About this blog

Ramblings, thoughts, facts and opinions about political things - starting point council tenant participation with my land-lord Camden council and council tenant reps plus other housing issues, and whatever.


NOTE: I believe this account has been illegally hacked. Little clues have been left for me. They like playing games.

Wednesday, 23 April 2025

Noise Nuisance

work in progress

Why does the landlord ignore the issue of slamming doors, etc within dwellings they rent out? 

I don't know about other Camden Council tenants but the slamming of doors by other tenants [not of your household] can have devastating effects on other tenant/s. When this form of noise nuisance is done on purpose to cause harassment to another tenant, its doubly harmful/upsetting. 

If you live in a small building where noise insulation is non-existent and the landlord won't do [such]  much needed works it can be very depressing and unhealthy. Your living environment does matter to general health and well being but still so many people are having to live in un-suitable housing. 

I have been experiencing this for many years and its affect has been at the detriment of my mental and physical health - being disabled etc doesn't help ignite the authorities to provide you with some sort of safeguarding against such abuses and yes i class them as abuses [on my senses] and upon my right to privacy. 

the non responses [or very slow processes when such things are reported or having to repeatedly keep reporting]  are very frustrating and can lead to all sorts of neighbour problems. 

Its horrible living here, and if you are disabled/ill its worse. 
this small street property converted house that now has 3 seperate 1 bedroom flats has been turned into a dumping ground for 'problem' tenants, in my view. 
I can feel the toxins at time very strongly and it just reminds me of how far down the ladder of 'nobodies' i really am living here etc.  

update fri 25 april 2025
i feel so alone and isolated with some of the housing issues i have, the police won't help me the land-lord won't help - im a leper - nearly 60 y/o female who have various medical conditions that make it difficult for me to do what i used to be able to do. im having a cry - yeah im feeling sorry for myself, life is shite then you die. 
so called past friends walk away, family as well. none understand what its like being me, looking at the outside from within me. 
im too much hard work i suspose and now its too late for me. just let me sort my business out and give me a pill so i can sleep for a long long time. 
yeah i have depression and anxiety, not that anyone including the government takes them seriously, even on top level dosage of anti-depressants i feel depressed, low, anxious, hopeless. The landlord for one barely recognises disabled/ill tenants and the police they just stick the boot in, like i thought they did to me [kicking me when im down]. 

sun 27 april 25
4am this morning and im hearing very clearly the sex noises from flat c petra hind - who has moved a bloke in who has a white van. i don't want to hear that ffs, yuckyyyy. so i turned radio on to drown out the noise and then later on i can hear the yucky noise again around 5am.... i really don't feel safe here either and as for going out im going to try and get a panic alarm sort of thing  because if i come across her and the new b/f i might have such a panic attack that i may need help. im dreading it. 

update
later on in afternoon i could hear the sex noises again which where freaking me out and harassing me so put music on again.
there are 2 little children next door. 

mon 28 april 25
10.20am 2x hard slams C flat door 


mon 19 May 2025
im finding it so much harder to get out and about [even doing housewrk etc] due to the pain in my lower back, thighs, other areas where i have musculo-skeletal problems that i have had treatment for for a least 10 years. I don't know if its the stopping of the 8wk course of steroids i was prescribed by the hospital [to help with pain] that was inflammed x10 and more by what tenant in flat C did and what the police did. 
Because i believed i was being set up, and which i still do. I believe they wanted me dead or at least in hospital again with another heart attack] 

I felt traumatized, tortured, that i was going to die. both know i haven't been well. 

yet i still had to come back to flat and live here with tenant living above me. i could hear her every day, she continued to [on purpose] slam the doors. the state i was in and the landlord didnt give a 4x, just like when I had a heart attack [in hospital for 5d/n's]  when i went out i was walking around in a daze, not fully believing what they had done [ and my reaction to it] they have aggravated various conditions 10x plus and i was in excruticating pain. on top of the steroids i also had anti-depressants dosage increased because i though i was going to break down and never be able to get back up again. i was, still am a mess. maybe i was a mess before that but now im a bigger mess. 

thurs 22 may 25
7am and 7:25am - very loud slams of main front door causing me upset, distress. flat A. 

later on C slams flat door stomps down the communal stairs and slams main front door - causing distress again. continuing harassment of me. in my experience of approaching both landlord and police about the issue neither will do anything to stop the harassment, in my view they just sit back and let it carry on and if things gets out of hand, its usually me who ends up in trouble. 
its like entrapment where im being poked, etc and if i react 'inappropriately' or try and defend my against the abuses, im the one who gets arrested etc. the police stick the boot in when you are down. 

