AGM Minutes

date	24 April 2007
meeting	Camden Association of Street Properties (CASP) – AGM Hampstead Old Town Hall - 7.30 pm – 9.30pm. CASP Housing Surgery – 6.30pm-7.30pm (Before the main meeting)

CASP Members	David Rodgers (Chair, Camden Association of Street Properties)
officers / Cllrs present	Karen Orr (TP Co-ordinator, LBC), David Padfield (Assistant Director of Housing and Adult Social Care, LBC) Anthony Brooks (Head of Community Safety, LBC) Dave King (Crime Prevention Officer, Metropolitan Police), Cllr Chris Naylor (Executive Member for Housing)
observers
minutes by	Teresa Couceiro (TP Admin Officer, LBC)
apologies	Cllr Roger Freeman, Cllr James King

		ACTION
	Welcome – Introduction and Apologies
	The Chair opened the meeting and reported the apologies and reminded those present of the CASP Code of conduct.
	CASP Announcements
	None
	Minutes of the AGM on 31^st January 2006
	Minutes of the previous meeting agreed to be an accurate record.
	CASP’s Annual Committee Report
	DR reminded the meeting that 2 years ago CASP had re-launched – no formal structure had been in place, no constitution, no formal framework, however, a new and formal structure had started to emerge – it was important for any new committee elected this evening to build on this work. DR spoke about the work of the CASP District Representatives – this project needed to be built on over the next 12 months and beyond – DR thanked those committee members who had taken the project forward. After 18 months of work the CASP Compact was almost ready to be signed. This was the first time in a long time, if ever, that street properties would have a specific agreement with Camden Council. CASP was now represented on a number of representative Council structures and, hopefully, it would soon be represented on more. The Chair thanked the CASP Committee for all their hard work and for the commitment members had shown in progressing the work of the Association. DR also alerted residents to the community safety stand at the back of the room and thanked the team for taking part in the meeting. The CASP Accounts The Chair highlighted copies of the CASP accounts which were available for people to see and take away. As CASP had made the decision to opt for a ring-fenced budget, Camden prepared the accounts as CASP members had no direct access to funding. It had set up an account in case the Association had opted for another type of budget, but this had not been needed and a total of one pound remained in the account – the Treasurer made the book available for inspection. The Chair then introduced the speakers / guests for the evening – Cllr Chris Naylor, David Padfield, Anthony Brooks, Dave King & Karen Orr, The Chair informed the meeting that he would be stepping down from his position due to health reasons.
	Election of CASP Committee Karen Orr oversaw the election, as the officers and Committee stood down. Each nominee spoke briefly about their interest in street property issues and some spoke about their work as CASP Committee members on the previous committee.
	Election of the Chair No nominations for a new Chair were put forward. DR offered to assist the Association on a temporary basis until a new Chair was found. This was formally proposed by Mike Cookson Taylor and seconded by Martin Carroll. Mike Cookson Taylor commented that it was very important for any new committee to support DR in his role.
	Election of the Secretary Mike Cookson-Taylor was nominated by Petra Dando and seconded by Richard Ford.
	Election of the Treasurer Martin Carroll was nominated by Petra Dando and seconded by Jessica Marsh.
	Election of the Publicity Officer Terence Ewing nominated himself for the post and, as there were no other nominations from the floor, David Rodgers seconded the nomination.
	Election of the Vice-chair Jessica Marsh was nominated by Chris Morgan and seconded by Petra Dando.
	Committee Members K.O’Donoghue was nominated by Chris Morgan and seconded by Mike Cookson Taylor. Richard Ford was nominated by Petra Dando and seconded by Jessica Marsh. June Perrin was nominated by Petra Dando and seconded by Mike Cookson Taylor. Geoff Smith was nominated by Jessica Marsh and seconded by Richard Ford. Yasmin Allen was nominated by Mike Cookson Taylor and seconded by Petra Dando. Petra Dando was nominated by Richard Ford and seconded by Mike Cookson Taylor. As no more nominations to the Committee were made DR took over chairing the remainder of the meeting. DR reminded the meeting that if any SP resident wished to join the Committee they could still do so but would need to be formally co-opted onto the Committee.
	Camden’s Housing Strategy – Cllr Chris Naylor
	Cllr Naylor thanked CASP for inviting him to the meeting and expressed his pleasure and honour by their invitation. Cllr Naylor thanked the CASP officers and the rest of the CASP Committee members for their hard work – they had done a great deal to support street property issues. Cllr Naylor then explained that the present administration has a strong commitment to Council housing. Cllr Naylor hoped to sign the draft CASP Compact soon and detailed a number of impacts preparing the Compact has had: Transparency by putting into the public domain what people can expect from the Council; The document explained the things that CASP and Camden Council want delivered; It helped to promote equality and inclusivity; It showed how different organizations need to work together and to clarify the role of those organizations. Cllr Naylor explained that he is looking forward to seeing TP (Tenant Participation) improved and the DMC’s taking on board street properties issues. Cllr Naylor said that there are two ways of responding to the TP Strategy: One is to look at issues that need to be prioritised. The other way is to look at what the Council is planning to do in the next few months. Cllr Naylor stated that the main issues the Council is looking at are their Housing management Improvement Programme, Decent Homes and funding them. There was already a need for more homes as there is a massive waiting list and overcrowding and the Borough will have additional new populations. Cllr Naylor also highlighted the sustainability aspects of housing, like energy issues and work opportunities close to home. Cllr Naylor reported that the revised Housing Strategy will be presented to the Council for approval in June or July. Cllr Naylor said that he welcomed dialogue and would like CASP to give suggestions on their priorities.
