Minutes 24 April 2013

TANNERS HILL TRA Meeting

7pm – 8.30pm, Wednesday 24th April 2013

ATTENDANCE

Colin Connell (CC) Treasurer/Block rep Florence Terr
Frances Connell (FC) – Area Panel rep
Gillian Lewis (GL) – Secretary/Deloraine House block rep
Stephen Robinson (SR) – Chair
Belinda Rumbold (BR) – Vice Chair/Pitman House block rep
Barry Still (BS) – Vice Chair/Heston House Block Rep

Vicky Yeardley (VY) – Area Panel rep

 

Lewisham Homes Officers:

Dave Tutt – Estate Supervisor

Gary Boyns – Estate Supervisor

Richard Wright – Community Involvement Officer

Ademola Ayanbadejo – Tenancy Officer

 

Councillors:

Darren Johnson

 

Residents:

Russell Bushell – Pitman House

Zeph – Pitman House

Nuala Walsh – Heston House

Stephen Thompson – Deloraine House

Patsy Brian – Florence Terrace

Sue Slade – Florence Terrace

 
Item 1:Welcome, Apologies and Introductions
  1. SR opened the meeting, apologies: Cynthia Atherton (Community Safety), Iris Davies (Heald St Block Rep), Eileen and Fred (Florence Terr), Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT), Cllr Vicky Foxcroft
  2. AOB agenda set: Pitman meeting, Intercoms, Garden
Item 2:Minutes 28/1/13 Agreed at last committee meeting on 26/3/13. Majority present agreed and ratified
Item 3:Matters Arising
  1. Recycle Bin – there is now a bin in Omega St for Estate use.

Action – GL to show Dave Tutt possible location for Deloraine House after meeting

  1. FC didn’t email DJ as gully no longer blocked

Action – DJ will take up again as it is blocked again

  1. Signage now done
  2. Cleaning of walkways – not resolved (see agenda item 7)
  3. Yellow hazardous waste bags dumped illegally outside Heston House – Environmental Health Officer inspected and traced to source, a London Care Home. It won’t happen again

 
Item 4:Officers Reports 
  1. Chair – involved in negotiating withdrawal of Garden Committee as a Sub Committee of the TRA, to remain an Unincorporated Association
  2. Treasurer – Funds in account (approx) £779.09, of which £279.57 is unrestricted. Until the accreditation is resolved, it is not possible to finalise the figures, balance the books or sign cheques.

We have been successful in securing a grant of £900 from LTF and a

further grant of £130 for a printer and camera.

A dispute has arisen between myself (CC) and June (Auditor) over an

alleged comment she made regarding my competence

  1. Secretary – now using new Minutes format, minutes are posted on TRA web site, setting up a mailing list of residents who attend meetings (sign in sheet has a column for those who prefer to receive hard copies of minutes, which can then be posted through their door), Public Liability Insurance purchased, documents sent to CC (Treasurer)
Item 5:Chairs for no82  CC – folding chairs are required for storage purposes, we need 12 robust ones which are £8-£10 each. All Agreed
Item 6:Report on Decent Homes Meeting 10/4/13   FC Report: Stage 1 – from Dec ’13 to Jan ‘14 LH will send letters out in order to visit individual properties, to assess for internal works. A list of internal works will be issued to the Contractor.Stage 2 – Contractor’s survey and wiring and asbestos survey. Works to start approx Feb/Mar ’14. External works – will commence on completion of internal works. Lease – holders will be contacted in the next financial year re external works only.

 

Gen discussion re need to enter flats to survey/inspect: DT: work is tailored for each flat as some kitchens are older than others and residents have varying needs eg different design for those who are infirm, can’t reach high cupboards etc. This reduces costs, minimises disruption and ensures appropriate work is done. Inspection is by appointment throughout, it’s not sinister.

CC: when Colin Dawes inspected internally, they adjusted the Plan

Nuala: rooves of Heston/Deloraine? External work starts when internal done.

 

GL: Chairing of meetings? SR: LH responsible for that

FC: next DH meeting is in Sept, they’ve taken all the Questions and will come back to us with answers
Item 7:Caretaking/Service Charges

Item 7 contd:

 BR/Russell: Pitman House – a cooker was left in a lift, Russell cleaned lift a couple of times, last time it was mopped was 2 weeks ago. Gen consensus at Pitman meeting was that service charge has doubled but it’s hard to find a C/T.DT: I was only made aware of this tonight. Would rather work with volunteers on a daily basis, not wait for the meeting. I walked through blocks yesterday and contacted Gary (Estate Mgr) with concerns. Contact me or Gary, we can deal with problem straight away. I’m concerned about consistency of clean, you shouldn’t have that level of service.Action – guidance on leaflets, I’ll clarify standards

Aug – we’re launching ‘Love Where You Live’ as C/Ts are dealing with rubbish and fly tipping, so time cleaning is being reduced. We knocked on doors in Hazel bank and found that children take rubbish out. On Pepys, C/Ts spent the whole morning removing bulk items.

