Gatliff Close
We have contacted the Housing Department to raise concerns about proposals to charge leaseholders for Major Works which include “To remedy the defective anti-slip floor paint system which was applied as part of a previous major works contract”.
We do not believe that residents should be made to cover the cost of the Council rectifying defective works.
As a result of our enquiries, the Housing Department has clarified the situation:
“The works being carried out under this contract are not exactly rectification works, as the original works were for painting the flooring. However, painting of the floor works degraded quickly due to the level of footfall on the area. Therefore, we have produced refunds to the residents for the monies charged. We have liaised with residents and chosen a different flooring for the communal hall/stairwell. These works will be recharged to residents. We are in the process of writing to residents in regards to their refunds”
Denbigh Place
We are continuing to help Sanctuary tenants in Denbigh Place who require repairs to their flats and have requested a transfer to more suitable accommodation.
St George’s Drive
Following our enquiries, Sanctuary Housing has agreed to install a new front door to a property in St George’s Drive.
Vauxhall Bridge
Transport for London has warned that the volume and type of traffic able to cross Vauxhall Bridge could be restricted within five years if money for repairs is not found, according to TfL’s financial sustainability plan. According to the document, the grade II listed bridge “which carries over 70,000 vehicles per day … could face usage restrictions within five years absent investment”. Last year TfL carried out four months of work on Vauxhall Bridge which included bridge deck waterproofing, footway and carriageway resurfacing, drainage improvements, kerb works and the replacement of the bridge’s expansion joints.
Darwin House and Balmoral Castle
We have continued to press the Council on its plans to redevelop Darwin House and the Balmoral Castle on the Churchill Gardens estate. In particular we have raised questions about the following:
- The length and depth of the consultation
- The need for any new housing in a redevelopment to be social, not intermediate/’affordable’
- The height of the new supported housing block (per Shelley House residents’ complaints especially)
- The decision to demolish & rebuild rather than refurbish/extend Darwin House
- The architectural importance of the estate and thus the importance of any new design
- The petition which the Council has referenced as a ‘springboard’ for this redevelopment only mentioned the Balmoral Castle site, and did not include any reference to Darwin House.
- Churchill Garden residents were never meaningfully consulted on the use of the whole site before WCC’s plans were unveiled.
De Quincey House, Lupus Street
We are helping a family in De Quincey House with tenancy issues.
Lillington Gardens
We are helping residents in Stourhead House, where there was a blocked drain, and Henry Wise House where residents are experiencing a range of water-penetration problems and we have asked the Housing Office to investigate these and take the necessary action.
A Tale of Two Cities: Inequality in Westminster
Churchill Ward Councillor Andrea Mann spoke at the last Council meeting about ‘Inequality in Westminster’. You can read her speech here: