The PTRA is committed to addressing any poor or questionable practices carried out by Southwark Council regarding its management of Major Works programs.
Information and resources relating to discussions around the 2015-17 WDS/FRA Major Works project will be collated here. This web page will be updated as materials become available.
PTRA actions
Collate questions and issue these to Southwark Council officers
An initial set of queries was issued to Southwark Council on 10 January 2024. A response to those queries has been received:
A further set of questions gathered from the TRA meeting held on 22 January 2024 and from email correspondence with leaseholders was passed on to our Councillors. Southwark Council’s response and related documents are as follows:
Organise meetings with Councillors and Southwark Council officers
A meeting of leaseholders was held on 13 March 2024 at the Pullens Centre to discuss the final invoice for Fire Risk Assessment & Warm, Dry & Safe Works with senior Officers from Southwark Council. Representatives included:
- Richard Ndudi (Head of Investment)
- Trevor Wellbeloved (Homeownership Manager)
- Natasha Ennin (Newington Ward Councillor)
Minutes:
Request itemised costings for front-door upgrades
An itemised breakdown of all costs relating to front door renewals or upgrades has been requested. It is apparent that charges associated with these works vary considerably, so once breakdowns are available we recommend that individual leaseholders compare the charges to the work that was undertaken to their properties.
Southwark Council have indicated that they will be proactively reassessing the charges for door renewals passed on to leaseholders.
Collate and disseminate information and resources
Resources are being collated on this page, which will be updated as more information becomes available.
Look into using legal redress and going to the press
The homeownership team at Citizens Advice in Peckham have explained that the following options for escalation are open to individual leaseholders, or to a collective group of leaseholders:
Individual leaseholders should:
- Contact LEASE for independent advice
- Lobby Southwark Council for payment plans (see recommendations from LEASE and Citizens Advice below)
- Contact Citizens Advice Southwark for independent homeowners advice
- Outline issues in an email to LHolders@citizensadvicesouthwark.org.uk
- Or call 0207 237 9532 to leave a voicemail
Resources
Payment of the final invoice
In conversations with LEASE and Citizens Advice, leaseholders have been strongly advised against withholding payment. According to the standard lease agreement, failure to make payments may result in the repossession of your property.
It is recommended that any leaseholders intending to preserve the right to dispute an invoice indicate to Southwark Council that they are making the payment “under protest.” A template for this purpose is provided by LEASE:
Citizens Advice have also offered the following advice on repayment resources:
Citizens Advice are happy to discuss independent cases and may even help draft complaints or applications.
The PTRA has also compiled a summary of routes to complain should leaseholders feel their grievances have not yet been addressed: https://www.pullenstra.org/useful-resources/raising-a-complaint-with-southwark-council/
Guarantees
Windows that were replaced during the WDS scheme hold an eight-year Timbercare guarantee dating from the point at which they were installed. An example of the guarantee certificate is available below, though Leaseholders should consult their own versions to determine the expiry date.
Summary of costs
We have received cost breakdowns for many of the Pullens buildings and share those with leaseholders for their consultation: