such as problems with main services, such as lifts, gas and water and social activities.
c. Notice boards
We have set aside money for new notice boards. We are trailing a new type of notice board in Greene, Jonson and Lyly. Tell us what you think. Also where do you think the notice boards should be located? Do you want a new notice board for each block or fewer, but more expensive, free standing notice boards on the main cut throughs on the estate? It would be good if a couple of members could volunteer to work with us on where the notice boards will be best placed.
d. Tenants Home Visits
We have been thinking about the residents we rarely get to see. Over the next three years we want to visit every tenant in their home. To check if they are the lawful occupant, have any unreported/ unresolved repairs, understand the importance of fire safety, know where their stop cocks are and how to use their heating system.
e. New posts
We will be advertising two new posts. A Resident Liaison Officer to provide information to residents and encourage their participation when we are doing major works and other estate works. Secondly, a part time Communication and Participation Officer, to assist with communication and participation generally. If you know someone who may be interested ask them to keep an eye on the Guardian, Inside Housing and the JMB’s website.
f. Resident-Led Inspections
Please see attached a programme of estate inspections. Any resident is very welcome to come along. There are dates to meet with John-Paul Eaton, Estates Services Manager, to look at cleaning and gardening standards and Kelly Gosbee, Repairs Supervisor, to look for communal repairs.
In the past we have tried to organise the inspections around the availability of particular staff and resident representatives. This has not worked, so we have said that we will advertise dates and make sure that inspections happen on these dates.
The outcome will be reported to T&RAs and on our website, for people not able to get along.
g. Social group
Generally resident representatives would like to see us doing much more across the JMB working. We are therefore re-starting our Social Group to plan community activities and decide which community initiatives we should support. If you would like to join please contact Jenny Conway, at the JMB office.
h. Stepping stones for potential directors
We are keen that new people some forward to be directors. When people have tried to go from no involvement with the TRA/JMB to being a full director usually they have given up after a couple of months, leaving their TRA unrepresented.
We have therefore advertised in our newsletter and website for residents to come forward. We are inviting people who are interested in getting involved to an information session on Thursday 19th September at 6pm. We are encouraging people to get actively involved with TRA and JMB activities for at least a year, before they stand as a director.
For people standing this year we are asking them to write a candidate’s statement setting out their experience and knowledge, which we will distribute to each TRA area before their selection meeting.
The date of the JMB’s AGM is Wednesday 23rd October at 6.30pm, in the Village Hall. Under our constitution we should hold a meeting before the end of September. However, we are asking members’ permission to meet later, as we want a more structured directors’ nomination process than we have had in previous years.
2. JMB Major repairs
a) Lawson Decent Homes phase 1
The defects liability period has expired, so any new problems with the kitchens need to be reported to our Repairs Team. However we do have a list of defects that MITIE haven’t dealt with, so we will get Elkins to sort them out and recharge MITIE.
b) Lawson Decent Homes phase 2
The defects liability period will expire in March 2014. We will write to all of the tenants involved in February asking if there are any defects outstanding.
We got 23 tenant satisfaction forms returned in March, from 85 sent out. 18 of the 23 were ‘satisfied’ or ‘very satisfied’ with the work.
A £25.00 prize was promised to the winner of a draw of the tenants who returned the form, so I have marked them all up with numbers from 1 to 23, so if the TRA can pick a number between 1 and 23 we can identify the winner.
c) Falmouth Road decoration and concrete repairs
The scaffolding has been taken down. Two snagging inspections have taken place and most snags have been remedied. Some are still outstanding and another inspection is arranged for this Friday at 12.00.
d) Revenue plan: Symington walkways
Some residents do not like the type of surfacing we have laid on the communal balcony. We have had a long running saga of trying to identify an alternative. We are trying an alternative surface at the moment and asked for resident feedback. Feedback to date has been limited and we are reluctant to spend more money until we get more resident feedback.
3. Dog mess
During the summer months dog mess on grass areas across the estates becomes a more noticeable and smellier problem. Dog mess is dangerous for children and also the JMB has a responsibility for our cleaners and gardeners who have to deal with this.
The dog run area on Symington is working well. We have installed dog poo bins on the Jonson, Greene and Lyly grass areas, which will become operational next week.
We are asking Southwark’s Neighbourhood Wardens to issue fixed penalty notices to residents who do not clean up after their dogs.
4. Fire safety risk assessments
We are working through fire risk assessments for all of our blocks. Any metal grills have to be removed. Also we have been given specific examples of where routes that people will need to use to escape from a fire are partly obstructed. So we have to deal with this. Also the maisonettes on Symington have a secondary fire escape route. We need to make sure that residents do not have heavy furniture blocking access to the escape door.
5. Symington Landscaping
The work is to a large extent finished, this means that Family Mosaic is close to complying with the terms of the planning agreement. We believe that the design of the cycle barriers is defective, because people in wheel chairs and mobility scooters cannot pass through them. We are working with Family Mosaic and Southwark refuse service to get the bin chamber in use. Otherwise than this Family Mosaic has relatively minor, but annoying, making good issues to resolve. Aaron, the Project Manager, tells me he is meeting with his contractor next week to try and get these issues resolved and then set a date for another joint inspection.
Although, compliant with the plans, our gardener advices that the location of the large flower beds mean it that it is difficult to grow anything colourful unless we can work with residents to ensure regular watering.
Although it is not part of the planning agreement we are edging towards an agreement to get the accessible glazing on the Harper Square sides of Falmouth Road and Symington washed down.
6. Fire safety works
The contractor’s container near Nashe House has finally been removed. We have an agreement with the Council that they will arrange for the grass area to have new turf laid. We are still chasing a date for the outstanding snagging work to be done.
Cleaning and gardening inspection dates:
Falmouth Road – 10:30 – Third Thursday of the Month
18/09/2013
17/10/2013
21/11/2013
19/12/2013
Symington – 11:00 – Third Thursday of the Month
18/09/2013
17/10/2013
21/11/2013
19/12/2013
Munday – 11:30 – Third Thursday of the Month
18/09/2013
17/10/2013
21/11/2013
19/12/2013
Nashe – 11:50 – Third Thursday of the Month
18/09/2013
17/10/2013
21/11/2013
19/12/2013
Beeston – 12:10 – Third Thursday of the Month
18/09/2013
17/10/2013
21/11/2013
19/12/2013
Johnson / Lyly / Greene – 13:30 – Third Thursday of the Month
18/09/2013
17/10/2013
21/11/2013
19/12/2013
Kempe /Alleyn / Middleton – 14:30 – Third Thursday of the Month
18/09/2013
17/10/2013
21/11/2013
19/12/2013
Great Dover St / Bartholomew St – 15:30 – Third Thursday of the Month
18/09/2013
17/10/2013
21/11/2013
19/12/2013
Communal Repair Inspection dates
| July – September 2013 | October – December 2013 | January – March 2014 | April – June 2014 | |
| Lawson Estate area 1:
Falmouth Road, Symington House, Munday House, Nashe House, Beeston House. MEETING POINT: SYMINGTON HOUSE 10am
|
17.9.13 | 5.11.13 | 4.3.14 | 29.4.14 |
| Lawson Estate area 2:
Burbage and Chettle Close, Lyly House, Greene House, Jonson House, Kempe House, Alleyn House, Middleton House, Cardinal Bourne, Great Dover Street and Bartholomew Street. Peveril House and Rephidim Street. MEETING POINT: PEVERIL HOUSE 10am
|
18.9.13 | 6.11.13 | 5.3.14 | 30.4.14 |