Tag: PFI

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Councillors Cyclical Works Financial Housing ILA Information Islington LBI Leaseholders Major Works PFI Repairs Service Charges

£9million of taxpayers’ money went to ‘offshore tax haven’ through Islington Council’s out-sourced housing deals

From PFI article in ISLINGTON GAZETTE this week

Between 2012 and 2018, JLIF which invested in 65 PFI and Public Private Partnership schemes around the world, had pre-tax profits of £526.1m but paid only paid £2.1m (or 0.4pc) in UK tax. Academic and housing campaigner Stuart Hodkinson, whose 2019 work Safe As Houses scrutinies the “corporate greed” of PFI schemes, estimates the total contract value of PFI 1 is £357m, while PFI 2 is said to be worth £421.3m.

Dr Brian Potter, chair of Islington Leaseholders Association, led a campaign to stop the PFI deals in the early 2000s. He argues offshore or tax haven registered companies profiting from PFI deals, while not illegal, is “unethical” and “insidious”. He said: “This is one of the major problems with selling off contacts. Once you have sold the contract you have no control, so there is no quality control – nobody accepts responsibility for anything wrong with the original contract. You’re just left with a money spinning machine just eating money over the years. It was the worst council financing decision.”

Read the full story here

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Cyclical Works Financial Housing ILA Information Islington LBI Leaseholders Major Works Meetings Partners PFI Repairs Service Charges

Partner’s answers to questions raised by ILA leaseholders meet Wed 13 Jan 2016

Partner’s answers to questions raised by Dr Brian Potter Chairman (ILA) and Leaseholders at the ILA leaseholders meeting held on Wed 13 Jan 2016.‏

Dr Brian Potter Chairman (ILA) has asked me to forward this attachment onto you all from Partners regarding the questions Dr Potter and leaseholders raised at the ILA meeting on Wednesday 13 January 2016 and Partners answers. Please click on the attachment.

Please view below the questions raised by Dr Potter to Partners at the meeting

· When does rolling 5 years Cap run from end of works, end of snagging or making good repairing problems created?

· If the Cap is set when costs were incurred does that mean from when the first cost or last cost in a particular set of major works was incurred?

· Can you confirm that partners no longer make good any damage – created by poor major works? E.g. damp, blown plaster, ruined decorations?

· Can partners conform when the” making good” policy changed, as Partner used to tell Lease holders that they would repair all the damage that arose as a consequence of Partner Major works?

· What guarantee are partner giving these days on the major works they do on Roofs, Windows, damp works. Decorating before partners can rebill Leaseholder for repairing the faults?

· Partners have previously said that they’ll fix problems while they hold the street properties contract & that their roofs should last 30 years?

· Does that mean e.g. that if the 16 year PFI2 contract is terminated in 2022 that any roofs being repaired now are only in effect guaranteed for 8 years?

· Why do Partners never give us a copy of invoices of their expenditure despite it being the law and despite repeated asking?

· Why do Partners repeatedly hand out new bills for repairs to major works that have been badly done in the recent past?

Regards…

Dr Potter

ILA meeting 13.1.16 Partners Response

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Cyclical Works Financial Housing ILA Information Islington Leaseholders Major Works Meetings Partners PFI Repairs Service Charges Website

ILA meet Wed 13 Jan 2016 with Partners

 Islington Leaseholders Association Meeting

On

 Wednesday 13th January 2016

 In

Islington Town Hall

At

7pm – 9pm

Hosting the meeting: Dr Brian Potter Chairman (ILA)

Guest Speakers: The following Partners Islington representatives will be attending the ILA meeting

Shaun Holdcroft, Director of Resident Services, Hyde HA

Steve Blake, Director, Rydon Maintenance

Clifford Yeend, Divisional Manager, Rydon Maintenance

Tom Irvine, Service Improvement & Engagement Manager, Partners

Michelle O’Toole, Communications & Complaints Manager, Partners

We will attend the meeting between 7pm and 8pm, and will give a short verbal presentation on the services we provide to our leaseholders and areas we are currently working on. Following this, we will be pleased to take questions from the group.

Website www.ila.org.uk

Twitter @ilaorguk

Face Book www.facebook.com/IslingtonLeaseholdersAssociation

Volunteers wanted

The ILA are looking for a ‘secretary’ to take minutes and distribute them regularly to all the directors and asks for a volunteer to undertake this essential part of the work, to assist with the smooth running of the organisation.  If you are interested please leave a message here.

 If you wish to join or renew your membership here

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Cyclical Works Financial Housing ILA Islington Lands Tribunal Leaseholders Major Works Partners PFI Repairs Service Charges

ILA Crowdfunding bid to challenge hidden housing repair costs

Reposted from Islington Tribune

LETTERS: Crowdfunding bid to challenge hidden housing repair costs

Published: 27 November, 2015

• IT’S great to see the Tribune has started to report on Islington’s housing problems once again.

What was not reported in this article was that during the scrutiny committee meeting I asked Partners representatives how many surveyors it employed to service the properties it manages on behalf of the council; its answer was approximately 12. Since Islington Council employs another 60 surveyors to service the rest of its housing stock the total number of surveyors paid for by residents is more than 70, and according to the council, the majority of its surveyors are not even Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors qualified.

 Since leaseholders’ bills for cyclic work show that all contracts are inclusive of 11 per cent for “professional fees” to the council, surely we are entitled to expect that the council employs only fullyRICS-qualified staff?

If the council is using potentially unqualified staff (not chartered surveyors) to assess the condition of our homes, how do we know that the costs and quality of the work, for which we are grossly overcharged, actually represents true “value for money”?

