It has come to my attention that many tenants, on the Eric and Treby Estates in particular, are asking why some estates works have been carried out while the work on their estate hasn’t.
It also becomes increasing frustrating and bewildering to hear that the excuse for not carrying out these works, like new front doors, kitchens and bathrooms etc, is being blamed on the fact that East End Homes is being prevented from going ahead with it’s planning application, as such seemingly stating that without the income generated from these new builds they will be unable to accumulate the finances to carry out these promised decent home improvement and regeneration work.
This is quite incorrect and, some might say very politely, a down right “untruth”. Incidentally if anyone has heard a member or representative from East End Homes state the above or indeed have anything in writing to that affect then they should notify their local councillor or inform their local lease holder or residents association as East End Homes should really not be saying things like that as it is very naughty.
Anyway back to the point – why is this an “Untruth”?
To answer this we need to look at the original offer document, which is official titled “Proposal to Tenants”, and is a formal consultation to all tenants on what has been known collectively as the Mile End East Estates and includes British Street, Brokesley, Treby, Eric and Bede.
At this point it is essential to note that this offer document was drafted and issued to tenants by East End Homes, without, as far as is known, any form of coercion, and as such East End Homes are accountable for all “promises” made within this said document.
So lets look at the offer document itself, especially under Section 3, which is delightfully entitled “The regeneration of the Estates”.
I will try to summaries the points as much as possible!
Within this section East End Homes are promising that within six years of transfer various repairs and improvement plans will be carried out on all of the estates named in this offer document.
East End Homes then go on to inform everyone that the repairs mentioned to be carried out will bring the estates up to the Governments minimum standard known as “The Decent Homes Standard”.
East End Homes then go on to state that all homes that need them would then get new bathrooms and kitchens.
Lets continue, later on in Section 3.5 East End Homes then list what they consider to be the “Core Works” that they propose to carry out. These include new kitchens, new bathrooms, structural repairs, repair/renew windows, repair/re-new lift, children’s play areas (no really that’s what it says!!), new car parking layouts and community facilities (once again that’s what it says, I’m not kidding!!)
Remember all these works are meant to be carried out within six years of transfer…. Times running out me thinks!!
Anyway back to the document..
East end Homes then have a wonderful table of repairs which lists exactly what they propose to repair renew in each block.
For example in Berkeley house and Ennerdale House they proposed to renew, as part of their “Core Works” just about everything on the list including new kitchens, new bathrooms, structural repair, repair/renew lift, repair/renew entrance doors, communal areas improvement, the list goes on…and so on and so forth for all the houses under each estate in this offer document.
The Section then goes on to discuss their proposal for landscaping the area, providing child play areas and extra lighting (seriously!!) with some lovely illustrations of what the area will look like within six years of transfer, doesn’t quite match the view from my window but never mind eh!!
Anyway down to the nitty gritty – how are they going to pay for such wonderful works? Well for that answer we need to go back to section 1.
In Section 1 of this offer document East End Homes give their argument for transferring over to them instead of staying with Tower Hamlets. Foremost in all of this is the in-ability for the council to be able to pay for the “Decent Homes” and regeneration works that need to be carried out on all the houses within the estates mentioned.
So how will East End Homes get the money?
East End Homes quite clearly state that they will be able to carry out, and pay for these works, an estimated 40 million, by having the freedom to borrow money and also being in the position to pay this money back over a longer period of time.
So that it basically, it’s not complicated!!
So lets do a summary of the facts as we now know them..
Have East End Homes promised to carry out repairs and regeneration works to bring all houses on the aforementioned estates within the offer document up to the “Decent Homes standard” and provide things like new kitchens, bathrooms etc..-YES!!
Have East End Homes said that they will pay for the “Core Works” and regeneration works, which includes new kitchens, bathrooms etc., by borrowing money to pay for these said works
– YES AGAIN!!
Have East End Homes stated in this offer document that at any time they will not be able to carry out this promised works without money generated from new builds – well that’s a very big NO!
So there you have it folks…the promised regeneration and repairs to the estates is NOT dependent on any new build and in fact should be provided by East End Homes by BORROWING MONEY to do so WITHIN the six years since transfer…. Not long to go then!!
I hope this has explained things more clearly and as such has exploded the myth of “decent homes and regeneration through new build”.
