Category: Government

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Councillors Election Financial Government Housing IBC ILA Islington Islington Council LBI Leaseholders Repairs Service Charges

Letter to all ILA Members


As I explained previously, Islington Council recently attempted to disband the ILA, by denying us use of a room in the Town Hall, stating that they “no longer recognise the ILA”. However, having solved the problem of a venue, the directors and I decided to advance the ILA’s existence into a far wider electorate, by standing as an independent in the local elections for “Junction Ward”.

Sorry to say, but this time around we didn’t get ELECTED…primarily, due to our combined inexperience and time constraints…But certainly, NOT for lack of trying, or enthusiasm on the part of those who very willingly volunteered their services…A Great big THANKS to all concerned… Nevertheless, due to their efforts, the ILA is now recognised/known by many, many more leaseholders who previously had no idea it existed…!!!

I am extremely happy with the challenge we raised in such a short period of time, and can only say that it was a WONDERFUL learning curve, that our team tested to the utmost, and one which will pay off enormously in all future efforts…(and, we only polled 18 votes behind the Conservative Party Candidate…!!!)

However, “Never say Die”…as the Chairman of the ILA I am proposing to the membership that in future we up our game PLAN exponentially by: –

1/ Possibly fielding candidates in all/any forthcoming Local Elections…In all/any Wards up for re-election…

2/ Promoting an extremely vociferous membership of ILA members, able to show Islington Council and various Government Departments that we demand to be recognised in this Borough. Sadly, although Council leaseholders currently constitute approximately ONE THIRD of all Council properties…we still lack our own “voice” in Islington Town Hall…
This situation urgently needs redressing…!!!

3/ Further our Association’s objectives by using our WEBSITE / PRESS to link up with similar Organisations with compatible aim’s and objectives…(there are 4.6 million leaseholders in this country)…

4/ Reserve a LARGER meeting room in which to hold our regular MONTHLY meetings…

5/ Generally work to a loosely, but appropriate, preset agenda…

6/ Regularly Advertise the meetings in the Press / Etc…

7/ Given that we have approximately 11000 Council Leaseholders in the Borough…a vast number of which are still painfully unaware that the ILA exists, it will be be EXTREMELY useful if all of our existing members join in our recruitment drive, and encourage more leaseholders to attend our meetings, and support our objectives…ASAP…

8/ Notably, since the government have recently reduced the discount on RTB properties, the poor old Councils must be completely overwhelmed with tenants attempting to apply prior to the new (much lower) discount effectively coming into force…(which should allow our membership to increase by 000?” Over night…)

Questions: –
1/ What’s this financial windfall to the Council, going to be used for.?…Perhaps, since it’s your cash they are about to inherit, you might like to demand an answer from Cllr O’Halloran, Leader of Islington Council…in person…!!!

Dr Brian Potter…
Chairman ILA…

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Councillors Election Financial Government Housing IBC ILA Islington Islington Council LBI Leaseholders Repairs

Ombudsmans ‘Shocking” report on Islington Council

Dr Brian Potter is repeatedly asked for the Ombudsmans ‘Shocking” report on Islington Council while campaigning.

We’ve all heard how Islington Borough Council’s Housing Chief (and now Boss) Una O’Halloran was too “busy” to speak to the Islington Tribune’s news reporter recently. 

Perhaps her understandable reticence to be interviewed concerned the shocking report,  which high lighted council tenants still trapped in home’s riddled with damp and mould years after the Ombudsman’s damning report into Islington’s serious Mismanagement of this Borough, (link here ) 

The Rt Hon Michael Gove’s scathing letter to the council which followed, detailing how Islington Borough Council’s appalling administration rate’s were four (4) times higher than the national average, and noted that IBC still repeatedly failed to follow their own procedures and policies, as reported here on the ILA website earlier this year. 

Dr Brian Potter was repeatedly asked for, and supplied numerous copies of the ombudsman’s report (attached below) while campaigning as an independent for Junction ward on housing issues.

Perhaps it was this revelation which upset the council to the point where at November’s meeting of the ILA, the meeting required relocating, without notice, after the Council banned the ILA from hiring the Town Hall after 17 years of service to the Borough.

Possibly, their actions were due to the councils inability to handle any form of tenant criticism, or as others have frequently noted, their propensity for censorship and total lack of democracy. When questioned on the subject, the council simply stated that they “did not recognise the association” after 17 years…!!!

So much for democracy.!

Islington Council Housing Ombudsman Special Report 2023Download
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Councillors Cyclical Works Financial Government Housing ILA Islington LBI Leaseholders Repairs

Questions For Islington Council Causing Distress To Residents

Dr Brian Potter, sent the Letter of October 23 from MP Michael Gove to Victoria Lawson, CEO Islington Council to the tribune this week obo the ILA.

The Tribune published it in this weeks edition…

The letter discusses the Housing Ombudsman’s Special Report condemning Islington Councils  “severe maladministration rate [which] is four times the national average”.

