New Tenants Housing Panel

I was on Camden councils website HERE trying to find out who are the councils front line Neighbourhood Housing Officers [NHO] - for each ward, as there have been a few change since the elections last May and some changes to ward names and boundaries Camden Council Elections 5 May 2022 

I wasn't having any luck with the Your Neighbourhood Housing Officer - Camden Council page 

So had a look through a few committee documents and couldnt find the information and then came to the Kentish Town  DMC Agenda for Kentish Town District Management Committee on Tuesday, 28th February, 2023, 6.30 pm - Camden Council

but no such luck here either but did find ANOTHER Housing Services Consolidated Report 

- of the Director of Housing Management and Director of Property Services. [must be a standing agenda item for the DMCs. 

One of the things mentioned in the report is the new  Camden Housing & Property Residents Panel which is  said to be a open and honest approach [gasp  - must be true then] with residents in the driving seat something blah something improving blah blah. 

" The panel’s first session was on 01 December, and was opened by Director of Property Management, Gavin Haynes. 

The second session of the panel on 17 January was opened by Director of Housing, Glendine Shepherd. This session was for the panel to explore what topics they may want to investigate more deeply at future panel sessions" 

It doesn't say when the meetings with be made public and appear on the councils website Calender of Meetings and I for one am rather looking forward to seeing how this works out.  

4 May 2023

Angela Spooner has apparently retired 

6 May 2023

I've found the name of landlords  NHO for the ward I live in, its Lavinia Mayers. 

I don't know how long she has been there as I don't recall her introducing herself or such like, which former NHO for ward Dionne Cole did. 

DC has moved to Gospel Oak ward but has stretched back over here to start her harassment of me again. Who is backing her I wonder? 

Oh oh as I type I just heard someone slam the front door very loud which is annoying to me - vacant tenant from A has been up here every day since DC contacted me, including today. 

In AA v London Borough of Southwark HERE  14 Oct 2014, AA sued  the LB of Southwark. 

"conspiracy involving 3 of the defendant's employees in the Housing department to the effect that the claimant should be evicted at all costs and without the opportunity to obtain a further suspension of the possession order obtained in November 2006." 

"The conspiracy continued as an attempted cover-up of the unlawful nature of the original conspiracy and of the unlawful consequences of that conspiracy that had led to the claimant's unlawful eviction, the destruction of the claimant's possessions and his homelessness without financial resources for a lengthy period." 

Its a real eyeopener and actual proof of how some council housing officers abuse their authority at the detriment of some others. This was quite an extreme case and hopefully it doesn't happen that often but it does happen still to varying degrees. 

This case it a lot more clear cut than what I have been experiencing. 

When they take against you for whatever reason I think they lose all sense of integrity and it becomes all about destroying the target. 

26 June 2023

The June round of DMC's Consolidated Housing Services Report 

[Report of the Director of Housing & Director of Property Management - supporting Communities Directorate] 

" HOUSING COMPLAINTS QUARTER 4 22/23

1.1 The data shows that the number of Repairs complaints remains high and Housing Management complaints have nearly doubled. As a result of the high workload, fewer complaints are responded to on time." 

 " CAMDEN HOUSING & PROPERTY RESIDENTS PANEL

 3. Selection & Appointment

 3.3 We are not making public the identities of individual panel members."

 So much for the Open approach mentioned in an earlier Report. What are they so afraid

Thursday 14 Sept 2023

https://www.camdennewjournal.co.uk/article/gospel-oak-tenants-see-the-plug-pulled-on-their-housing-committee

Gospel Oak tenants see the plug pulled on their housing committee

Monday, 29th March 2021 — By Harry Taylor

                                                -------------------------------------------

Seems things have been sorted out. 

What to do after a death

The below is some of the information about "What to do after a death" that's found on the Citizens Advice website

 https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/family/death-and-wills/what-to-do-after-a-death/

Click HERE to read further information 

2 May 2023

https://coronerscourtssupportservice.org.uk/faq/

F.A.Q

What happens when someone dies?

When a person dies in England or Wales, the death has to be registered. This is so even if they are a visitor to the country. 

There are only two ways in which the death can be registered. 

The first is if a doctor was in attendance during the final illness of the person who died and is able to issue a medical certificate of the cause of the death in a form acceptable to the local Registrar of Deaths. 

The second, if the first cannot be achieved, is for the death to be reported to a Coroner.