 

Extended hours cleaning – we use if absences are long term. We have responded to your views and made a staff change.

 

Charges – costs are broken down into an hourly rate. Dec 12 we looked at block allocation of hours and adjusted frequency of 124 blocks where no issues, to keep costs down. Tenant behaviour varies, 2 blocks not the same, social issues, differing needs. But hourly rate for Tanners Hill is unchanged

Pitman C/T? – you’ll pay more, eg. as Pitman has more vinyl than Deloraine

 

General discussion that standards deteriorated, C/Ts walk past litter/butts, we mark stairs. They don’t sweep squares, moss everywhere, rubbish left in back sq, also the slopes outside the C/T room. Gary told regularly. There’s been 1 lumber collection in 2 weeks.

DT: If I had this info before, I could’ve spoken to LB Lew re missed collection. Street sweepers have allocated times for certain jobs

Action – I’ll have a Liaison meeting with LB Lew tomorrow

 

CC: has Gary got the backing to get things done?

DT: he does 1 to 1’s, then passes to Line Mgr if not resolved. Glenn Carter is Temp Agency interim for CT Mgr, job ad for replacement goes out next week

CC: it was Gary who halted Scrub, I told him surface was smooth, slippery

DT: there was a problem with flooding. If issues to report please use feephone no or email. Inbox monitored daily. Previous issues were resolved via email

 

Lumber Cupboards – FC: locks changed so left open but they didn’t collect.

DT/Gary: locks changed as FB keys widely available. Wherever non standard locks, LBLew/Glendales have keys

CC: why did Bulk Refuse crew leave open Sat pm, when they have a key?

 

A resident askes whether the new aluminium staircase on 4th floor Deloraine, will be painted white to blend with the walls?

Action – DT will ask repairs

 

Lighting – very bright, comes through blinds/curtains, may prevent drug activity, they are a bluer colour. Some lights have been on for 3 weeks

Action – DT: Can we invite someone from Repairs to next meeting? List o/s repairs and we will take away with us? I will go to Head of Repairs

DJ: other Estates have a 30 minute surgery before the TRA meeting for individual issues, people can talk to appropriate Officers

Action – SR to item as Drop in/Surgery, on TRA Agenda for meetings

 

Deep Clean – DT: Glass panels are only windows too high for C/Ts. Louvers will be done from outside as part of the Window Cleaning contract

Item 8:Southwark Council Hostels  Gen discussion that Hostel in Florence Terrace is not well run, issues aren’t dealt with, there are no consequences for anti social behaviour eg late night noise, prostitution etc. If hostel residents breach their licence there should be consequences. No 25 is owned by a private individual who lets to Southwark council, he says there are no people on bail in hostel, but “we know there is”. Now he has bought no19. Owner would consider other uses ie students.DJ: If change of use, then there is a planning process but if the building is of a certain size ie small, they may not need the input of the residents. ASB should be working with SNT to resolve. Who is the client, Southwark Co or a charity? Action – DJ to take up with Lew Co “for whole thing to be investigated and feedback to officers”.

Residents noted that there are good people in the hostels who deserve support but out of control behaviour needs to be addressed.
Item 9:AOB
    1. Pitman House – BR report appendix 1
    2. Intercoms – BR: cctv is outdated, possibly new ones installed so looking at different types. There’s a small covert camera on 2nd floor, may put one on every floor

Action – DJ to take up noise/nuisance, people ringing buzzers, with SNT

– SR put on agenda for next meeting, more likely SNT will come

In meantime, call SNT or 999 if witness people watching the door

BR: ASB want to know if LH are acting on reports eg my neighbour made a fire on the balcony, fire brigade came. After a conversation with Everett on Thursday, there was extra patrolling of Pitman House/Florence Terr 7pm-1am

VY: a woman was mugged in Florence Terr, she got her bag back

 

Gen discussion re untaxed cars, BR goes online to DVLA. Also people throw rubbish out of windows eg BS reported to C/Ts re Heston and Gary told. CC did a walk round with Chris Hart/Gary, they met a man locked out of a flat he had bought a key for, for £3000

ADE: We can do occupancy check, go out at 7am, very effective

 

3 Heston Garden – GL: withdrawing from TRA but remaining an Unincorporated Association would bring us in line with majority of community gardens in Lewisham. Garden group has support from Malcolm Cadman at Evelyn Garden and spoken to LH, Brockley Assembly (re legitimacy of receiving funds into new bank account as an unincorporated Association)

Action – It was agreed that an open meeting would be organised where Officers could be elected and constitution formally agreed

 
Item 10 RW asked whether Emma Mills (Acting Leasehold Mgr) could come for a 1 hour pre meeting or whether it should be another date.Next meeting 22 May at No82 (?) meeting closed 9.00pm