This morning's Brent Cabinet discussed progress on addressing the improvement plan demanded by the Social Housing Regulator after the Council's self-referral. 'Historic failings' on repairs and maintenance were condemned.
Lead Cabinet member Donelly-Jackson said that the progress report was 'necessarily frank' but the council was now aiming to be easy to contact, quick to respond and with clear communication.
Leader of the Council, Muhammed Butt, said, 'Even one failing for one resident is a reflection on all of us...we are the only ones they can come to. They can't go anywhere else.'
Summarising he said, 'We hold ourselves accountable for all our failings.'
Fine words but the entrance door on a South Kilburn block above, reported on November 14th if not before, has still not been repaired. It is not a fire door as first thought, but is a security door. Despite a council claim that it has been 'made safe' pending repair, it is still open. This is way byond the 8-10 days promised and well outside the new regulations for urgent safety issues.
Just yesterday in Harlesden I spoke to a tenant in a Brent Council block where gound floor sewage leakage had been reported frequently for months but never effectively irradicated.
Clearly there is much to be done before the Council can claim to have solved its long-term 'historic failings.'
13 comments:
It is possible to see many well managed and good conditions of life supportive social estates being delivered on day-to-day in other boroughs, Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea, even Harringay! Sadly In Brent, permanent development zoned changes the agenda from care to un-care as that is good for the growth zoned business.
South Kilburn is soon into permanent development year 47.
This Labour Council is truly usless, and obviously Cllr Donelly-Jackson is well out of her depth. She will obviously remain in post because of her backers that got her on cabinet in the first place. Poor old B~ent Council and its residents.
I guess you never hear about the blocks being managed well
That door being left open could also invalidate the building insurance, if they have one… Brent never wants to improve and move forward, sadly. They like to go around themselves and solving nothing in the end. Their aim is for the problem to go away by itself.
As said councillors do not represent developer-led population growths zoned. Councillor-led are de-populating conservation areas where building welfare state infrastructure, high quality maintenance and neighbourhood cohesion is state policy and the UK political consensus. East streets for politicians, whereas Gorefield House main entrance door repaired would be an afront to a permanent development zoned.
You don't get to a Reform Government by reducing social inequalities between such zones.
Did Cllr. Butt really claim: 'We hold ourselves accountable for all our failings'?
As someone who has tried over the years to hold Brent Council (including its Leader) to account on a number of occasions, my experience is that they deny having done anything wrong, and use any means they can to prevent you from pursuing complaints against them.
The door being left open would also leave residents vulnerable to burglary or attack, particularly women and girls.
And why would that be?
Well said Philip. I believe, as many, many others do, the majority of the current bunch of Labour Councillors think they are perfect and entitled, and of course know better than residents, and how dare residents have an opposing view to councillors.
Easy street means- conservation areas that are planning priority at local, regional and national data map levels across all public services planning and delivery decisions.
Councillors do not represent growth zones. UK media control seems to keep massive majority Labour from daring change and big thinking.
South Kilburn permanent development has considerable remote monitored surveillance in place for decades, so would think it is possible to check who needs this main entrance door open 24/7.
An open door policy. There was certainly one late 1990's pre the regeneration 2001 start point. What would the Building Safety Regulator say?
Door fixed open
She's a housing lawyer who grew up in council housing, and outside of cabinet, earning less than someone who works at Tescos to take legally-aided homelessness s.202, s.204 and Judicial Review cases last year; and winning cases in the First Tier (Property) Tribunal this year for renters (with 300+ page long bundles to master). And it's two 'n's in Donnelly. If you are going to say useless, do spell it correctly. 'Backers' had nothing to do with it - I got onto cabinet because I applied and set out my experience and commitment to residents. I've taken on housing because it's a passion: The reason I stood to be a councillor. I have been made homeless as a child, lived in council housing, and still have to rent privately because there is no bank of mum and dad to get someone like me from a council estate, on to the housing ladder. It's lived experience + legal housing knowledge that means I am very much across the details. Feel free to email me and ask any housing questions.
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