Water Leaks again inside flat

 Following on from Aug 2015 Damp patch-on-interior-wall-and-ceiling post  HERE 

and Feb  2016 Public-liability-claim-forms post HERE

To do with water leak from flat C above me [due to tenant not reporting to landlord that her toilet waterflow pipe was leaking] which for however many months i don't know,  was soaking part of hallway/bedroom walls and hallway ceiling in my flat. 

The overflow pipe is situated outside [below her toilet window] on wall of the patio and though the pipe shouldn't have been there to start with [when the property was converted in late 1970's - badly positioned same as flat B toilet overflow pipe that is above flat A's back garden door on the outside]

The tenant would have known the pipe was leaking as its at side of the patio door and I used to hear her use the door quite often, etc.

Anyway, since then and me having gotten some money from the landlord camden council to redecorate the areas in my flat that where water damaged, I think the only other water leak problem inside my flat was my toilet leaking where the flush pipe goes into the actual toilet bowl - and flat C above bath overflowing and dripping water into my living room ceiling near to light which triggered the circuit breaker and half the electric's in my flat went off and I had to call out council electrician - this was around 1/2am. I thought the circuit breaker worked well, though it was a slight inconvenience

Back to the toilet leak: I reported it and plumber came up and fixed it I thought. 

However a few months ago the toilet pipe starts leaking again and because of everything that has happened with the landlord and the tenants, I couldn't bring myself to report it to the landlord as I didnt want any of them in here again, ever, unless I really had to let them in. 

A bowl sort of thing is at pipe to caught the water. Its a nuisance yes but it has to stay that way.

Then a few days ago when it was raining heavily I noticed 2/3 water leaks coming through the ceiling of hallway where the leak from 2015 had been, down the walls, near the in-cased electric cable for shower. already some yellow discolouring on ceiling. 

Today it happened again.  I can't call upon the 'specialists' plumbers from the landlord as I feel physically/emotional sick just thinking about them let alone having them in here again. I have though tweeted  @camdencouncil on twitter, who usually just ignores me - i thinks its an automated bot account anyway which is monitored and an actual person replies to on occasions. 

I filmed the leaks 

1 of 3  Water leak from toilet flush pipe - again. Camden Council tenant   HERE 

2 of 3 Water leak coming through hallway ceiling HERE 

3 of 3 its Sunday, 6 Nov 2022 and leak from hallway ceiling again HERE

Tues 14 Aug 2023

I noticed that there is more [water] discolouration on the walls of area and that when there is a long period of heavy rainfall that the external wall becomes soaked through with water - that is still coming through to my flat. 

I'm not aware of the landlord having done any water/damp proofing of any external walls/area's or the internal of my flat. 

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=how+to+waterproof+brick+walls

Scam Messages - NOT from Housing Repairs

The below letter was included in the March 2022 [dated 28 Feb] news mailout sent by  land-lord Camden Council 

an excerpt reads as:

"Dear resident

Please be aware of scam messages claiming to be from Camden Council 

Some Camden residents have been receiving bogus WhatsApp or text messages from 'Housing Disrepair Helpline' pretending to be the Council's repairs service and asking residents to share their personal information. 

These messages are not from Camden Council and you should not reply." 

update 27 March 2023

             again 

7/ 3/ 2024

Threats to set fire to house with us in it

 This was last night around 9pm, my neighbour in flat C above me 

I phoned police and they came down here but didnt arrest her and today i am very wary. do i take her threats seriously? im unsure if go out if i will come back to a house on fire, she is i believe being protected. 

This happened sun 7 Nov 2021

a previous recording of the same neighbour and me arguing

the video is 2:42 long PH lovely, it is fantastic that ME this is PH from upstairs PH everybody works but you Me look PH you are the only one [I got upset at this point as she keeps making remarks about me not being in employment] Me shut the f&&k up PH come out Me yeah PH Come on Me yeah you bitch 0:21 PH come out because I'm recording Me yeah ??? PH you are getting thrown out 0:26 Me listen to the bitch PH get you thrown out ?? Me listen to her shes ?? [she backed away from me down the stairs as I went towards her] Me you are running away PH?? Me oh yeah 0:35 PH every time I come in here I record it as I'm coming in and ???? Me oh right PH they can hear it you fool Me right right so they can hear you slamming the door did they 0:47 PH ugly bitch, you are an unemployed bum Me an unemployed bum 0:54 PH and you should have been a stlll born, you should have been Me I should have been a still born 0:58 PH f££king horrible, ugly, vile, nasty piece of sh3t all you do is complain about people, all you do is harass them, all you do is hurt other people 1:11PH all you do is sit indoors and get your computer out and you can't work but you can ride a bike, you can use your computer but you can complain and you can [she moves back again when i moved towards her whilst she is shouting "come on come on"] Me yeah you bitch PH Come on [she is performing now with the "come on come on" whilst moving/running away from me] PH come on out of here 1:33 PH come on lets ?? Me ??? Note: I think we where both in the downstairs communal hallway at this point with her having opened the front door and standing outside on the door step shouting at me] 1:36 PH you nasty piece of shit Me ??? PH ?? horrible, you are vile [Note: The bang you can hear at 1:42 is me slamming the door on her [she is outside on the door step with me still in the communal hallway] Me vile, nasty f££k off PH horrid ??? 1:48 PH all you do is moan, all you think off ??? thats all you do you??? ????? 2:00 ??? 2:20 PH vile ????? Me ????? PH ??? all you do is ?? people ??????? end

