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Subject: Sydenham Hill Request TRA Meeting with Adam Barrett (4 June 2010)
Dear Lewisham Homes,
The Sydenham Hill TRA would like to schedule a meeting asap ( but no later than 18 June 2010) with Adam Barrett and the Heads of Caretaking Services, Repairs and Grounds Maintenance to discuss a way forward with regards to on-going unresolved issues of Estate Management and Service Charges to Leaseholders and Tenants.
Some of these issues are as follows:
1. Inadequate and insufficient Caretaking Services and Unjustifiable High Charges for the service
2. Disrepair on the estate with particular reference to Health andSafety concerns – Silbury Lights, a case in point
3. High charges for the provision of an insufficient Grounds Maintenance Service
4. Extremely poor Supervision and Quality Control of the Services provided leading to very poor Value for Money delivery of the Services which SHOULD NOT be passed on to the Clients – us.
The need for this meeting is urgent and overwhelmingly important.
Kind regards,
Peggy, Sydenham Hill TRA
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Dear Lewisham Homes,
I sent you a letter back on 11th March with numerous items raised regarding poor cleaning standards, items gone un repaired even though reported by myself many years prior and raised again and again since that time, poor management of our estate services.
I am still awaiting a reply from you (and/or your supervisor).
The other day I had a final reminder for paying my service charges.
As I have stated in the past, I have no problem in paying the service charges if work is actually carried out. I have no intention of going to court over these payments. As such, as soon as I receive your response to my letter, I shall make arrangements to pay the outstanding bill by monthly direct debit.
To get a bit more information about this, please see the email (above) from Peggy Amoako (TRA secretary). You can see that we have actively been pursuing Lewisham Homes regarding service charges and poor standards.
You can also view our SyTRA website: www.sydenhamhill.blogspot.com
There are photos and reports plus other information. I hope you can see that we have been proactive in chasing the levels of service we deserve/pay for!
I look forward to your response.
Matt
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Subject: Charges for services (7 June 2010)
Dear Steve Bullock,
I have been advised to bring the issue of poor standards and overcharging in Sydenham Hill estate (managed by Lewisham Homes) to your attention.
I am an active resident, taking much of my free time pursuing Lewisham Homes, Lewisham Council and attending meetings for the TRA, Leaseholders Improvement meetings, ASB forums and also on the L&Q Shadow board prior to the stock transfer which will be in full swing by Autumn.
To give you a brief back ground: I have lived on Sydenham Hill Estate since 2006. During which time I have repeatedly written to the numerous management agencies we have had for our estate. I have also written to my councillor (Alex Feakes, who just to note has not replied to any emails sent regarding these issues for more than 2 years!), my MP, Lewisham Homes Leasehold Services Dept, Technical repairs dept,Caretaking dept and our estate rep, to name but a few!
I have never received an adequate response to my complaints about the extremely poor standards in caretaking and maintenance we all receive, despite being charged exorbitantly each year (more than a 400% increase since 2006, and standards have actually slipped since then!).
We tried our hardest to combat this injustice, within the SyTRA and other focus groups, but as you can see from the emails above, we are still pursuing the issues.
What we all want, as residents, are three main changes to current arrangements:
1) Fair and accountable pricing of services provided. Completely transparent access to these records, of charges and works carried out.
2) We require that cleaning and maintenance be carried out to the standards set out in Lewisham Homes own documentation. That there be enough cleaners, with enough time to actually be able to provide the services we PAY FOR.
3) For repairs and maintenance to be carried out in a timely fashion, for clear safety hazards to be noted by the caretakers (weekly) and reported by them (e.g. potholes, broken glass, communal lights not working etc).
I wonder if you can help our cause? Email can be sent to me at this email address, you can also check out SyTRA website (blog): www.sydenhamhill.blogspot.com where all recent info and photos are posted.
I look forward to your response.
Matt
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Cllr Feakes – who had been copied into the above email – replied on June 11th, promising to chase Lewisham Homes about the outstanding works. He asked if Sydenham Hill leaseholders had received a copy of the REVIEW OF THE COUNCIL'S OBLIGATIONS TO LEASEHOLDERS, that the Scrutiny Committee that he chairs had published in January. (They hadn't...)
................................................................................................................................................. Subject: Charges for Services 12 June 2010
Dear all (leaseholders),
Lets face it we are flogging a dead horse.
Lewisham homes do not have the Will nor the desire to provide the level of service being charged for. What little they are visibly doing is to help them in achieving the 2* Rating from the audit Commission. We should be entitled to a 50% rebate on Caretaking, repairs, ground maintenance and management charges for at least the last three years.
The charges have been excessive, unreasonable and unjustifiable.
If in doubt please attend the next "Walkabout" and Smell the coffee!!!!!
Regards,
M. Quereshi
Chair SYTRA
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Subject: Sydenham Hill Estate (12 June 2010)
After checking the status of the lights at Silbury House last night, I feel we should at this stage seriously consider getting an external contractor to fix the lights.
They are still not all working, some don't have fittings at all, and little or no activity by Lewisham Homes has been noted of late. Despite some recent help from Alex Slattery and his team, it seems they are not able to complete the work.
The lights were reported as faulty 6 years ago be me (and no doubt other residents as well), the issue has been raised again and again repeatedly with Genevieve Emanuel (leaseholder services) and many other departments dealing with repairs and technical issues since 2006.
It seems, at this stage, that no further effort by us can make Lewisham Homes complete a satisfactory job, so I feel we should get an external contractor in.
On top of the lights, there are of course many other issues still not up to standard. Namely the cleaning standards (worse than ever), safety issues: pot holes (countless and real hazards), broken glass pains, the poor quality of tenants put here by Lewisham Homes and Council (dumping, fly-tipping and general antisocial behaviour) and of course the general state of disrepair of the whole estate. I for one am not happy to be paying £800 per annum for the services we receive, I believe I can speak for the whole estate with these sentiments.
Please let me know your thoughts.
Kind regards
Matt
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I've escalated the problems on the estate with the Head of Housing at the town hall. I hope that the additional focus that this should give on to the managers of the estate will yield some better results.
I know that that you have had Lewisham Homes come down and do a walk about on the estate and in Silbury House. It may be worthwhile getting the Head of Housing down as well soon to see the problems for themselves - please let me know if this is something you would like me to organise.
Kind regards
Alex
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