	Questions from the floor to Cllr Naylor A resident asked about a letter from Cllr Naylor that was sent out without the response card it should have contained – it was acknowledged that this should not have been the case. A resident responded that this had been an effective way to communicate with residents but future communications needed to be regular if the idea was to be a success. A leaseholder raised questions about the level and quality of repairs. Did leaseholders and tenants have the same rights? Did the Council also have a duty of care towards leaseholders and could they also take their case to court if not satisfied. The resident also complained that there was very little information on the new insurance from the Council. Cllr Naylor responded that there should be no difference in the repairs service offered to leaseholders - the Council also had a duty of care towards leaseholders and that if there is a complaint that cannot be resolved they have recourse to the Leaseholders Valuation Tribunal (LVT). As for the issue of insurance, Cllr Naylor said that they should receive more information. A resident reported that there had been serious problems with major works (in one case withheld for 7 years) – the fact that the current bidding system for properties was not suitable for some disabled people was also highlighted as a matter of concern. Cllr Naylor said that there had been serious problems with contractors and there had been delays with some works but that they were now involved in putting together an Action Plan to improve the situation. Cllr Naylor asked CASP to report to him any patterns and trends it may detect through their day to day work. It was also acknowledged that such problems could impact enormously on residents’ morale. Mobile Security Patrol. The Mobile Security Patrol investigates complaints of Antisocial Behaviour as quickly as possible. A member complained that people are being charged 20p per month for this service but little information had been provided about the actual service including the relevant number to ring to access the service. Cllr Naylor acknowledged that a better explanation should have been sent. ASB – Residents at the meeting reported that this was also happening in street properties – a great deal of emphasis had been placed on tackling ASB on estates but too little on tackling the problem on surrounding ‘streets’- it was also acknowledged that ASB could be a terrible ordeal whether a tenant resided on an estate or in a street property. Campaign for the 4^th option CASP had asked to be involved in the meeting planned with the Housing Minister – the situation was frustrating as residents stated that they would like to be more involved in the campaign to access direct funding for council housing – the meeting made a formal request that Cllr Naylor involve tenants in the process as it not only made sense but Camden’s case stronger if tenants were more involved in campaigning to access the relevant funding. A resident raised concerns that properties were already being auctioned. In addition, concerns were expressed about people leaving their homes for essential repairs – what assurance do tenants have when they move temporarily that they will be moved back into their homes. British Gas contract A resident reported that he has asked not to have a contract with British Gas because it is 20% more expensive but Camden still did it and asked why Camden didn’t use a less expensive contractor as this made economic sense. DR said that it made sense for Camden to consider a change but that they need to give time to the new administration. DMC representation A strong request from residents was put forward for CASP to have formal representation and voting rights at DMC’s – money to support these structures were also paid for by LBC street property tenants and residents – it seemed fair and equitable that people living in these properties should have an equal say on issues affecting their homes. Cllr Naylor responded that this situation has been inherited and that changes could not take place overnight. Cllr Naylor said that there is a need to revise the bidding process and also to look at potential action when a house is under-occupied - the allocations system also needs to be looked into as it wasn’t only about money but about working with people. Cllr Naylor also reported that there was going to be a London wide Housing Strategy which may well set the agenda for Camden - Camden needed to work towards that and co-operate with Housing Associations. Cllr Naylor had asked officers to update him on where the money may be hidden in order for him to be able to ask the right questions when he meets with the Housing Minister. Cllr Naylor asked the meeting to use his new e-mail housingexec@camden.gov.uk and write to him with their housing priorities.	CASP
	Camden’s Anti-Social Behaviour Review – Anthony Brooks (Head of Community Safety, LBC)
