Next meeting - Wednesday 1st July 7.30pm at City Hall

Press release 15/1/09 - Greyhound Opening
Mr Morphew says he shares the anger and frustration of the city's tenants and leaseholders; he hears we want to be assured that "it" will never happen again. Let's be clear. Tenants and leaseholders are trying to tell you, Mr Morphew, that you and your team of members and officers are a bad landlord. Leaseholders find the council to be ill-informed, incompetent and untrustworthy on housing matters. After attending two Audit Commission tenant focus groups this week, even I was shocked by the revelations. The anger and frustration against you, the landlord, was palpable. Tenants and leaseholders are determined that this week's audit inspection will expose the problems we face every day, but the Commission's report will not be published until April. The council's lacklustre response to the last bad report only increases our fear: if a bad landlord fails to put its house in order, then government funding can be withheld - and this would make things even worse. We want a full external inquiry into the failures surrounding the Greyhound Opening case, to ensure that all the systemic weaknesses will be revealed and addressed. We want an informed landlord with a competent and enthusiastic housing manager. Thanks to the press and Kristine Reeve, our longstanding anger and frustration can at last be communicated and directed effectively. Where is Mr Morphew's anger directed and where will it lead? Evening News 14/1/09 : Tenants issue vote of no confidence in council
Consultation
We are delighted to report that over the past year leaseholders have started to influence council plans for block communal works, especially on door entry systems. Many of you have phoned our subscriber helpline and after following our advice you were able to ensure that the council understood your concerns and where objections were reasonable, the plans have been dropped or adjusted. We remain concerned about the effectiveness of wider consultations, which are more difficult for the council to conduct, and this is under discussion.
Management Fees (updated 21/1/09)
The Norwich Leaseholders' Association (NLA) protested for years that a Leasehold Management Fee was not chargeable if there is no reference to it in the lease. At a Leasehold Valuation Tribunal in May 2007, the council lost the case against one of our leaseholders with a stinging rebuke from the Chairman. The case was taken to Appeal on 21st October 2008 and the council argued successfully that a lease would not exist without a management infrastructure. This is a landmark judgement and is likely to be used as a precident in future cases. The council may only levy a management element against services and works already chargeable through the lease. We are working on it. For background, click here

Digital Switchover (updated 21/1/09)

This is what our new communal TV systems (called IRS) will look like. We have been told that the 5-core cable shown in this photograph will be used carry the signal across the voids of up to 20 metres between buildings at roof-top level. The contractor uses 16ft aerials as standard. IRS is now well underway and our concerns continue to be ignored and overruled. If you buy a set-top box, the new communal TV service will give you access to digital radio, satellite services, Freesat and Freeview. Tenants and leaseholders have protested long and hard over lack of consultation on this project and we have achieved a reduction in the charge from £47 to £35 per annum over 20 years. Our repeated questions over lack of consultation have been ignored and there continues to be no resident involvement to review the visual impact of the cables. If you are worried about the impact on your estate ask for the proposed plan and comment on it. The council is bound to give "due regard" to your opinion. We are taking the project to Leasehold Valuation Tribunal and we will keep you up to date.

Leaseholders Compact

NLA constitution