Mon Oct 18 2021

https://youtu.be/lbxt_44r4AI

11.31 long

auto transcript is there on youtube  but ive not gone over it and checked it yet, will do that later on sometime

part 2 https://youtu.be/CjGrY4c19vc

Thursday 23 Sept 2021

https://youtube.com/shorts/KG5IsYRzE1Y

Council tenant in flat C above me, Kentish Town, NW5 2XB again calling me names out her window so every one could hear - thursday 23 Sept 2021 I didn't catch all of what she was shouting but what I did manage to record was PH " the whole street everytime" me "oh pathetic" ph "pathetic" me "oh bless" PH " get a job me "oh get a job PH "unemployed bum, get a job, never work in [his? ]life, never worked in your life" Me 'laughs' PH "unemployed lowlife" Me "I'm a lowlife, againnn" PH "you always have been" Me "right" a pause Me " is that it then" a pause Me " rights i thought that was about the, yeah, she works so hard " ends 0:43

Wed 29 April 2020

Following on from the very aggressive and dramatic outburst of venom towards me [video dated 8 May 2020 but recorded 27 March 2020,] I was subjected to another dramatic and aggressive outburst by the tenant who lives in flat above me, who started stomping about in her bedroom. It sounded like my bedroom ceiling was going to cave it. She then sneaked down her stairs and before i knew it she kicked my flat door and by the time I had found a recording device she had gone back upstairs to her flat and wouldn't come out

Prt1

https://youtube.com/shorts/76nfdbprjzk

 

Transcript: Inside my flat PH " ... you out of here" Me " you kicked the door again you b*tch" PH " you getting thrown out" I opened my flat door and said "yeah the b*tch upstairs PH You getting thrown out "Just came down and kicked my door" PH "you fucking lowlife Me I wonder why that is, why don't you come down and tell me PH you blew the lights again you fcuking twisted, Me come on tell me PH you fcuking psycho Me tell me PH twisted, you need locking up Me come on tell me, come down and tell me PH I just fcuking did Me oh you kicked the door PH fcuking lights in Me you kicked my door PH you blew the lights in, again - you fcuking nutcase, you need locking up and we're gonna make sure you get locked up Me right PH and sectioned

prt 2 . PH Wed 29 April 2020 Watch and see she says

https://youtube.com/shorts/qDy6jJS7vTE

27 March 2020, a week after I came out of hospital after suffering a Heart Attack, I recorded flat C above me shouting things at me whilst she was in the downstairs hallway. I was in my flat on the first floor, and opened my door when she was downstairs.

Warning some swearing

https://youtube.com/shorts/WF2hZRDeBsY

C: " i'm going to get you thrown out of here, im recording everythink, about you blew in the fcuking lights in, you pathetic, small minded hope, hurry up and fcuking die. Fcuking hell unbelievable. I'm going to get you out like I got the other one out, don't worry and im logging everything and they are going to throw your ar*e out, they have assured us they are gonnu' Fcuking c**t, you pathetic lowlife,

Friday 28 Oct 2022

Flat C front door [which is directly opposite my door and main living/sleeping rooms] and no sound proofing in the building ] has been doing this thing the last weeks where it sounds like someone has come in/out her flat and closed the door so that the lock makes a racket - this was happening every night before 11pm, then earlier this week it was just after 11pm, the next night was just after 12midnight, then early this morning it was 1am - I suspect that its deliberate to upset/unnerve me.

Culture and Governance failings in Local Government

The below is from the central government website www.gov.uk - and more specific HERE 

Its about governance failings at a local council level. I haven't copied all of it - only some and have added in area's my own emphasis and notes. 