	AB said that Camden has moved from reviewing ASB into an Action Plan and Camden was now consulting on that. The review stated that Camden’s general approach on tackling ASB was right. AB reported that they had already made progress on some of the recommendations i.e. use of ASBOs; information recording; developing an information exchange by putting together all the data that is dispersed in various places. Part of the exchange system will allow public access via the internet - AB acknowledged that not everyone has access to the internet but this is what will be available. This will allow people to look in the system and know what is happening in their areas, not in full detail but in general. AB reported that on the issue of mobile patrol there had been a problem almost immediately after commencing a new contract and that they had needed to change the contractor - a dog was not used any more but a patrol was maintained – the service was not organised specifically around street properties as it was a service for all council residents which could be equally accessed. Residents expressed concern that the service was not promoted well enough amongst street property residents, especially in view of the fact that issues around anti-social behaviour were present inside and around these properties. AB explained that the patrol is not designed to solve specific problems but to improve services. Police do patrol and use dispersal orders and all the services work together and they have defined some priority areas. The Community Safety Department was also looking into demoted and introductory tenancies. The Community Safety Department will consult on the first ones although they are under no obligation to do so. A number of residents at the meeting complained about increasing crime in their areas and lack of protection. Residents reported that In the Prince of Wales Road area there was no ASB cover over the Easter break, 999 didn’t respond anymore and they had the impression that no one assumed responsibility. AB acknowledged that there had been issues with 999 –since 3 call centres had closed - but this is a police service. The Safer Neighbourhood project is not an immediate response service – it was important to make the distinction. Residents at the meeting made the following points about ASB. A number of residents spoke about the importance of receiving feedback on what had been discussed and agreed about improving issues such as increased security and reducing anti-social behaviour – the community needed to know about any measures in place to tackle such issues. Providing Information and good communication with residents were crucial as this helped to raise community morale - it was requested that an effective system be put in place order to achieve this objective - good communication also encouraged people to get involved in activities such as trying to tackle ASB in their communities. CASP reported that it had organised a walkabout of the Malden / Prince of Wales Road area and out of this had come a model for co-operation between residents and Camden Council Officers to look at the needs of the area – it was hoped that this experience could be built on and expanded to other areas of Camden. Residents acknowledged again that good work might be being done but that residents affected by problems need to receive regular feedback. It was reported that victims of ASB have to move while the perpetrators stay there and the problem starts all over again. AB explained that the Council only moves the tenants affected if they request a transfer.
	ACTION Provide a note with the minutes explaining what are the powers of the mobile patrol	AB
	Crime Prevention Demonstration – Dave King (Crime Prevention Officer, Metropolitan Police).
	DK informed the meeting that his job is to give FREE advice on how to prevent crime and that through Safe as Houses some people can have locks and other security features installed also free of charge. DK alerted residents at the meeting to the community safety stand at the back of the room which also provided useful info on community safety issues. CASP had raised the issue that the criteria to qualify for these fixtures free of charge excluded some vulnerable people such as single parents with young children and those receiving limited incomes – the scheme was an excellent one and had helped many residents who live in street properties.
	Camden’s Tenant Participation Strategy – Karen Orr (TP Co-ordinator, LBC).
	KO explained that tomorrow the Council will discuss a paper on “Building on and Strengthening Existing Structures - a Tenant Participation Strategy for Camden” with broad ideas on how to progress, more detailed work with tenants - there would be lots of opportunities for street properties tenants to get involved: · A panel/database of residents to give feed-back on issues they are interested in - a group of Officers and Tenants will look into how this is organised. · Improving how DMC’s operate There are 105 TRAs and many have been going for many years but Camden wants to build on that. Camden is looking at developing a model for informal groups as some groups may not want to go through the formal process of setting-up a TRA but may want to discuss specific issues and could do this through a menu of participation to dip in and out of as it suits them. Strategic Housing Group – At the moment the Strategic Housing Group is a multi-landlord and multi-tenure group with a focus on Council tenants but they hoped it could be more Camden wide and could look at other issues like sustainability. A resident asked KO about CASP becoming members of DMC’s, with full voting rights? KO explained that the Strategy proposals will encourage DMC’s to look at this issue & CASP will be part of this discussion. It could not be imposed, but best practice elsewhere could be brought to the table.
	Q & A Session
	No questions
	AOB
	No AOB
	Close of meeting
	The meeting was closed at 9.30 pm