Gove goes on  “This is unacceptable. The report identifies unreasonable delays, poor record keeping and communication with your residents, and a failure to follow your own policies and procedures. You failed to identify underlying issues – instead, you took a superficial look at problems such as damp and mould. It is not surprising that, as a result, many of your residents have suffered prolonged periods of distress”

Since it was dated Oct 23., Dr Potter suggests the Questions we should ask are…
Why did we not know about it until this week…?
and what has/will the council do about it now that it is in the public domain…?

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Councillors Financial Government ILA Islington LBI Leaseholders Leases

Millions could be raised in Islington leasehold sale

With the Leasehold reform bill on its way, its maybe time for Islington council to consider options like this.

Originally written by Jon Dean Thursday, November 1, 2012.

More than £20million could be raised for new homes if Islington Council becomes the first to adopt a pioneering scheme suggested by homeowners.

The plan, thought to be the first of its kind in the country, would see the town hall offer leaseholders a one-off chance to extend their leases by 99 years at a knock-down price.
With around 11,000 people owning former council properties, the initiative could raise in the region of £22million if the price was set at £2,000 as suggested.
The idea is the brainchild of Brian Potter, chairman of the Islington Leaseholders Association (ILA), who contacted Cllr Catherine West, leader of Islington Council, to put forward the proposal.
He said: “The beauty of this idea is that homeowners get security for two generations and can leave their home to their children, while Islington Council get some much needed funds.
“I think they will go for it – I mean, they will definitely want the cash. Other councils are raising money by selling off properties…they’re selling the family silver. 
“This way Islington get to keep the silver and make bundles of money by essentially selling cans of air.”
When people buy a former council home, they usually buy a lease for the property for a fixed period, normally 125 years, while the town hall retains the freehold. 
When the lease gets down to around 80 years, it can be hard to sell or mortgage the property and extending the lease can be a costly, complicated process. 
The cost of extending a lease on home worth £200,000 starts at around £7,500.
Under the proposed scheme the price of extending would be between £1,000 and £3,000 depending on the value of the property.
The council confirmed it was looking into the idea.
Cllr James Murray, Islington Council’s executive member for housing, said: “We are keen to look at new ideas like this, particularly at a time when we continue to face huge cuts to our funding by central government.

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Financial Government Housing ILA Information Islington Leaseholders Leases Service Charges

Law Commission publishes report on valuation in enfranchisement

On Wednesday 8th January the Law Commission published its report – “Leasehold home ownership: buying your freehold or extending your lease”. The Commission sets out options to reduce the cost that leaseholders have to pay to buy the freehold or extend the lease of their homes, and follows its September 2018 consultation paper. Click here for more information and a summary of the options in the report

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Government Housing ILA Information Leaseholders Leases Repairs Service Charges Website

Government’s approach to dangerous Grenfell-style cladding replacement consistent

Grim it may be, but the government’s approach to getting dangerous Grenfell-style cladding replaced on tower blocks certainly appears consistent. Credit: Private Eye, Housing News

 

Click Here

 

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Government Housing ILA Leaseholders Leases Website

Invitation to free webinar on consultation re consumer redress in housing market

Register now for the free webinar

LEASE is hosting a free webinar to help you make an informed contribution to the Government’s consultation  ‘Strengthening consumer redress in the housing market’.

The webinar will be presented by our experienced advisers, Nicholas Kissen and Kavita Bharti.

The webinar is on Monday 26 March 2018, 7pm – 8:30pm. Click here to register.

The Government is concerned that the current landscape is confusing for consumers both in terms of the number of schemes, differences in practices, and gaps where consumers have no recourse to redress. As a consequence the consultation explores and questions:

improving ‘in–house’ complaint processes, to ensure that issues get resolved as quickly as possible;

the practices and functions that should be expected of redress schemes and the powers that they need to do this;

How to fill existing gaps in redress, with a particular focus on private tenants, buyers of new build homes and leaseholders; and

The case for streamlining and improving services for consumers through the creation of a single housing ombudsman service.

Responses to the consultation should be submitted no later than midnight on 16 April 2018. You are encouraged to respond by completing an online survey.

Alternatively you can email your response to the questions in the consultation to – Housingredress@communities.gsi.gov.uk

Written responses should be sent to:

Social Housing Division, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Third Floor, Fry Building, 2 Marsham Street, London, SW1P 4DF

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Government ILA Information Leaseholders Mortgages

Anger as thousands unaware they face a ‘second mortgage’

Calls for the delay of a new loan set to replace a state-backed benefit in just 10 weeks’ time     Shane Hickey  ( The Guardian)   Mon 5 Feb 2018 

Many poorer families could be in danger of having their home repossessed as a state-backed benefit is taken away.

The government has been called on to delay a new “second mortgage” scheme, which replaces a benefit for homeowners on low incomes, after just one in 20 affected households have signed up for it.

From April, the government is axing “support for mortgage interest” (SMI) which helps financially constrained homeowners with their mortgage. It will be replaced with a controversial system where the government offers to loan people the money, which will be repaid later with interest.

However, new figures have shown that just 6,850 households have signed up for the scheme out of the 124,000 currently receiving the SMI benefit, prompting calls for the changeover to be delayed.  more info