Work that’s unwanted

Published: 06 August, 2010

• ISLINGTON Council could quite easily save a substantial amount of money by simply not carrying out renovation or refurbishment work which is unwanted and unnecessary.

Why carry out block repairs to council tenants on estates at considerable profit to the contractor when the tenant has indicated they don’t want them done? 

As chairman of the Federation of Islington Tenants Associations I have explained to many tenants their position in relation to the implementation of these renovations under the Decent Homes programme. 

Their right to refuse the installation of both kitchens and bathrooms is constantly being ignored by contractors, and not being prominently highlighted by either Islington Council or Homes for Islington. 

Furthermore, with regard to electrical rewiring, it is not being explained to many tenants, in plain English, that they can refuse certain aspects of this procedure. Rather than submit to a completely disruptive rewire of their homes they simply have to insist on having the existing installation checked, and if it passes without serious problems, it will often be unnecessary to continue.

Many tenants would rather retain their existing facilities, since they consider them far superior to those on offer by the Decent Homes programme. 

So would it not be a better policy to insist that all contractors and sub-contractors initially identify tenants’ preferences before insisting on supplying unwanted equipment and services paid for out of the public purse?

Dr BS POTTER
Chairman FITA/ILA