David welcomed the meeting and introduced himself as Chair of CASP and also the officers present. He announced that Bobby Armstrong, Vice Chair of the Police Sector Working Party, would be chairing the elections item.

The Chair announced that there will be a lobby of parliament for direct funding for maintenance and repairs etc on the 8^th February 2006. If anyone would like more information, please see Liz Jelinek at the end of the meeting.

The Chair raised the issue of CASP’s funding. The CASP committee had submitted a wish-list in January 2005 and negotiations are continuing between the committee and the Council, although it has been agreed that CASP will continue to be supported as an organisation. The funding will be ring-fenced once an amount has been agreed and the budget will continue to be held by the council.

The Chair announced apologies from Frederick Price, Cllr Mike Greene, Cllr Raj Chada, Cllr John Rolfe, Cllr Jake Sumner, Cllr Margaret Little, Cllr Hughes, Cllr Anna Stewart, Cllr Sybil Shine and Cllr Roy Shaw

The Chair announced that the report will take the form of the ‘message from the Chair’ which had been sent out to all LBC street property tenants and residents in the borough, which highlighted much of the work carried out by the Committee during the past year.

He stated that 15-16 committee meetings had been held throughout the year and had all been well attended by committee members.

The Chair stated that street property issues have been neglected in the past and discussions on both leaseholder and tenant street property issues had taken place with senior officers attending meetings. Although the committee had encountered difficulties with some members they had achieved a great deal in starting to set up structures for consultation and informing residents in LBC street properties about relevant issues and hope to continue this good work.

Three CASP General Meetings had been held in the past year on the issues of Capital Works, Anti-Social Behaviour and Housing Management. These were generally well attended and helped in identifying problem areas. Since these meetings there have been changes to the council, a new Leader of the Council, Cllr Raj Chada and a new Executive Member for Housing, Cllr Julian Fulbrook.

The Chair felt that capital works was a major issue for street properties and many issues had been raised by tenants and leaseholders at the CASP General Meeting on capital works A meeting was now due to take place with Melissa Dillon, Head of Capital Projects, to brainstorm ways of consulting with street properties and to create a guide, with CASP Committee input, similar to the leaseholders guide to capital works.

(post-meeting note: this project is currently being progressed by the CASP committee)

The Chair also stated that an agreement was being formed between CASP and the council in the form of a CASP Compact and street property residents will be kept informed of its progress.

(post-meeting note: the CASP Compact is now near completion and the final draft of the Compact will soon be available to view on the CASP website. Discussions are also taking place with Camden Council on how the Compact should be promoted, etc)

The Chair also informed the meeting that CASP, hence LBC street properties, was now represented on a number of borough-wide groups – the Strategic Housing Group, Compact Monitoring Board and Camden’s Police Consultative Group.

The Chair announced that a CASP website has been set up, residents can access information such as meeting minutes and will, in due course, also be able to access the CASP compact material via the website: www.casweb.org/casp.

