Minutes of the Annual General Meeting of Kennington Park Estate Tenants’ & Residents’ Association held on 21 September 2016 at the Kennington Park Community Centre
Present: 24 Tenants and Leaseholders of Kennington Park Estate. Joan Twelves in the chair
In attendance: Resident Services Manager, Hyde Southbank Homes, Cllr Claire Holland, Oval Ward Councillor.
The Chair welcomed everyone to the 2016 Annual General Meeting and introduced guests.
- Apologies for absence
Apologies for absence were received from Cllr Jack Hopkins, Cllr Jane Edbrooke (Oval Ward Councillors), and from Lynn Philips, resident.
- Minutes of the 2015 Annual General Meeting held on 23 September 2015:
The minutes of the 2015 Annual General Meeting were approved as a correct record.
- Matters arising from the minutes of the 2015 Annual General Meeting
It was confirmed that the majority of the matters arising from the minutes of the 2015 AGM were referred to in the Annual Report from the Tenants’ Association. It was noted that it was a matter of concern and disappointment that there were many issues which remained outstanding from this time last year and on which very little tangible progress had been made by HSH/Hyde management.
Residents criticised KPETA for perceived failures in terms of ensuring accountability from HSH/Hyde. The Chair acknowledged the criticism and invited residents to contact her and other members of the KPETA Executive Committee to discuss the issues, to become more closely involved in the work of the TA and to attend the regular meetings of the Executive Committee to help to focus the work of the TA on holding Hyde to account.
- 2015/2016 Annual Report from the Kennington Park Estate Tenants Association
The written Annual Report was circulated to all in attendance. The Secretary presented the report as follows:
Kennington Park Estate Tenants’ Association had undertaken the following activities, among others, on behalf of all tenants and leaseholders during the 12 month period since the TA AGM in September 2015:
Parking Enforcement: Following pressure from the TA, new parking enforcement arrangements were at last started in October 2016 under Wing Parking (Parking Enforcement and Management Services).
Legal Advice: Tenants with serious outstanding repair problems had received an excellent service from solicitors, Hodge, Jones and Allen, on a no win, no fee basis. Solicitors had succeeded in holding Hyde to account for disrepair and neglect on behalf of several KPE tenants. In these cases, it took a challenge from the legal profession for Hyde to fulfil its responsibilities as a landlord.
Service charge scrutiny and review: TA Officers continued with work on scrutiny of service charges. Hyde conceded that residents cannot be charged for the cost or maintenance of non-existent equipment in communal areas on Kennington Park Estate. It was clear that Head Office applied standard charges across all properties until challenged by local residents. The TA continued to press for installation of smart meters for the communal electricity supply to ensure accurate invoicing and accurate charges to residents.
Section 20 Estimates: The TA challenged the disproportionate charges in relation to the external redecoration programme and, as a result, the total amount for eight blocks was reduced from £760,000 to £570,000. A reduction of £190,000.
CCTV monitoring system: The TA achieved a temporary respite from disproportionate charges to this Estate last year as the monitoring contract was terminated at the end of June due to pressure from the TA. This meant that residents did not have to pay for contract staff viewing images in real time eight hours a day. Service charge actuals should be reduced proportionately for 2016/17. The TA remained in negotiation with Hyde in relation to long term arrangements.
Vertical drainage stack cleaning and descaling
Following endless correspondence over several years on the part of energetic, committed tenants, a pilot project investigating the condition of vertical drainage stacks was undertaken by Hyde. The TA intended to press Hyde to ensure this will be followed by a full programme of stack cleaning and descaling across the Estate.
Proposed development on the site of the Kennington Park Estate Community Centre: At this time last year the TA has been in regular communication with Hyde, but still waiting for clear, specific details about the future of the Community Centre. Hyde’s initial intention had been to close it in 2015.
Development of the gas holder site: The TA had been closely involved in discussions and consultation on the master plan for the site. Berkeley Homes intended to present the master plan to Lambeth Council’s Cabinet in October. The TA was keeping a watching brief, making interventions and representations on behalf of residents of Kennington Park Estate.
New cleaning and grounds maintenance contract: The new cleaning and grounds maintenance contractor was scheduled to start in October just after the AGM. The TA had followed the procurement process in detail, raising many issues with the Contract Manager on behalf of Kennington Park Estate. The previous cleaning and grounds maintenance contractor was not awarded the contract and, as a result, the standard of work deteriorated further. The TA was concerned about the poor condition of the Estate when the new contract started and the considerable effort required by Cleanscapes, to improve the situation to an acceptable level.
Pay to Stay: The TA discussed this and other new housing laws at a special meeting in 2016, following which the TA Chair wrote to the Hyde Chair and Chief Executive to express the deepest concern on behalf of KPE tenants in the event that Pay to Stay was introduced.
The Annual Report from the Kennington Park Estate Tenants’ Association was formally received and approved.
- 2015/2016 Finance Report from the Kennington Park Estate Tenants’ Association
It was reported that the total expenditure from October 2015 to September 2016 was £379.04. (Leaflet printing and delivery: £224. Website maintenance: £107.99. General stationery, £47.05.) Resulting in a balance of £1,368.96 against the budget for the year of £1,748.00. The Finance Report was formally received and approved.
- Report from Oval Ward Councillors
Councillor Holland reported on the work undertaken by Oval Ward Councillors in collaboration with the Kennington Park Estate Tenants Association and the work of Councillors representing the interests of the people of Oval Ward.
- Elections and Nominations
7.1 Election of block representatives to the Tenants’ Association Executive Committee
Cllr Holland was invited to take the chair to conduct the elections. She confirmed that the TA Executive Committee held regular meetings in advance of full meetings of the Tenants’ Association in order to organise TA meetings and conduct other TA business. Membership of the Executive Committee represented an opportunity to influence and support the work of the TA. Nominations were invited and agreed as follows:
Abel: Andrea Figueras
Alverstone: Sonia Reid
Blades: Joan Twelves, Stephanie Reid
Blythe: Bernard Jennings
Brockwell: Jennifer Gore
Grace: Jennifer Gore
Hornby: Kerry Young, M Evers
Key: No nomination
Lockwood: June O’Mahoney
Lohmann: C Gibson
Read: No nomination
Sherwin: Raquel Matas Moreno
7.2 Nominations to Tenants Association Officer Positions
The Chair invited nominations to officer positions. It was confirmed that the nominations agreed by the AGM were to be formally recommended to the Executive Committee as per the process set out in the KPETA terms of reference and constitution.
The following nominations were agreed:
Chair: Joan Twelves
Deputy Chair: Steph Reid
Community Activities Officer: Deferred to next meeting
Youth Officer: Myron Armstrong
Secretary: M Evers
Treasurer: June O’Mahoney
- Any Other Business
Dates for meetings of KPETA in 2017 were confirmed as follows: 22 February, 26 April, 12 July, 27 September (AGM), 29 November 2017.
- Date of next meeting of the Kennington Park Estate Tenants’ Association
The next meeting of the Tenants’ Association was scheduled for 1900 on Wednesday 23 November 2016. Tenants’ Association Executive Committee pre-meeting scheduled for 1830 on 4 November 2016.
ME/Secretary