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Councillors Financial Housing ILA Information Islington Islington Council LBI Leaseholders Leases Major Works Service Charges

Massive Rent Increases

Islington Councils latest budget, as usual, is all “Doom and Glum” and continually pointed at the great hole in the  borough’s finances. 

Nevertheless, since the councils main funding stream is basically through council rents and Maintenance bills, their obvious solution is to raise the average Council rents by a whopping great £9.71p per week. This is in order to replenish the Housing Revenue account, and facilitate further mis-running of the borough. 

However, strange though it may seem, whilst the borough is financially struggling to survive, the Council have also re-purchased 389 ex Council flats. It’s not to move islington tenants out of temporary accommodation, such as bed and breakfast, which costs the borough a fortune, but to be used as further…short term accommodation..!

Question, if this borough is having financial problems : – Just how/and from where, did they acquire the money to finance such a massive purchase?

Using a broad brush approach, approximately 389 flats at an average cost of £400.000 each? (and we all know, that in this borough you can’t buy a shoe box for that, much less 2, 3, and 4 bedroom flats) comes to approximately £155.6 million pounds!

Question, If the purchase of these flats involved a grant…how much was it in total?… if a loan, just how much undisclosed debt are we now jointly carrying?…and what % interest are we going to be paying?, to whom, and for how many years to come?. Which of course will be solved, once again, by simply, raising the RENTS and MAINTENANCE bills …Again and Again…

It “Beggars Believe” what both Tenants and Leaseholders of this borough are forking out in order to cover financial mismanagement…

Hopefully, the usual “Smoke and Mirrors” won’t be enough this time around.!!!

Dr Potter

Chairman ILA www.ila.org.uk

Categories
Leaseholders

Scaffolding Vs Cherry Pickers

scaff crop vs

Leaseholders often wonder why vast amounts of scaffolding, erected on council property, never appears to be in use. Why it remains so for months, and some times for years even? 

Understandable, on high rise blocks, perhaps, but on low rise and street properties the costs can’t be justified, surely? Since the use of modern “Cherry Pickers” and Tetra systems, can vastly reduce costs. They also cut the time required to do the job.

The council usually argue that regardless of time on site, cost of scaffolding remains fixed at a set price by their contract…So whether it remains up for a week or six months is totally irrelevant…!!!

Arguably, I would assume that if this is such, the council might be accepting “Front loading” of the contracts to justify such fixed priced arrangements, since builders do not work for free.

Recently I witnessed (photographed) replacement of tiles on a four floor block of flats, using a cherry picker…workmen arrived at approximately 8am the repair completed by 9am, while I watched…no scaffolding used, and only three workmen…job done…!!!

Furthermore, I have pictures of a similar machine being used on higher council blocks adjacent to the Town Hall…So, given scaffolding is extremely expensive, damages buildings, is unsightly, encourages crime, and requires netting, why does the council continue to use it.

The leaseholders theory is generally, that it profits the contractors by allowing them to store their materials for free, thereby removing the necessity for expensive “striking” and costly storage, until required elsewhere, the council however would argue that it greatly facilitates future “on going” works, and actually saves leaseholders money…!!!

Leaseholders pay the bill…You decide…!!!

Dr Potter…

Chairman ILA                      

Categories
Councillors Financial Housing ILA Islington LBI Leaseholders Leases Major Works Repairs Service Charges

Follow the money!

A simplistic explanation of why we pay so much…!!!

Why are council Rents and Maintenance bills, so inexplicably high? …simple,  …Just follow the money!

The council state that their main funding stream is basically via council rents, and maintenance billing. This is paid into the Housing Revenue Account by tenants, leaseholders, and 4000 absentee landlords…So…

1/ Islington Council issue contracts to maintain the borough’s estates.

2/ The Contractor scopes out the work, price the job, and bill’s the Council for work completed.

3/ The Council (using 33% of the housing Revenue account) pays the tenants contribution. It apportions the remainder between their leaseholders and absentee landlords.

4/ The absentee landlords then recover their cash by raising their rentals.

Who gets this public money?

1/ Builders get paid directly by the council, come what may.

2/ The council simply raise the tenants rents, and present Home owners with a massive bill.

3/ Landlords increase their rental charges to cover their liabilities.

Where does the money wind up!

1/ Contractors reinvest their massive profits in new projects.

2/ Builders simply “rack it in” by piecemeal subbing-out of the fractionated contracts.

3/ Council reduces its gross over spending to appear efficient.

4/ Landlords pay off their Mortgages.

5/ Private tenants reduce their renting costs by flat sharing.

6/ Mortgage lenders always win in the long run, since their investment is inevitably founded in “Bricks and Mortar”. 

All financed from the constant uncontrolled wastage of public money.!

Solution

1/ Council reduces contract sizes

2/ Council stops issuing astronomical bills to pay contracts

3/ Council controls Building and Maintenance costs by bringing building projects “Back in House”…

4/ Council demands total accountability

5/ Council demands value for money

6/ Council accepts “Individual Corporate Responsibility”, as the norm. 

Which is no more than what they’re already being handsomely paid for doing…!!!

Dr Potter…

Chairman ILA… (www.ila.org.uk

Categories
Housing ILA Information Islington Leaseholders Meetings Website

ILA Meeting in March

Monthly Meet

on

Wednesday 13th March 2024

in

Islington Town Hall

at

7pm – 9pm

Agenda includes Service Charges and Major Works Billing

Please bring with you any paperwork you intend to refer to….e.g. s20 estimate. Etc.