I wondered at what point did central gov think it was right to intervene in the running of local government - when some parts of the corporation weren't functioning as they are expected to,  by either statutory legislation or common law as opposed to inappropriate local customs and traditions. 

I think its fair to add that local councils do a lot of good stuff as well. 

Guidance

Addressing cultural and governance failings in local authorities: lessons from recent interventions

Updated 16 June 2020

1. Introduction

In May 2020 we published Statutory Intervention and Inspection: a guide for local authorities^{[footnote 3]}. Additional guides, including the lessons that can be learned from the different inspections and interventions under the Local Government Act are being developed and will be published in due course.

The Local Government Act 1999 (as amended) gives the Secretary of State powers to inspect and, subject to there being sufficient evidence, intervene in a local authority where that authority is failing in its best value duty, namely:

to secure continuous improvement in the way in which its functions are exercised, having regard to a combination of economy, efficiency and effectiveness.^{[footnote 4]  [my emphasis]} 

Since 2010, the Secretary of State has intervened formally in 4 local authorities:

• Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council
• London Borough of Tower Hamlets
• Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council
• Northamptonshire County Council

There have also been non-statutory interventions in Birmingham City Council and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Although each intervention was unique and the sample size is small, it is important that we identify common characteristics to ensure that lessons can be learned for the future.

Our analysis shows that one common characteristic of recent statutory and non-statutory interventions is weaknesses in the local authority’s culture and governance.

The culture of a local authority is determined by its shared values and beliefs, how decisions are made, as well as how elected members and officers behave, interact and carry out their roles.

This is designed to be a living document which will be updated as we learn lessons from any future interventions. In this spirit, we would welcome suggestions from local authorities as to omissions or additions. Any comments should be made to LocalGovernmentStewardship@communities.gov.uk.

4. Addressing poor behaviour across an authority

5. Strengthening scrutiny, transparency and whistle-blowing support

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/addressing-cultural-and-governance-failings-in-local-authorities-lessons-from-recent-interventions/addressing-cultural-and-governance-failings-in-local-authorities-lessons-from-recent-interventions

                                                                        

                             __________________________________________

Post: Municipal Corporations HERE

Municipal Corporations - Local Governance

WORK IN PROGRESS

[notes: I can't find this great reform act of 1832 or the below mentioned 1835 Act - on the website legislation.gov.uk, not even under the year 1832 HERE. I've also checked the years 1831 - 1839, just in case and I still can't find such acts even ones that have been noted as repealed.

I can though find 2 Municipal Corporations Acts of 1882 and 1883 which I will link to below]

http://www.historyhome.co.uk/peel/politics/municip.htm

" The 1835 Municipal Corporations Act 

After the passing of the 1832 Reform Act the next logical step in the reform of the constitution was that of the Municipal Corporations. 

There were about 250 of these towns, each of which had received a Royal Charter at some time in the past to have its own council or corporation. There were great variations in how the corporations were chosen and how they functioned but in over 180 of them, only the members of the Corporation were allowed to vote. Normally they re-elected themselves or brought friends and relatives onto the council. The Commission found generally that power was held by a small number of people because so few townsfolk could vote. 

They also found evidence of corruption with the council members becoming rich at the expense of the town's inhabitants.

Corporation funds are frequently expended in feasting and in paying the salaries of unimportant officers. In some cases, in which the funds are expended on public works, an expense has been incurred beyond what would be necessary if due care had been taken. These abuses often originate in negligence ... in the opportunity afforded of obliging members of their own body, or the friends and relations of such members.

Parliamentary Papers (1835) XXIII. Royal Commission on Municipal Corporations

The corporations fixed the local bye-laws and taxes and it was impossible for the majority of rate-payers to remove unpopular councils because they could not be voted out. Most of the corporations used their privileges for personal and party advantage: the majority were Tory. Councils ignored matters like water supplies, drainage and street cleansing which they were supposed to oversee.

Even worse than this, most of the new industrial towns had not been recognised as boroughs and had no corporation at all. In these towns, living conditions deteriorated and the overcrowded slums were a threat to public health. In October 1831 the first cholera epidemic broke out in Sunderland and spread rapidly throughout the country. By January 1832 cholera had broken out both in Edinburgh and London.

Following the same procedures that had been adopted for the investigation of the Poor Laws, in July 1833 the Whig government set up a Royal Commission was to investigate the working of local councils. The Commission's secretary was Joseph Parkes, a radical lawyer. 285 towns were investigated, most of which were found to be unsatisfactory. As a result of the Commission's findings, a Bill was drawn up and brought to the House of Commons by Lord John Russell in June 1835.