12 noon c slams flat door again 

23 may 25
flat C is still slamming the doors and is stomping about and dropping things above my bedroom a lot more than she used to. this causes me anxiety and distress not only because i spend more time in this room due to ny conditions and i need it to be a a lot more of a quiet zone than the other areas/rooms in my flats and now she is making more noise which i think she is doing on purpose to harass me. why is she so spiteful? 

flat A is also slamming doors eaither very early in the am [like 7am or very late at night like 3/4am] 
i think he mimics flat C as she has been known to do the same late nignt early am door slamming. 
its horrible living here and the housing office just ignores the issues [literally ignores emails i send to them as well] its unprofessional in my view. they never explain why they are doin this that or the other so one is left in the dark about things. as a camden council tenant i am of no value to them - unless the rent isnt paid and then they would be quick to contact me and make all sorts of noises and threats. 

sat 24 may 25
everyday tenant in flat C slams her flat door on purpose to cause harassment to me. today is the same.9:44am. sometimes she will on purpose [imo] put on shoes with heels, stomp down her flat stairs, open flat door and slam it closed them slump back upstairs. she usually wears trainners. 

loud bang on flat c bedroom floor above my bedroom, stomping about. 

i have put radio on to try and drown out the intrusive noise/harassment by flat c. this is how i live and despite complaints made to landlord about it [which they ignore] it just gets worse. 

wed 28 may 25
 c slams flat door

thurs 29 may 25 
8pm - male visitor made a racket when he and she got near flat c - [so i could hear] then went upstairs and banged in bedroom above me- 

mon 2 june 25
flat c is stomping and banging about a lot more, in her bedroom which is above mine - its very annoying, distressing etc and done on purpose imo to cause me harassment - also its anti-social behaviour and i have reported her a number of times and nothing seems to be done about it.
this is on top of the door slamming where she now keeps coming down to her flat door and slamming it, then goes back upstairs. sometimes she put shoes with heels on [she usually wears trainners] so that more noise is made. she knows that im not well but that doesnt stop her. 
she is another one who goes running to council, police etc if you so much as say boo to her - some truths yes but adds lies to make things look worse than they are - like claiming i chased her [down stairs] with a hammer - i chased her haha.yeah right . then ran back upstairs.   i can just about shuffle when i need to speed up my walking,  let alone run. she emphasised how i wanted to murder her, blah blah. she wasn't in fear as she kept opening the front door with her key when I kept slamming it shut in her face - because i wanted her to fcuk off and leave me alone, but no she won't.  some people seem to lie as easily and as normally as they breath in air, its second nature to them, they see nothing wrong in it even if it causes others harm. 

she also mentioned something about another heart attack being due [in regards to me already having had one - just before the lock down march 2020] where i spent 5 days/nights in hospital then had to come back to this horrible housing environment with the tenants [petra hind and the then tenant moira hogan] and landlords housing officers harrassing me. its been going on for years. 

she also tried to blame me for 'blowing' the communual lights' when all that happened was that she, yes she had turned them off [landlords electricity account in main box on wall of communal area] she was there when she shouted up/at me at i had blown the lights. she is a fitness instructure and fully able to get up to the box wall [with isnt locked] and do the deed. she can also run up and down stairs quite well. 
the lenghts some people will go to to set up people is staggering. 

3 june 25
12.10pm C slammed flat door x 2 on purpose again imo to harass me 

5 june 2025
7.50am 
since 6am tenant in flat c above has been banging and stumping about above my bedroom. its very annoying and distressing. its done on purpose to harass me. 

fri 6 june 23
flat C carried on with noise through-out the day and evening. 

around 10.30am this morning  flat c door slams shut. 
the day before i heard her shouting a bit above my bedroom y/d and stumped on her bedroom floor [which is my bedroom ceiling] she is in her flat mostly - im in mine mostly as well, mainly needing to lay down/rest then try and do housework or go to an appointment/grociy shopping sort of thing. 
i have this place - its a smelly dump with some not very nice neighbours. this is all im good for i susppose/ some may think. 

