It’s time that someone else was in charge of our estates

Published: 28 April, 2011

• MAY I take this opportunity to applaud tenants and leaseholders on the Bemerton estate for making their voices heard loud and clear over the suggestion that the way to stop anti-social behaviour is to demolish 700 homes. It is quite clear that Homes for Islington (HfI) cannot manage our estates and homes, or deal with anti-social behaviour.

If, as suggested by Councillor James Murray, one possibility would be to bring back housing into the control of our council, then surely there is a case for those councillors who are directors of HfI to resign and get back to the job they were elected to do (Will the Town Hall bring it all back home? April 22).  

Company law suggests directors must always put the company’s best interests first, which is a conflict of interest when dealing with the day-to-day complaints of tenants and leaseholders.  

My own experience of HfI is that it treats serious complaints with contempt and ignores much of the current legislation in dealing with inquiries. It has been allowed to ignore complaints of overcharging and poor workmanship on many major works and Decent Homes programmes and has not given value for money in many cases, which was the criterion laid down by the government in setting up the Decent Homes programme.

Come on, councillors, get rid of this unnecessary expense – HfI.

PJ LEAMY
Cowdenbeath Path, N1 

• LIBERAL Democrat councillors have been calling since last summer for a ballot of all tenants about bringing the housing service back under the council’s direct control.  

Islington’s arms’-length management organisation (Almo), Homes for Islington, was set up mainly to deliver the Decent Homes programme, which is now nearly complete. This move could also save up to £500,000 when the council budget is under severe pressure.

It is therefore bizarre in the extreme that ruling Labour councillors will not give all tenants a say in who runs their homes. They have refused to entertain the idea of a ballot even though Liberal Democrats insisted on a ballot when the Almo was set up.

Bringing the housing management service back in-house, along with the £22million Islington is set to gain from the government’s New Homes Bonus and positive changes to the Housing Revenue Account, something that Labour delayed tackling for years, will change the face of housing in the borough.

What are Labour councillors afraid of?

CLLR TERRY STACY
Lib Dem leader of the Opposition