Hosting the Meet – Dr Brian Potter

All Islington council leaseholders are welcome.

The ILA is the organisation, recognised by the Council, as the body representing some 11,000 leaseholders in the borough.

X (FKA “Twitter”) @ilaorguk

Face Book www.facebook.com/IslingtonLeaseholdersAssociation

Please join or renew your membership via our website ww.ila.org.uk where you can obtain the appropriate membership forms from the “Support” tab in menu

Categories
Housing ILA Information Islington Leaseholders Meetings Website

Islington Leaseholders Assn. Feb. Meeting

Monthly Meet

on

Wednesday 14th February 2024

in

Islington Town Hall

at

7pm – 9pm

Council Executive Una Halloran &  Mr Ian Swift, asked if they could attend the ILA meeting  and after consulting with leaseholders the ILA have invited them to this months meet.

Agenda also includes Service Charges and Major Works Billing

Please bring with you any paperwork you intend to refer to….e.g. s20 estimate. Etc.

Hosting the Meet – Dr Brian Potter

All Islington council leaseholders are welcome.

The ILA is the organisation, recognised by the Council, as the body representing some 11,000 leaseholders in the borough.

X (FKA “Twitter”) @ilaorguk

Face Book www.facebook.com/IslingtonLeaseholdersAssociation

Please join or renew your membership via our website ww.ila.org.uk where you can obtain the appropriate membership forms from the “Support” tab in menu

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Housing ILA Information Islington Leaseholders Meetings Website

ILA Islington TownHall meet 7pm Wed 10th January 2024

Islington Leaseholders Association Monthly Meeting

on

Wednesday 10th January 2024

in

Islington Town Hall

at

7pm – 9pm

Welcome to the first ILA meet of 2024

Agenda includes Service Charges and Major Works Billing

Please bring with you any paperwork you intend to refer to…I.e s20 estimate. Etc.

Hosting the Meet – Dr Brian Potter

All Islington council leaseholders are welcome.

The ILA is the organisation, recognised by the Council, as the body representing some 11,000 leaseholders in the borough.

X (FKA “Twitter”) @ilaorguk

Face Book www.facebook.com/IslingtonLeaseholdersAssociation

Please join or renew your membership via our website ww.ila.org.uk where you can obtain the appropriate membership forms from the “Support” tab

Categories
Housing ILA Information Islington Leaseholders Meetings Website

ILA Islington TownHall meet 7pm Wed 13th December 2023

Islington Leaseholders Association Monthly Meeting

on

Wednesday 13th December 2023

in

Islington Town Hall

at

7pm – 9pm

Agenda includes Service Charges and Major Works Billing

Please bring with you any paperwork you intend to refer to…I.e s20 estimate. Etc.

Hosting the Meet – Dr Brian Potter

All Islington council leaseholders are welcome.

The ILA is the organisation, recognised by the Council, as the body representing some 11,000 leaseholders in the borough.

X (FKA “Twitter”) @ilaorguk

Face Book www.facebook.com/IslingtonLeaseholdersAssociation

Please join or renew your membership via our website ww.ila.org.uk where you can obtain the appropriate membership forms from the “Support” tab

Categories
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.

Categories
Housing ILA Information Islington Leaseholders Meetings Website

ILA Islington TownHall meet 7pm Wed 8th November 2023

Islington Leaseholders Association Monthly Meeting

on

Wednesday 8th November 2023

in

Islington Town Hall

at

7pm – 9pm

Agenda includes Service Charges and Major Works Billing

Please bring with you any paperwork you intend to refer to…I.e s20 estimate. Etc.

Hosting the Meet – Dr Brian Potter

All Islington council leaseholders are welcome.

The ILA is the organisation, recognised by the Council, as the body representing some 11,000 leaseholders in the borough.

X (FKA “Twitter”) @ilaorguk

Face Book www.facebook.com/IslingtonLeaseholdersAssociation

Please join or renew your membership via our website ww.ila.org.uk where you can obtain the appropriate membership forms from the “Support” tab

Categories
Housing ILA Information Islington Leaseholders Meetings Website

ILA Islington TownHall meet 7pm Wed 11th October 2023

Islington Leaseholders Association Monthly Meeting

on

Wednesday 11th October 2023

in

Islington Town Hall

at

7pm – 9pm

Agenda includes Service Charges and Major Works Billing

Hosting the Meet – Dr Brian Potter

All Islington council leaseholders are welcome.

The ILA is the organisation, recognised by the Council, as the body representing some 11,000 leaseholders in the borough.

X (FKA “Twitter”) @ilaorguk

Face Book www.facebook.com/IslingtonLeaseholdersAssociation

Please join or renew your membership via our website ww.ila.org.uk where you can obtain the appropriate membership forms from the “Support” tab

Categories
Housing ILA Information Islington Leaseholders Meetings Website

Islington Leaseholders welcome at TownHall meet 7pm Wed 13th September 2023

Islington Leaseholders Association Monthly Meeting

on

Wednesday 13th September 2023

in

Islington Town Hall

at

7pm – 9pm

Hosting the Meet – Dr Brian Potter

All Islington council leaseholders are welcome.

The ILA is the organisation, recognised by the Council, as the body representing some 11,000 leaseholders in the borough.

Twitter @ilaorguk

Face Book www.facebook.com/IslingtonLeaseholdersAssociation

Please join or renew your membership via our website ww.ila.org.uk where you can obtain the appropriate membership forms from the “Support” tab