10 june 2025
10: 25am flat c stumps down her stairs opens and slams flat door - slams main door, causing a nuisance

12.15pm flat c door slams again causing me harassment

11 june 2025
flat c banging above my bedroom, slammed flat door 9:51am and main front door
11.25am slammed flat door
the door again 3.15pm
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Thursday, 20 March 2025

Anthony Hardy

chapters 6/Housing, 7/Mental Health Act and 8/Mental illness Here

"Preface 
The independent review of the care and treatment of Anthony Hardy was commissioned by North Central London Strategic Health Authority and the London Borough of Camden with the support and cooperation of the Metropolitan Police. It was commissioned in accordance with guidance published by the Department of Health in circular HSG(94)27, The Discharge of Mentally Disordered People and their Continuing Care in the Community. "

The Terms of Reference are as follows: 
Stage 1 – Fact Finding 
1 to report on the treatment, care and housing services provided to Anthony Hardy by the NHS and Local Authority from 18 January 2002 (the time of the first murder) until his arrest on 2 January 2003, in the context of his previous history 
Stage 2 – Evaluation 
2 to assess the suitability and appropriateness of those services in view of the patient’s assessed health, social care and housing needs and previous history 
3 to review the extent to which those services, and the decisions of the mental health act managers, corresponded with statutory obligations, relevant national guidance and local operational policies and to identify any deficiencies
4 to examine the adequacy of inter-agency collaboration between the NHS, Local Authority and the police and the effectiveness of communications with/between all agencies who had contact with Anthony Hardy 
5 to make recommendations to the responsible bodies so that, as far as possible in similar circumstances in the future, harm to patients, staff and the public is avoided"



Anthony Hardy is reported to have died on 25 Nov 2020 after catching the Covid-19 Virus HERE 


Additional Information
R  V Anthony John Hardy 
Issue:

Whether a whole life term was required for a man with mental disorder who admitted 3 murders




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Thursday, 20 February 2025

Regulatory Standards for Social Landlords


https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/regulatory-standards-for-landlords

Standards for Landlords

"Our regulatory standards set the outcomes that social landlords in England must deliver for tenants"   2 April 2024

Consumer standards The outcomes of the consumer standards apply to all landlords registered with us, including local authorities.

Neighbourhood and Community Here 

Safety and Quality Here 

Tenancy  Here 

Tenancy, Influence and Accountability [including Tenant Satisfaction Measures] Here

Consumer standards Code of Practice Here 

18  July 2024 Camden Council officer report 
Social Housing Regulator Consumer Standards update Here
 " This report is about the updated Consumer Standards introduced by the Regulation of Social Housing Act 2023 and the confirmed Tenants Satisfaction Measures (TSMs) on which the Council must report to Council tenants and the Social Housing Regulator. The Regulator will use TSM performance information to provide the Council with a baseline performance rating against the Consumer Standards which came into operation in April 2024. Local "





Economic standards

Governance and Financial Viability Standard and Code of Practice Here 

Rent Standard and Guidance Here 

Value for Money Standard and Code of Practice Here 


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

Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 [Here ]  part 2 Regulation of Social Housing Here

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Sunday, 22 December 2024

Stock condition survey

work in progress

https://dglegal.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Disrepair-Best-Practice-Tactics-Webinar-Slides.pdfCouncil officer reports on latest Stock Condition


Reports to DMC's : Ho/KT Dec 2023 HERE



Feb 2024 - Ho DMC HERE 



13 Jan 2025 Housing Scrutiny committee HERE 

agenda item 9 Housing Investment Strategy pdf icon PDF 358 KB Report of the Cabinet Member for Better Homes

appendix's 

Apx A Housing Investment Strategy 


Apx B Housing Asset Management Strategy 

Apx B1 - Capital Programme 
 Apx B2 - Asset Feasibility Study Template 

 Apx C - Equality Impact Assessment - Housing Investment Strategy (f) 


2015 Housing conditions in Camden report HERE and excerpt below:

according to the above linked report, in 2003/4 most council homes in Camden [91. 5%]  did not meet the DHS. 

