This section aims to give residents information on the
maintenance and improvement projects planned or currently in
progress on their estates.
Works are generally split into two types:
- revenue projects, which are cyclical works like the five-year
external painting, major repairs to boundary walls, refurbishment
of cold water tanks etc, and minor improvements, like installing a
new item of play equipment
- capital projects, large schemes like renewal of windows, roofs,
lifts etc, that cost several thousands or millions of pounds and
take several months or years to plan and implement.
The Housing Development team is responsible for the programming,
implementation and monitoring of all planned maintenance and
improvements (excluding day to day repairs) to our housing estates.
The team also promotes energy efficiency initiatives, undertakes
the energy rating of the housing stock and assessments under the
new Housing Health & Safety Rating System for compliance with
the Decent Homes Standard.
Download lists of all revenue and capital projects for year 2007
/ 2008 here and the accompanying letter. The lists indicate which
projects were not completed last financial year, and gives reasons
why they were delayed.
For information on future cyclical projects,
email
the Housing Development team.
Consultation with residents
We place great importance on consulting residents and endeavour
to accommodate suggestions where possible. All residents are
consulted on major repairs and proposed improvements to determine
their views and whether they wish to pay towards improvements (in
terms of rent increases or service charges). Views are considered
and / or proposals modified before proceeding with works. Long
lessees are consulted on the likely service charge following
receipt of tenders.
If an estate has a residents' association, representatives are
invited to submit projects in addition to those identified by the
estate staff and our technical consultants. All suggestions have to
be balanced against forecast income and priorities are discussed at
the
Residents' Forum, to which all Residents' Association
representatives are invited.
Residents' Associations are also contacted for their comments on
the specification prior to seeking tenders. Residents' groups can
suggest a contractor if they wish, provided that they meet the City
of London's vetting procedures. For larger schemes, residents'
association representatives are invited to attend progress meetings
with the contractor.
After the works are complete on major schemes, we carry out
satisfaction surveys to obtain residents' views on the quality of
the work. The replies are used to improve specifications in future
projects. Most projects also have either a six or 12 month defects
liability period, during which reports of any defects from
residents are welcomed. All external painting projects have a 24
month defects liability period and residents are surveyed twice
during this time and asked to report any problems.
Contact
For more information on maintenance and improvement projects,
please contact:
The Housing Development
Team
City of London
Department of Community and Children's Services
PO Box 270
Guildhall
London EC2P 2EJ
Tel 020 7332 3015 (with voicemail)
Fax 020 7332 3796
Email