The Chair also informed the meeting that 2 pilot schemes for CASP District Reps were currently taking place in Kentish Town and Camden Town. One of the roles of the district rep will be to negotiate with the District Managers about local service plans, and how these can be amended to reflect and deliver better local services to tenants and residents living in LBC street properties.

The Chair went on to say that It has been suggested by Cllr Fulbrook that the reps become members of the DMC’s, so as to increase participation by tenants and residents living in LBC street properties, access to relevant district funding for LBC SP’s, and as a way to access important information affecting the borough of Camden and individual districts.

A job description for this role (CASP District Representative) is currently being drawn up and agreed and CASP hope to extend this scheme to the other three districts (Holborn, Gospel Oak and Hampstead). CASP also hope to hold local district meetings in the future and the Chair hoped that this project would be progressed.

(post-meeting note: 5 CASP district representatives have now been elected who will work closely with the 5 District Managers to help highlight issues affecting LBC street properties)

The Chair announced that the CASP committee had also submitted evidence to the Housing Consultation Scrutiny panel and had highlighted particular problems around consultation and LBC street properties. He informed the meeting that a draft report of the first part of the panel’s findings is now available on Camden’s website.

The Chair thanked the committee for their hard-work and resilience and in particular thanked the Secretary, Petra Dando who had taken the minutes for the first part of the year.

[It was noted that a committee member made objections about CASP, of which the minute taker could not fully hear, and there was some disruption to the meeting. The Chair invoked the code of conduct by giving an initial warning to the individual concerned].

The Chair stated that there had not been a Treasurer’s report because funding had not yet been agreed with Camden Council. There had also been problems with the previously elected Treasurer who had failed to set up a bank account after almost a year of being in office The new Treasurer, Martin Carroll, has now set up an account with the Halifax, and David thanked him personally for doing this.

The Chair asked that if anybody would like a breakdown of costs to contact Chrissie Baverstock.

The Chair stated that the committee had put forward to all members in a mailout a list of proposed changes to the constitution and referred the meeting to this list.

He raised the issue of formalised membership. It was clarified that 1 quality mailout would continue to be sent out per year to all street property residents but, if formal membership of the Association was agreed, that any other communication would only be sent out to those who had filled in membership / registration forms. CASP had, and would continue to be under pressure to reduce costs and to use its resources as effectively as possible. One way to achieve this would be to target those residents who had shown a particular interest in CASP. The Chair said that they had received a good response so far in forms being returned.

One member objected to the proposed change on the grounds that CASP had been given sufficient funding to continue with regular mailouts, etc.

Another member responded that although CASP had been given an initial amount to re-launch the Association, the amount of funding received from Camden Council could not be sustained, and would be substantially reduced, therefore it was necessary for the organization to reduce costs but still remain functioning and, as much as possible, responsive to the needs of its membership.

The meeting agreed to adopt the CASP membership / registration form within the constitution.

[Post meeting note – If any residents require a CASP registration form, please contact Chrissie Baverstock – see contact details at the end of minutes].

One member was concerned about the confidential clause within the constitution, she felt this should depend on whether the issue was in the interest of the public and should be a matter of judgment. The Chair confirmed that this was the case.

As no further items were raised, the meeting agreed to adopt all of the proposed changes to the constitution.

One member raised the issue of there being a sufficient number of street property TRA’s in place to adequately service the needs of LBC street properties.

Another member responded that there were only 3 or 4 registered SP TRA’s throughout the borough and that historically it had always been very difficult to maintain SP TRA’s hence the need for an organization like CASP.

The member who had responded to the question requested that precise information regarding this item be sent out with the minutes to members.

The member then raised the issue of too much money being spent on supporting CASP

A member responded that when one considered that Camden was spending over a million pounds a year on tenant involvement, consultation, etc, it seemed wholly unfair that LBC street properties should not receive a small amount, like residents living on estates, to increase opportunities for participation and consultation on important issues. Tenants in LBC street properties also contributed to the HRA (Housing Revenue Account) and it was only fair that they be provided with the same opportunities for engagement, etc, as those residents living on estates.