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


Housing Act 2004 

"An Act to make provision about housing conditions; to regulate houses in multiple occupation and certain other residential accommodation; to make provision for home information packs in connection with the sale of residential properties; to make provision about secure tenants and the right to buy; to make provision about mobile homes and the accommodation needs of gypsies and travellers; to make other provision about housing; and for connected purposes.

[18th November 2004]


The Housing, Health and Safety Rating System [England] Regulations 2005 HERE

IMO the above ratings system needs changing in parts: for a start the formula that is supposed to be followed would i think need someone with a masters degree in maths and then some to understand it - its way too complicated: example below
Section 6 Seriousness of hazard 





" The government will consult on a new Decent Homes Standard for the rented sectors" 

when this will happen is any ones guess. 


Landlords repairing obligations: section 11 Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 HERE 

from Camden Council website - Council tenant rights and responsibilities  HERE
                                                  - Report a housing repair  HERE . 
                                                    On the same page is also Report a non-emergency repair                                                          and a link  check if a repair is your responsibility which 
                                                     brings you to  HERE

The above [from Twitter] is about Camden Council paying out £4.6m in compensation between Oct 2023 and Oct 2024. It's a lot of money - why they wouldn't do the repairs when they have a legal obligation to do so, isn't clear to me but looks like they are rationing repairs - possibly due to costs they hadn't properly budgeted for. 

27 dec 2024
My landlords refusal to fix the waste pipe problem to do with my bath, says to me that they are rationing some of the repairs they are supposed to do - like some plumbing/ repairs/maintenance.  plumbing 

They are also doing this with some works to do with the supply of electricity to the tenant - wiring and sockets. It doesn't always seem so straightforward like in the Grenfell Tower tragedy here where the fire is said to have started by a fridge in one of the flats: i read some of the documents on the GT inquiry and as far as i am aware the cause was never determined. [will clarify] electrical 

update 
in my case i was doing some ironing and a few minutes after heating up the iron cooled down - no fuse banged . I couldnt find out what the problem was even though i checked the fuse box to see which switche has tripped, i couldnt see any.  The sockets werent working but the ceiling lights where.  

i went onto the councils website and was chatting with someone to do with housing repairs and told him what the problem was. he asked me a few questions, i answered. then he said he was ending the chat as the problem was the appliance. .... then he was gone. im like, huh come back, what about the electricity in my flat. 

anyhow i became very upset and  a bit hyper [ i have omitted some stuff to do with tenant in flat C  squealing to the housing office and them sending the fire brigade down here] long story short  a few people in camden council kindly helped me and i got the problem sorted the following morning - over the phone. 

then 2 appointment notes where put through the front door and i didnt know why, no-one said why even to this day - as far as i was aware the problem had been sorted and i was out for the appointments. 
if they had wanted to physically check the sockets etc  to be on the safe side [as landlord] they should have said so then i would have been in for them - poor communication on their part imo. 

as a tenant one can get laden down with the amount of faults and having to go through the official complaints process is exhausting for me - i don't bother mostly, its easier to not expect too much. 

update 18 jan 25
Housing Scrutiny committee mon 13 jan 2025 HERE

 agenda item 9 Housing Investment strategy HERE     2025 - 2030 

additional documents: 

apx A HERE   Housing Investment strategy Delivering Quality Homes 

       B HERE  Housing Asset Management      "               "            "    

       B1 HERE "     "            "               Proposed Capital Programme 

       B2 HERE   Asset Feasibility Study template 

      C HERE    EQIA Assessment 

       

agenda item 11 Housing Allocation Scheme review HERE   

 apn 1 HERE summary of minor changes 



mon 20 Jan 2025 Extra-ordinary Meeting of the Council  HERE   -  into the Housing Ombudsman Special Report  HERE 

item 5 request for an extra ordinary council meeting HERE  - report of borough solicitor [Andrew Maughan}  / agenda report pack HERE Jenny Rowlings CEO



update 19 jan 25

Tenancy Agreement HERE - this is the agreement that all tenants who rent have, which is renewed each year - last updated 2008 and 2016 

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Sunday, 1 December 2024

Housing Ombudsman Special Report

 The Housing Ombudsman [HO] is attached to The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government {MHCLG}HERE


work in progress Note:  just as i clicked on link to the full report [on the HO website, my internet went down - 13:25 approx wednes 4 dec 24 - this also happen earlier on twitter when i started to have a look at Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government account ]  Co-incidences, Timing. Reading the signs isn't always easy. A meaningful connection or not, I don't know. 13:35 signal is back now. 13.43 having other internet problems with reaching/loading pages now. no internet again 13.45. ill be back a little latter, im trying to fix the plumbing problem the landlord doesnt do anymore:blocked waste pipe. 14;09 internet back on

https://www.housing-ombudsman.org.uk/2024/11/28/special-investigation-into-camden-council/

" Ombudsman special investigation into Camden Council reveals defensive complaint handling culture 

28 November 2024

The investigation was prompted by a significant volume of severe maladministration findings. 