The Bill went through the House of Commons without too much difficulty but the House of Lords proved more difficult. 

Most of the closed corporations were controlled by Tories and the Tory peers claimed that the Bill was an attack on privileges and property. They had used the same reasons to oppose the abolition of rotten boroughs during the 1832 Reform Act campaign. The Lords made some amendments to the Bill but, thanks to the efforts of the Duke of Wellington and Sir Robert Peel, the Tory Lords were restrained from throwing out the Bill altogether. The legislation went onto the Statute Book in September 1835.

Terms of the Act

• All closed corporations were abolished
• Borough councils were to be elected by all male ratepayers who had lived in the town for three years
• Councillors were elected for three years at a time and one-third of the council was to be elected annually
• Councillors would choose the mayor, who would hold office for one year
• Councillors would choose a group of Aldermen who would hold office for six years
• Each borough was to have a paid town clerk and treasurer. Accounts were to be properly audited
• Councils were required to form a police force
• Councils, if they so wished, could take over social improvements such as proper drainage and street cleaning
• Towns and cities that had no council could apply for incorporation if they so wished
  
  

Comment

The Act provided a vast improvement over the previous system, which was haphazard and disorganised. It also established the principal of elected town councils. Progress was very slow but the Act at least established the machinery that would enable future reforms to be carried out in the towns. However, the legislation did have several failings:

• The Act did not compel the new councils to make social improvements. Consequently, by 1848 only twenty-nine boroughs had taken any action in terms of public health
• Many towns failed to apply for incorporation because the procedure was complicated and expensive. In 1848 there were still sixty-two large towns without councils.
• The Act mainly benefited the middle classes. Very few working men were wealthy enough to be ratepayers."  Source  http://www.historyhome.co.uk/peel/politics/municip.htm

Municipal Corporations Act 1882 HERE   

Municipal Corporations Act 1883  HERE

Illusions

 home is where the heart is 

Camden Council Elections 5 May 2022

                                 London Wide Local Government Council Elections 5 May 2022

taken from https://www.camden.gov.uk/local-council-elections-may-2022

Because of recent Boundary Changes there are now 20 wards 

with 15 wards having 3 elected councillors 

and 5 wards with 2 elected councillors
instead of 18 wards with 3 elected councillors, in the London Borough of Camden. 

I have put a 2 with the ward name - of those wards with 2 councillors. 

There has also been some ward name changes.

Map of whole Borough as it was and as it is now HERE  and below

Wards   Click on name for list of candidates                           

Belsize                           

Bloomsbury                                          

2 Camden Square                                                    

2 Camden Town                                                           

Fortune Green                                      

2 Frognal                                                                           

Gospel Oak                                           

2 Hampstead Town    [updated 3 June 2022: there will be a by-election in Hampstead Town [unknown date] ward due to local labour association putting up a candidate who won seat in this ward, but who appears to have been a dud and has stepped down]   

Thursday 7 July 2022  https://www.camden.gov.uk/hampstead-town-by-election Linda Chung, LD                             

Haverstock                                                      

Highgate                                                            

Holborn and Covent Garden                        

2 Kentish Town North                                                         

 Kentish Town South                                                         

Kilburn                                  

Kings Cross                           

Primrose Hill                                                                      

Regents Park                  

South Hampstead                                                                   

St Pancras and Somers Town               

West Hampstead                     

 

     \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

Tues 12/12/2023 

from Nov 2021 

The Strange case of Lazzaro Pietragnoli - former elected member of Camden Council who was first elected onto the Council as a labour party member -  at Camden Town with Primrose Hill ward by-election May 2012 - he replaced Thomas Neumark who moved to the United States - twitter name was @phillmum 

https://www.hamhigh.co.uk/news/21327675.unacceptable-camden-councillor-resigns-secret-twitter-account/

23 Nov 2021 

18 Nov 2021 - CNJ  Former mayor Lazzaro Pietragnoli resigns as Labour's chief whip over ‘abusive' Twitter account

22 Nov 2021 - CNJ  Lazzaro Pietragnoli resigns from council over ‘abusive' social media account

25 Nov 2021 - CNJ I’m sorry for fake account's online abuse’: Lazzaro Pietragnoli quits Town Hall

                   Letters Behaviour is no surprise 

PS apparently the Twitter account @PHillmum which Lazzaro Pietragnoil [LP] had been running/twitting from had been around for 5 years - so that makes it sometime in 2017 it was created.