Another member highlighted the huge sum of money (£340.000) received by CFTRA (Camden Federation of Tenants and Residents) annually to service TRA’s, etc. Surely it made sense for CASP to receive some funding from Camden Council to ensure that LBC street properties were also represented.

One member stated that it was a great shame to see so much hard work being undermined in this way, especially as the work had been carried out by unpaid volunteers. The CASP Committee had worked very hard throughout the year to progress the work of the Association.

Bobbie Armstrong, Vice Chair of the Police Sector Working Party, chaired this item.

(it was noted that some further disruption took place at the back of the room. It was also noted that a number of members asked that the shouting/disruption at the back of the room stop so that members could hear the meeting )

Nomination(s) for Secretary, Petra Dando (Kentish Town) – seconded and elected

(An objection was raised but overruled as no other nominations were put forward)

Nomination(s) for Treasurer, Martin Carroll (Hampstead) – seconded and elected

Nomination(s) for Publicity Officer, Terence Ewing (Gospel Oak) – seconded and elected

The Chair asked for nominations and for each nominee to say a few words about their interest in CASP and the wider issues affecting LBC street properties.

The Chair asked the meeting for any more nominations, or whether anybody else would like to put themselves forward to sit on the CASP Committee.

The Chair confirmed that there were now 6 committee members, not including officers, and if anyone else wished to apply after the meeting, they needed to contact the Chair and, if approved by the committee, would be co-opted onto the committee.

An individual commented that it would have been a good idea to have provided details of members wishing to be voted onto the committee before the AGM and suggested that this might be done next time. David Rodgers agreed that this was a good idea and will take this on board for the next AGM.

Hilary Holmes, Head of Finance (Housing), presented a report on rents and service charges.

A report proposing increases went to the DMC’s (District Management Committees) where there had been some discussion on rent levels. This item was due to go to the Executive on the 1^st February 2006. This is a public document and is available on Camden’s website (www.camden.gov.uk)

Hilary referred to the presentation provided to the meeting which detailed the HRA expenditure and income. She clarified that ‘capital financing’ was an uncontrollable amount as it represented debt financing for work done in the past. She also confirmed that the HRA’s income relied mainly on rents and that the ‘other’ column was money collected from service charges and income from commercial properties.

The ‘subsidy’ part of the HRA’s income is provided from the government, this is based on the number of tenanted units. There are serious pressures to reduce these subsidies at the moment as the government’s assessment of need has the effect of reducing funding available for London and the South East and increasing funding to the North of England. Camden has been lobbying their case against this. HH confirmed that the government formula controls rent setting policies.

For 2006/07 there is £13.6m funding pressure on the HRA, due to subsidy loss, inflation and other pressures. Rent income will generate only £4.4m, therefore a strategy is needed to look at finding additional revenue and cost savings in order to balance the HRA. Savings of £6.6m have been identified that have little affect on service delivery such as the removal of welfare costs (Approved by 14^th December Executive).

Rent increase is limited by the government to an average of 5%, across the borough. Initial work conducted with the DMC’s has proposed that the rents of tenants in bed-sits, who face the highest percentage increase, would be reduced to bring the average rent down to 5%. Street properties are the highest beneficiaries from the caps and limit protection, although street property rent increases are generally higher at an average of 5.9%. This is because the formula rent takes account of the individual property values. The big issue is that it is expected that subsidy for management and maintenance costs will be reduced by some £8m over the next 2 years and rent restructuring limits mean that Camden cannot increase rents to meet the funding gap. The council will continue to lobby the government to adjust the subsidy levels and lobbying documents already produced are public and will be sent out with the minutes. However the council will need to look at other sources of funding, including service charges.

One member asked what had happened with the Paribas loan, where residents were given a large increase in rent under the condition that this would be paid back to residents at a later stage?

HH responded that this money was used to provide services and services would need to be reduced if money was given back to residents, through reduced rents.

Another member asked if a better system would be for residents to be given money to deal with their own repairs?

HH said this process would take the form of TMO’s which have already been established in some areas.

A member felt that although street property rents were higher this was not reflected in the services they received.

Another member commented that if rents become too high Camden would end up with more homeless people.

HH responded that 60% of residents are protected through housing benefits and 56% though caps and limits.

HH confirmed that it is only Housing Revenue Account properties that are affected by government rent setting.