In the report, the Ombudsman investigated 57 individual complaints, making 124 findings of maladministration where obligations, policies or processes were not followed, with a detrimental impact on the residents involved. This represents a maladministration rate of 83% during 2023-24. The Ombudsman also made 275 orders on these cases to make things right for residents. " 


Summary: 3 key area's of concerns Complaint Handling, Vulnerable tenants and Disrepair  HERE


Full Report HERE

          Key points:  Complaints handling 

  •   repeatedly failed to appropriately identify and log complaints
  •   accessibility and awareness:   no Reasonable Adjustments policy under the Equality Act 2010: Part 11 advancement of equality - Chapter 1 public sector equality duty 
  • different definitions of vulnerable across the department 

                    *Disrepair 



* disrepair is the state of a property due to neglect or lack of maintenance. Repair is the process of fixing something that is broken -  to its original state. [other definitions may apply] 


Accessibility and awareness [of the complaints process]

          vulnerable residents and reasonable adjustments

"The Equality Act 2010 sets out the landlord's responsibility to make sure it does not treat a resident less favourably because of a protected character. 

As a local authority the landlord is also bound by The Public Sector Duty which aims to make sure local authorities think about things such as discrimination and the needs of people who are disadvantaged or suffer inequality, when they make decisions about how they provide their services and implement policies.  [p19] 

The 2020 Code states that landlords shall comply with the Equality Act and may need to adapt normal policies, procedures, or processes to accommodate an individuals needs. 

Landlords should have a reasonable adjustments policy in place to address this. 

Landlord said it did not have a formal reasonable adjustment in place - in relation to complaints handling. But did have accessibility policies for residents to access services and communications. 

..... landlord considers it has 'an adequate approach to vulnerability' 

the casework findings suggest the approach is far from adequate. 

The landlord lacks awareness of how to respond to reasonable adjustments requests or adapt its approach to vulnerable residents." [p20]







List of Cases HERE [same page as Summary - scroll down the page] 



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Thursday, 2 May 2024

Coroners Court - PFD reports

 work in progress                                                                                                        

This post is for links to Home - Courts and Tribunals Judiciary 

particularly the Coroners' courts  which publishes Reports to Prevent Future Deaths [PFD]

The site says about the PFD's 

" Paragraph 7 of Schedule 5, Coroners and Justice Act 2009, provides coroners with the duty to make reports to a person, organisation, local authority or government department or agency where the coroner believes that action should be taken to prevent future deaths."


LB's of [mainly] Camden, and neighboring Islington


Hospital

4 April 2014  Eric Matthews 
7 May 2014 Peter Brookes 
8 May 2014   Frank Pope 
 Noleen  McPHARLANE (died 22.04.14)
   30 July 2014 Monique Whitebread  

 11 Jan 2016  Efstratios Voukelatos

 

4 March 2021    Grazyna Walczak 
17 March 2021   Ben O'Hara 

 23 April 2024    Emmanuel Ladapo
 16 Aug 2024  Daniel Klosi
 27 Sept 2024  Maria Kelly



Housing

20 April 2018  Magdalena Fink  

26 Oct 2020    Daniel Coleman 

 4 March 2024   Sandra Senior 




DWP

12 Feb 2021 Philippa Day 

6 Nov 2023 Kevin Gale 


13 Jan 2014 Michael O'Sullivan HERE


28 Jan 2021 DWP accused of ‘gross incompetence’ after benefit claimant’s inquest (civilserviceworld.com)

7 Dec 2023 DWP failings that helped trigger suicide ‘are a national issue’, NHS manager tells coroner – Disability News Service


DLUHC

7 May 2024 Colin Waterhouse

14 August 2024 joanita-nalubowa        



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

X POSTS on bad living environments HERE



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Thursday, 4 April 2024

We are sorry says Twitter Bot

 latest news from Camden Council twitter bot @CamdenCouncil about problems with their website and phones 

some people have been having problems paying money to Camden Council  - and the council is sorry about this. 


