London,
20
July
2018
|
00:00
Europe/London

Friday 20 July 2018 - The latest news and updates from the Chalcots Estate

The Chalcots Works Group is held at the estate with TRA reps, councillors and council officers in attendance and is chaired by a TRA rep. They meet regularly to discuss works matters on the estate. This newsletter includes feedback from the Chalcots Works Group Meeting on Wednesday 4 July and Wednesday 11 July 2018, present at the meeting were representatives from Blashford, Taplow, Burnham, Bray and Dorney.

 

Reminder: repairs and maintenance contact details

  • We sent a letter to residents on Friday 6 July to tell you that we will be taking on future repairs and maintenance at the Chalcots Estate. We would like to remind residents that the number for all repairs, including boiler and heating issues is 020 7974 4444 (option 3, followed by option 1 and select ‘Hampstead’) and is open from Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm. Our emergency call out service will continue to be available 24 hours a day.
  • If you have previously reported a repair that has not been completed, you will need to call us on the above number to let us know and to make sure that our officers can arrange to carry out your repair.

 

New resident liaison officer (RLO) at Blashford and Burnham

Tina Connolly is our new RLO at Blashford and Burnham. If you have any questions about the works on the estate or asbestos surveys, contact Tina on 07715 617 337 or email [email protected]

 

Feedback on your window options

  • We have now analysed and evaluated all of your feedback about the four window options we presented to you in June. You told us that good ventilation and a comfortable room temperature were the most important factors for your new windows, as well as installing the safest option with effective restrictors. The findings show that residents prefer:

- Option 1– top hung tilt outwards. This is similar to the current windows, is hinged at the top, and  opens outwards.

- Option 3 – bottom and side hung tilt turn inwards. This can be opened two ways, inwards with the hinge at the side or with a hinge at the bottom.

  • The feedback on windows has been included in the Fire Safety Programme update of the housing scrutiny committee paper (published on Friday 13 July) and will be considered for comment by councillors at the scrutiny meeting on Monday 23 July. The final decision will be made in August 2018 by the Executive Director of Supporting Communities in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Better Homes.
  • You can read the Fire Safety Programme update at camden.gov.uk/housingscrutinyreportJuly18

 

The council’s response to the Chalcots Independent Review

  • The council’s response to the Chalcots Independent Review is now available to read at camden.gov.uk/chalcotsindependentreview
  • The Chalcots Works Group is held at the estate with TRA reps, councillors and council officers in attendance and is chaired by a TRA rep. They meet regularly to discuss works matters on the estate. This newsletter includes feedback from the Chalcots Works Group Meeting on Wednesday 4 July and Wednesday 11 July 2018, present at the meeting were representatives from Blashford, Taplow, Burnham, Bray and Dorney.
  • As mentioned in our previous newsletter, the independent review and the council response will be taken for comment at the housing scrutiny committee meeting on Monday 23 July and we will also respond in full at the cabinet meeting on Wednesday 25 July.

 

Resident involvement in the tender process

  • One TRA member from each block has now been nominated to sit on the tender quality assessment panel. We expect the presentations to the panel to take place in September. More information will be shared with residents to explain this process soon.
  • The Chalcots working group have outlined their priorities for contractors to take into consideration through the assessment process. These include quality control, support for vulnerable residents and how traffic and parking is managed onsite as well as in conjunction with other local construction projects. The contractor will have to specify who the accountable person is onsite and how they will provide appropriate welfare facilities for construction staff and security.
  • A number of contractors have asked for more time to prepare their submission so the tender deadline has been extended to Friday 31 August.

 

Reminder: support for heating expenses

  • Last year when the cladding and insulation was removed, all residents received a letter confirming that we would assist with paying any additional gas costs for heating consumption over the winter months from October 2017 to the end of April 2018.
  • All Blashford residents have been offered direct payments to support increased gas consumption bills as they do not receive the same gas supply from the council and are on their own meters. If you are a Blashford resident and have not signed up for direct payments please contact us directly to confirm your bank details so that payments can be made.
  • Residents from Bray, Burnham, Dorney and Taplow who receive their gas supply from the council will receive their annual gas statement the week commencing 30 July 2018. We have taken into account any additional gas consumption and the cost has not been passed onto you. We have also not charged the standing charge for the evacuation period. This is shown on the gas statement as adjustments.
  • If you do not think that these payments do not cover your extra heating between October 2017 and April 2018, please contact us at [email protected]

 

Access for asbestos surveys

  • Last week we sent a letter to residents regarding two asbestos surveys that we need to carry out in order to continue with our future fire safety works. Thank you to those who have given us access to their homes so far.
  • We encourage you to contact your RLO to book an appointment as soon as possible. A list of contractor contact details were provided in the asbestos survey letter. If you will be away during the summer please let us know so we can work with you to find the best time to gain access to and complete the survey for your home.

 

Free swimming on Sundays

We are pleased to let you know that we have extended free family swim sessions at Swiss Cottage Leisure Centre to Sundays from 10am to 3pm, meaning that Chalcots residents can enjoy family fun over the entire weekend. Residents will need to bring a proof of address.