David Padfield clarified the issue of service charge recovery. Until recently Camden had not been charging leaseholders for everything they should have been charged for. This issue has now broadly been rectified. However due to the increase in service charges there has also been an increase in arrears. The priority for HOS is to make sure that all service charges raised are collected and that disputes are investigated and agreements reached with leaseholders.

Another member stated that he had recently had some works done to his property which had been done 10 years previously and the cost had increased by 225%.

DP was unable to comment on individual cases but agreed this seemed exceptional, although buildings cost inflation had soared since this time.

Another member felt it was unfair that he was paying for roofing works that he had complained about before he became a leaseholder. The Chair requested that the leaseholder contact DP directly on this issue.

One member asked if street property residents are charged for services even if they do not receive any, and if so would this be shown separately on the rent bill.

HH responded that street properties are only charged if they receive services and this is shown on their rent bill.

A leaseholder wanted clarification on her rights concerning buildings insurance

DP confirmed that summaries of insurance policies had recently been sent out to all leaseholders. He referred the leaseholder to the Insurance dept within the council who could advise on the claim.

HH clarified that the proposed ‘Tree Maintenance charge’ only referred to trees within the realms of a property.

A member queried the amount of £83m spent on ‘management services’, she calculated that this would equate to £2.5k per property per year. 1/3 of residents are leaseholders and pay their own charges.

HH stated that income from leaseholders is a small percentage of total income received. She will forward a breakdown report of income from leaseholders to go out with the minutes.

HH confirmed that ‘management services’ covered the caretaking services, grounds maintenance and all direct services.

DP clarified that service charges are calculated differently for leaseholders and tenants. Leaseholders pay for ‘actual’ costs of services based on their percentage of their block/street property. Tenant charges are pooled into a global cost of providing services and then divided. He commented that all residents have the right to challenge costs if they wish to.

A comment was made that street properties need to be more clearly defined, as it was often difficult to ‘identify’ street properties.

The Chair referred members to the draft changes to tenancy conditions paper. He confirmed that all tenants would be consulted on this before it is agreed and he urged that tenants use this opportunity to make any comments.

The Chair raised point 1) To require carpets. He felt that this was an issue that related specifically to street properties and problems with noise nuisance.

DP explained that having adequate floor covering within a property is already in the leaseholders lease but action is only taken if a valid noise-nuisance complaint is made. VM confirmed that this would be the same policy for the new tenancy conditions.

Cllr Fulbrook produced a sample of sound-proof flooring which has been proved to reduce noise by 30 decibels.

VM clarified that the new tenancy conditions would replace the existing conditions for all tenants.

One member asked for clarification of 3) Tenants should not do anything to increase the risk of fire in their home

Another member suggested including a requirement that all tenants install fire alarms within their properties.

Cllr Julian Fulbrook, the new Executive Member for Housing, addressed the meeting. He felt it was important to get value for money for both tenants and leaseholders, he believed a major issue for all residents was shoddy workmanship by contractors and he wanted to investigate this further.

He also said he had proposed that a pilot project take place to spend £250k on up to 11 estates/street areas to look at making significant improvements. Another idea had been a digital concierge scheme to improve safety and decrease crime hot-spot areas.

One member felt that street property residents live less unanimously with neighbours than on estates and that cameras would only work for outside properties. Therefore the issues of ASB for street properties need to be looked at on an individual basis and the council need to be proactive rather than reactive to issues.

Another member felt that there was a misconception that crime only happened on estates. In the last 18 months there had been more crack houses found and closed in street properties than on estates. Surely these statistics needed to be reflected in the way Camden tackled community safety issues.

One member commented that she was disappointed to only find one line regarding street properties in Cllr Fulbrooks recent housing report which went to Camden’s Executive, especially as some of the report highlighted issues around community safety, etc.

Cllr Fulbrook said the point raised was an interesting one and apologised about this, but commented that this was more than street properties had been mentioned in previous housing reports.

Cllr Fulbrook concluded that he and the council rely on organisations such as CASP to help correct issues within the housing department.

The Chair thanked all the guests and residents for attending, the minutes of the meeting will be distributed to all attendees.