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Tuesday, 12 December 2023

Housing Ombudsman investigates

Tuesday 12 Dec 2023

https://housingexecutive.co.uk/ombudsman-launches-investigations-into-three-london-landlords/





////////////////////////////////////////////// 

posted 6 Oct 2023 

https://www.housing-ombudsman.org.uk/2023/09/28/ombudsman-opens-consultation-on-complaint-handling-code-ahead-of-statutory-requirements/

"Ombudsman opens consultation on Complaint Handling Code ahead of statutory requirements" 

 from 28 September 2023 to 23 November 2023. 


  • Few changes for Landlords already using the Complaints Handling Code (CHC
  • End of 2 tier system used by local councils 
  • Statutory Code 

"An Act to make provision about the regulation of social housing; about the terms of approved schemes for the investigation of housing complaints; about the powers and duties of a housing ombudsman appointed under an approved scheme; about hazards affecting social housing; and for connected purposes.

[20th July 2023]

Be it enacted by the King’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—" 

The Act came into being officially on 20 July 2023 - however, like some Acts it doesn't say the Act comes into force on that date or any other date.
some info about Parliament and Law making Bills & legislation - UK Parliament

The below Act: 
Says which parts of the Act came into force on 20 September  2023





                                            
                                                  /////////////////////////////////////////

" You can see more details of the government’s review of the Decent Homes Standard and other work they are doing to improve social housing quality  on GOV.UK." 

Housing Health and Safety Rating System [HHSRS]  ... "changes to the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS), a tool used to assess hazards in residential premises. The government commissioned an external review of the HHSRS, which concluded in 2022. Following this, changes will be introduced to simplify the HHSRS."


published 7 September 2023



                                    ///////////////////////////////////////


Housing Ombudsman Reports of complaints about Camden Council Landlord


26 April 2023 

25 Feb 2021 

3 March 2021 

10 March 2021 

31 March 2021 

15 May 2021

28 May 2021 

29 May 2021 

27 July 2021

11 August 2021

9 August 2021

6 Sept 2021

17 Sept 2021

30 Sept 2021

16 Dec 2021 

29 Jan 2021 

 

                                                              ////////////


RSH Regulatory Notice

  • Provider: London Borough of Camden Council
  • Regulatory code: 00AG
  • Publication date: 21 July 2023
  • Reason for publication: Consumer Standards
  • Regulatory route: Reactive Engagement

Other providers included in the judgement

None

Regulatory Findings

The regulator has concluded that:

a) London Borough of Camden Council (LB Camden) has breached part 1.2 of the Home Standard; and

b) As a consequence of this breach, there was actual and potential serious detriment to LB Camden’s tenants.


The issue

In May 2023 legal proceedings brought by London Fire Service against LB Camden concluded. The proceedings related to a fire at a large street property conversion in Hampstead in November 2017 where a tenant died. Fire risk assessments in January 2013 and May 2017 identified serious risks in the block, such as combustible wooden cladding on the internal staircase and a lack of proper fire doors on flat entrances. LB Camden had programmed but not yet implemented the required remedial actions. It pleaded guilty to two offences under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005[footnote 1] and was fined £500,000 plus costs by the court.

Following the conclusion of legal proceedings, the regulator engaged with LB Camden to understand whether the fire safety failings demonstrated by this case had been resolved and whether LB Camden was compliant with our regulatory standards.

Our investigation

As a registered provider, LB Camden is required to comply with the consumer standards, including the Home Standard. The Home Standard requires providers to meet all applicable statutory requirements that provide for the health and safety of tenants in their homes.

In respect of fire safety, LB Camden has a statutory duty[footnote 2] to regularly assess, and take precautions to prevent, the risk of fire. The Council has completed fire risk assessments for the 3,200 blocks that require one. However, our investigation found that over 9,000 fire remedial actions are currently overdue, with around 1,500 of them being overdue since 2020. We found that there are just under 400 high-risk actions overdue. Of these, a third should have been completed within 10 days and the remainder in 30 days.

