tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2129943063330427887.post6500504092768915246..comments2024-03-28T19:20:52.408+00:00Comments on WEMBLEY MATTERS: Brent Housing Partnership scorched at ScrutinyUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2129943063330427887.post-61182353318777295852015-07-18T15:34:39.000+01:002015-07-18T15:34:39.000+01:00Duffy or Filson are the only ones with a modicum o...Duffy or Filson are the only ones with a modicum of credibilityAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2129943063330427887.post-66753305445923819422015-07-17T09:09:21.267+01:002015-07-17T09:09:21.267+01:00You joke, but most Labour councillors would welcom...You joke, but most Labour councillors would welcome a new leader if someone credible stepped forward...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2129943063330427887.post-40357952515825145152015-07-16T17:35:09.740+01:002015-07-16T17:35:09.740+01:00I take full responsibilty for everything (except t...I take full responsibilty for everything (except the situation in Greece!) Filson's delivery was sharp and telling BHP, in effect, that there should be sackings over the voids issue, was quite a scorcher. Maybe you had to be there...Martin Francishttp://www.wembleymatters.blogspot.co.uknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2129943063330427887.post-66479987140145651412015-07-16T14:08:36.159+01:002015-07-16T14:08:36.159+01:00OUR moneyOUR moneyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2129943063330427887.post-90709429620005319612015-07-16T00:06:11.853+01:002015-07-16T00:06:11.853+01:00So does Butt (need to start earning his money)So does Butt (need to start earning his money)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2129943063330427887.post-45728940635247741142015-07-15T23:52:49.040+01:002015-07-15T23:52:49.040+01:00Maybe Martin will use the "Owen Jones defence...Maybe Martin will use the "Owen Jones defence" ie, "I don't write the headlines"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2129943063330427887.post-36936696226294091642015-07-15T23:32:22.426+01:002015-07-15T23:32:22.426+01:00Anyone for Leader, but Butt.....Brent is fragmenti...Anyone for Leader, but Butt.....Brent is fragmenting under his watchAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2129943063330427887.post-18000159824381801832015-07-15T20:41:09.612+01:002015-07-15T20:41:09.612+01:00Filson for Leader, Butt please step aside. We keep...Filson for Leader, Butt please step aside. We keep giving contracts to people who behave like they are doing the council a favour, they need to start earning their money,Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2129943063330427887.post-32839092908415487502015-07-15T20:28:02.571+01:002015-07-15T20:28:02.571+01:00I may be being particularly dim - not exactly a fi...I may be being particularly dim - not exactly a first - but can't see how the headline relates to the report. Reading the article I fail to see where BHP were "scorched". The odd mild rebuke, possibly, but I took scorched as meaning rather more than that.Pete Firminnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2129943063330427887.post-53570969605448070572015-07-15T14:56:22.125+01:002015-07-15T14:56:22.125+01:00Ah, now I see why the Wates mention in the post. T...Ah, now I see why the Wates mention in the post. The contractors I've come across have mostly been Lakehouse and Niblock. Alison Hopkinsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2129943063330427887.post-29040840328845080572015-07-15T12:55:17.287+01:002015-07-15T12:55:17.287+01:00Wates.Wates.Martin Francishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02194641151012303116noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2129943063330427887.post-83118579472594779532015-07-15T12:53:28.334+01:002015-07-15T12:53:28.334+01:00Ouch - not good at all. Which contractor was it? A...Ouch - not good at all. Which contractor was it? And I wonder why BHP weren't checking properly, given they add on a project management fee!Alison Hopkinsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2129943063330427887.post-91664315225521081542015-07-15T12:30:42.125+01:002015-07-15T12:30:42.125+01:00Unfortunately one of the houses pictured above has...Unfortunately one of the houses pictured above has had substantial damage after the contractors failed to cover the roofing works which were in progress. The result was significant flooding after overnight rain, carpet ruined and electrical circuits and equipment damaged, and of course the stench that always comes with such events. Not good.Martin Francishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02194641151012303116noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2129943063330427887.post-15542100680553015812015-07-15T12:20:25.046+01:002015-07-15T12:20:25.046+01:00BHP has fundamental structural problems which have...BHP has fundamental structural problems which have got far worse over the past few years. Under Gerry Doherty - an old fashioned council officer - they saw themselves as public servants, and the call centre staff behaved accordingly. Then, Gerry left. New brooms came in, and swept away most of the "old" staff and bought in new ones with an all too commercial attitude at times. The excellent Major Works manager didn't get the job he should, so he left. Someone wsa brought in whose background was in landlord liaison, with no technical background in the sector whatsoever. <br /><br />I have been fighting cases where repairs were not done, badly done or left incomplete for YEARS. That's not neccessarily down to the sub contractors - they do as they're told by BHP. I can cite roofs leaking for over three years, burst pipes repeatedly reported and left undone and a heck of a lot more. Long term tenants have been left in misery - I know of at least one taking legal action for dilapidation. <br /><br />When Major Works have been planned, BHP send estimates for bills of several thousand pouinds for estates negelected for decades. That's bad enough, but when leaseholders get the final bill, it's double. These are not exactly rich people, to say the least. <br /><br />And then, there's what can only be described as bullying tactics by the supposed property development people, trying to force residents to accept totally unacceptable plans. When challenged, one senior manager accused leaseholders of "profiteering" from their own homes. (!) <br /><br />Wates aren't being used for all Major Works by any means - they are, however, now managing Repairs, but as I said, that service is only as good as how BHP manage it. On grounds maintenance, at the moment, Veolia are still sub contracting to Wettons. The local Wettons people do a very good job indeed on the estates I know, but tha's despite BHP, not because of them. The Wettons people tend to have worked on the estates for decades and are very involved with the community. <br /><br /><br />The voids thing doesn't surprise me. I and others have reported empty properties and also those being sub let. Nothing happens. <br />Alison Hopkinsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2129943063330427887.post-84917282857229584722015-07-15T12:00:22.365+01:002015-07-15T12:00:22.365+01:00Just to clarify the point in Martin's opening ...Just to clarify the point in Martin's opening paragraph about another Deputation from me being refused at Scrutiny Committee:-<br /><br />There were two reasons why I was not able to present my Deputation (concerns over possible "pay off" to Cara Davani). The first, which I accepted at the meeting, is that the item was not on the agenda. I had been in touch with two committee members, asking for their help by making a request under Standing Order 64 for the matter to be raised under "any other urgent business", and had hoped that at least one of them would have done so. It turned out that neither had (one of them had sent apologies for absence, as she was unwell).<br /><br />The second reason, which Cllr. Filson explained, was that he had been sent a copy of an email to me from Tom Cattermole (Head of Executive and Member Services) at 3.30pm on the day of the meeting which said that my proposed Deputation subject could not be allowed, as it would breach the Data Protection Act 1998. <br /><br />As soon as I saw this email at 4.45pm I sent an email to Mr Cattermole and Fiona Alderman (Chief Legal Officer), with copy to Cllr. Filson, asking for an immediate reply giving details of which provision(s) in the Data Protection Act they were referring to. I have still not received that information from them. In the circumstances, at the meeting itself, with no legal officer present and no further advice, Cllr. Filson said that he would (reluctantly) have to accept that it would have been inappropriate to allow me to present my Deputation, if I had not already been prevented from doing so by the item not being on the agenda.<br /><br />I hope that this makes clear that it was Council Officers who were seeking to stop me from presenting my Deputation, and not Cllr. Filson. I will be writing more about this later.<br /><br />Philip Grant.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com