To: editorial@insidehousing.co.uk
Subject: letters page
Date: Mon, 4 Jul 2011 22:26:59 +0100
FAO
Mr. Jon Dean
In replying to Cllr Murray’s comments (Leaseholders’ group rejects poll over future control of council homes, (30/6/11)) first let me stress that the decision to boycott the council’s questionnaire and all subsequent actions was in no way a personal decision, but the result of a vote taken at our recent AGM, where I was instructed, by a massive majority, to take no further part on behalf of the Islington Leaseholders Association (ILA) in the proceedings.
Cllr Murray’s blatant attempt to disregard the opinion of the association, which covers the whole borough, and constitutes one third of all council properties, is simply a pathetic attempt to reduce its impact by personalising the issues; not only is this extremely offensive to me personally, but it shows a complete distain for leaseholders in general.
Cllr Murray further states that, I …”have previously been closely involved with the process”… which, since I did attend ONE OFFICIAL MEETING probably does, in the council’s opinion constitute “close involvement”. However, had I been aware from the beginning that the council was drawing all its applicants from the “INVOLVEMENT REGISTER” of Homes for Islington (HFI), and thereby excluding the vast majority of Islington’s tenants, I would not have affirmed their actions by attending even that one.
My principle objection to this whole fiasco is that the so called “Independent Tenants Adviser” was “selected” by applicants from HFI’s own involvement register. The questionnaires which are now being sent by the council to all tenants in the borough have had no input from anyone who could remotely be called independent.
This initiative is seriously flawed, and cannot under any circumstance be seen to comply with government policy on either tenant empowerment or localism; therefore it should be scrapped before it does a great deal of harm to the tenants of this borough.
Dr. B. S. Potter (LL.B.)
Chairman ILA/FITA