As part of our investigation, LB Camden shared a 2019 internal audit of its approach to fire safety. At the time of the audit there were over 6,000 overdue fire remedial actions and issues relating to the quality and reporting of data were identified. LB Camden has since improved its ability to report on fire remedial actions, put in place new governance arrangements, including a resident fire safety panel, and has completed more than 40,000 actions generated by its current fire risk assessments. However, taking into account the outcome of the fire in 2017, the findings of the internal audit in 2019 and the current fire safety position, the evidence demonstrates a longstanding failure by LB Camden to complete all fire safety remedial actions in a timely manner and to mitigate the risks to tenants in the meantime. As a consequence, tenants have been, and continue to be, exposed to potential harm.

For smoke and carbon monoxide detectors,[footnote 3] LB Camden is required to ensure that at least one smoke alarm is equipped on each storey where there is a room used as living accommodation of a property and that a carbon monoxide detector is equipped in any room containing a fixed combustion appliance. LB Camden reports that more than 9,000 properties do not have a hard-wired smoke alarm installed and just under 4,000 properties do not have a carbon monoxide detector installed.

The regulator considered the case as a potential breach of part 1.2 of the Home Standard and has concluded that LB Camden does not have an effective system in place to allow it to meet its responsibilities in relation to its statutory fire safety responsibilities.

Our engagement

LB Camden has a plan in place to complete overdue fire remedial actions and has systems in place to monitor and report on the progress of its plans. It has also set out a programme to install smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors in all of the properties currently without them. The regulator will work with LB Camden while it continues to address the issues that have led to this situation, including monitoring how it delivers its programme to complete the outstanding overdue actions. We will continue to keep our use of statutory powers under regular review through our engagement with LB Camden.

Section 198A of the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 (as amended) states that the regulator’s regulatory and enforcement powers may be used if a registered provider has failed to meet a consumer standard. In order to use regulatory or enforcement powers, as well as the failure to meet the standard, there should also be reasonable grounds to suspect that the failure has resulted in a serious detriment to the provider’s tenants (or potential tenants) or that there is a significant risk that, if no action is taken by the regulator, the failure will result in a serious detriment to the provider’s tenants (or potential tenants).


About our Regulatory Notices
Regulatory notices are issued in response to an event of regulatory importance (for example, a finding of a breach of the Rent Standard or of a consumer standard that has or may cause serious harm) that, in accordance with its obligation to be transparent, the regulator wishes to make public. More detail about Regulatory notices is set out in Regulating the Standards.

  1. Article 13 failure to provide a suitable alarm and Article 14 failure to ensure safe means of escape in the event of danger. ↩

  2. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 ↩

  3. The Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (Amendment) Regulations 2022 ↩

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


End note: I have corrected the reported and copied by many, that 31 Daleham Gardens NW3 is/was in the ward of Hampstead - when it wasn't/isn't. 

At the time of the fire [and up until the boundary changes of May 2022] the above mentioned property was in ward of Frognal and Fitzjohns.

The ward has been changed to, [or incorporated into]  the nearby Belize ward. 





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Tuesday, 5 December 2023

new Tenants Complaints and Improvements panel

 

The below was recently sent to me - im guessing as a camden council tenant.I was under the impression [from an officers monthly report to the DMC's] that this group [in whatever name t is/was] called had already been set up, and that it was to be transparent, open ... my blog on it from May 2023 HERE

Then  recently the below was sent out to tenants



NEW Resident Panel Opportunity: Complaints & Improvements in Housing & Repairs

                 

  //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

My ad-ons 

Fire Safety Works programme HERE 


2 March 2024

apparently there are 2 different camden council tenants/residents panel/committee:  

1 Camden Housing & Property Residents Panel 

2.Complaints & Improvements in Housing & Repairs

The names of the members are being kept secret as well as the minutes of their meetings. 

This makes me think that something is amiss here and that possibly only 1 or even 0  groups exist -  except in the imagination of some camden council people. 


27 June 2024

Taken from June/July round of DMC meetings https://democracy.camden.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=167&MId=10847

agenda item 9. Action points https://democracy.camden.gov.uk/documents/s119077/

Camden Housing Property Residents Panel 
https://www.camden.gov.uk/camden-housing-property-residents-panel



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