The answer is simple. We need to be able to freely inspect the schedule of rates appertaining to the contracts which have been agreed between the council and its contractors. Since we pay the bill we should be able to see just what the council signs us up to.

Curiously, the council not only refuses to allow us to view this document, but has recently attended a court hearing in order to make certain it can reserve the right to restrict legislative compliance to a degree which suits its purpose – basically, to stop residents seeing the cost of their repairs.

In order to challenge this position those concerned need to be able to pursue their case without fear of financial pressures.

Therefore, we are currently examining the possibility of following a course of crowdfunding to finance a challenge. If you are prepared to assist financially please email us on Islington.Leaseholders@hotmail.co.uk.

Remember, if the council does not have to show how your money is spent, it’s you who will have to pay the hidden costs.

DR BS POTTER
Chairman, Islington Leaseholders Association

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Councillors Financial Housing ILA Islington LBI Leaseholders Partners PFI

Invitation to Partners to address next ILA meeting

Sharon Pearce, Partners

Dear Ms Pearce…
This is the follow up email which I promised to send you at Monday nights meeting of the Islington Housing Scutiny Committee.
The directors and membership of the Islington Leaseholders Association would like to invite you, and as many members of your team as you may require, to address them at our next open meeting…
This will be taking place on the second Wednesday of December, in Upper Street Town Hall, starting at 7pm (sharp).
There will not be a pre-agenda…so all question will be taken directly from the audiance…
It would be of assistance if you can provide hard copies of all/any proposals/points which you would like to explain/expand upon…
We look foreward to an informative evening…
Regards…
Dr Potter
Chairman ILA

Categories
Cyclical Works Housing ILA Information Islington Lands Tribunal LBI Leaseholders Major Works Partners PFI Repairs Service Charges

BBC program wants Council & Partners Leaseholders experiences of works, charges for repairs etc

BBC are doing a programme looking at the experience of leaseholders when it comes to charges for repairing and maintaining communal buildings. They are keen to talk to people who can give them an insight into how this system works – are repairs/maintenance done promptly… is the quality of the work adequate… are the charges that are levied on leaseholders fair etc.? They may want you take part in program.

They are are also keen to talk to PFI leaseholders.

Please mail ILA 2-3 paragraphs with your experiences by Fri 8th May and well pas them on, thanks

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Cyclical Works Financial Housing ILA Information Islington LBI Leaseholders Meetings PFI Repairs Service Charges

ILA Monthly Meet Wed 11th March 7pm – guest Patrica Napier

Islington Leaseholders Association Meeting

 
On
Wednesday 11th March 2015
In
Islington Town Hall
At
7pm – 9pm
Hosting the meeting: Dr Brian Potter Chairman (ILA)
Guest Speaker: Mrs Patricia Napier
Twitter @ilaorguk
Volunteers wanted
The ILA are looking for a ‘secretary’ to take minutes and distribute them regularly to all the directors and asks for a volunteer to undertake this essential part of the work, to assist with the smooth running of the organisation.  If you
are interested please log into https://www.ila.org.uk/faqs/contact-form.
If you wish to join or renew your membership please contact our website www.ila.org.ukwhere you can obtain the appropriate membership forms.
Categories
Cyclical Works Financial Housing ILA Islington Leaseholders Listed Buildings Major Works Partners PFI Repairs Service Charges

Partners – Refurbishment and Improvement Works

For anyone wanting some info on Partners Refurbishment and Improvement Works programme, you can view and download them from here

 

 

 

 

Categories
Financial ILA Information Leaseholders Meetings Partners PFI Website

People vs PFI conference 01. 11.14

Join us on the 1st November, 9am – 5:30pm at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine for the inaugural People vs PFI conference, bringing together academics, medical professionals, campaigners, researchers, journalists and grassroots organisations to discuss the problem of PFI, and to brainstorm political and practical solutions – with a focus on PFI in the NHS and social housing.

Speakers include: Richard Brooks (Private Eye), Ann Pettifor (Advocacy International), Nick Hildyard (Corner House) Ashley Seagar (Intergenerational Foundation, formerly The Guardian), Cat Hobbs (We Own it), Fran Boait (Positive Money), David McCoy (Medact), David Price (Queen Mary University London) Stuart Hodkinson (University of Leeds) John Lister (Keep Our NHS Public), and Dexter Whitfield (European Services Strategy Unit), with more speakers to be confirmed.

more info

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Financial Housing ILA Information Islington LBI Leaseholders Major Works Partners PFI Service Charges Website

Leaseholder poll – How can council improve their relationship with you?

When Leader of the Council Richard  Watts came to the Islington Leaseholders’ Association meeting at the Town Hall on February 12th, 2014, he spoke of the need  for an entirely new council/leaseholder relationship, based on working together.With this in mind, your thoughts and input would be appreciated.

Leaseholder poll Please tick 3 boxes then press vote  button below

In which three ways do you think your council landlord could most improve their relationship with you?

View Results

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If you think the council should be doing something more important for leaseholders than the suggestions above, tell us publicly on comment form below, or privately via the contact form and we may ask the council about it and/or add it to this poll, or flag it for future discussion.

Please Share Poll /Email On / RT / Like / Tell someone else.

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Housing ILA Islington Lands Tribunal LBI Leaseholders Partners PFI Service Charges Website

ILA Meet 9th April 2014

Islington Leaseholders Association Meeting
on
Wednesday 9th April 2014
in
Islington Town Hall
at
7pm – 9pm
Hosting the meeting: Dr Brian Potter Chairman ILA
Guest Speaker: TBA
Twitter @ilaorguk
If you wish to join or renew your membership please contact our website www.ila.org.uk where you can obtain the appropriate membership forms.