Clapham Park West Residents Association

In August 2010, CPWRA were awarded funding to repair the damage done to our lived environment in Agnes Riley Memorial Gardens.

The work is progressing slowly, but surely. Come and have a look!

Upcoming meetings:

Annual General Meeting called for the:

18:30hrs on the 25th September 2012

At: TBA

Hope to see you there...

CPWRA Officers & Committee:

Chair: V. De Maynard

Hon. Secretary: Y. Ojo

Treasurer: T. Freeman

Committee: Kafayat Ope; Andrea Mae; Emile Akra ; Richard Kemp, Concy Labongo, Deborah Constable.

Contact: honorary.secretary@cpwra.co.uk

©CPWRA

Dear All,

Sprng is coming, and it time to get out, and about! Dust off the furniture, hooever the carpets, mop the floors and prepare for a bumper year! Long suffering members have endured a hard winter and should take pride in their resilence and ability to cope with lifes little harships. The heating bill will be higher than expected due to the social landlords inabilty to accept its responsibility to insulate its homes satisfactorily against the weather, and ensure that residents have the help and support they need to keep on top of the bills. Keep up the pressure, and don't be afraid to enter into their complaints procedure. Ultimately its your, and that of your family health and wellbing that is at stake. Volunteer your help and support to make our lived enviorment the best it can be. Their remains issues related to community safety, the condition of the roads, antisocial behaviour, housing, and child education places. Those of you who volunteer for the provision and maintenance of comunity garden, should be out cultivating the space to ensure that this years growing season goes off without a hitch. Lots of spring vegetables, fruits, and herbs need to be grown in time for the 'Spring Picnic'' (some time before the end of June 2013). If you like to voluinnteer your services, please contact: chair@cpwra.co.uk

Housing-related matters:

As expected the anticipated Masterplan version (?) outlining developments for Clapham Park Estate has still not materialised, however CPH are no longer, and a new organisation 'Metropolitan Clapham Park' is now dfully funtional. In an Inside Housing report, the Housing regulator (HCA) stated:

" It's not appropriate to comment in detail on specific cases, but I can confirm we have been kept fully informed of the issues facing Metropolitan, and will continue to monitor its progress in addressing them."

'Clapham Park West Residents Association' complained throughout 2005 and 2006 about the financial risks; not because we did not want to see regeneration, but because the now MHP Clapham Park Homes never had the money in place to see this scheme through. Everything we were concerned about has now come to pass, and it is the residents who can least afford it that will have to pick up the tab. Most our members are however still living in homes that do not meet the Government's 'decent homes standard'. It remains to be seen what impact 'Metropolitan' with have on residents; given that up until now 'CPH' were happy to let poorly insulated properties that simply leach out heat, and force low income households to pay for their heating and hot water thus increasing fuel poverty for those who can least afford it, indefinitely. We continue to campaign ensure that our residents do not suffer unduly through no fault of their own, and are pleased that at least for private tenants, the Government have put in place following Legislation which became effective April 2012.

Tenancy Deposit information MUST now be provided within 30 days or be fined and invalidate your right to evict a Tenant Read More
An Energy Performance Certificate must be commissioned before a property can be marketed; it also clarifies that the EPC must actually be issued within 7 days of marketing. Read More
The age limit of the Single Room Rate (SRR) rose from 25 to 35 years old . This change means some Landlords will see rent reduce by 35% Read More
Local Housing Allowance(Housing Benefits) will be set in line with the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) instead of the Retail Prices Index (RPI). check current LHA rents in your area
Small-shared houses or flats occupied by between 3 and 6 unrelated individuals who share basic amenities were reclassified under planning laws from "C3 Dwelling Houses" to "C4 Houses in Multiple Occupation". Depending in which part of the country you are you may need Planning Permission to rent these. See by town Read More
The Localism Bill has come into being its intent is to devolve greater powers to councils and neighbourhoods and give local communities more control over housing and planning decisions Read More

CPH have been inviting leaseholders whose homes they wish to demolish to view new flats and telling them that they are not available. Not only have they offered below market prices for their homes, but also they have caused them to suffer for eight years without any hope of relief from that suffering. CPH have sold all nine town houses to one person! So much for affordable housing being made available to low income families, and spending public money to reduce inequalities in socially deprived areas. This too CPH states: "will

not be treated as a complaint as it is not about a service failure or a breach of CPH policy or procedure." We will see whether Metropolitan give tenants a say in where we go from here, and it is noted that a means is available for people to give their view on the Metropolitan website at: Metropolitan

The Government has published its response to the 'Select Committee on Housing and Regeneration Report', it which it states that:

'The Government has no plans to publish a national regeneration strategy. A national regeneration strategy – prescribing outcomes, targets and measures, methods or roles – would be inconsistent with our localist approach to regeneration. Instead, we are providing the tools, flexibilities, options and powers that will allow local partners to develop their own regeneration strategy to address their own priorities. In this way, there will be different strategies in different places to address different problems.'

This means that Lambeth Council will be responsible for determining what constitutes regeneration and determine strategy that brings about regeneration.

Issues with the new build:

Many of those living the first block of newly built flats are still waiting for defects to be addressed. In particular, issues with floor covering, vermin, rotten kitchen worksurfac es, and three pin light bulbs to name just a few. Wates (Builders) have been round to inspect but nothing has happened as a consequence. In 2008, T. Lane (CPH) informed residents that there was a 'Vermin Control Order' in place, mice however seem to having a field because access to the flats through ducts servicing the immersion heater for instance have not been properly sealed. Lambeth Council have stated that a Vermin Control Order is not in place even though a ‘Vermin Control Order' should have been part of the new build requirements pursuant to building regulations. CPWRA has repeatedly requested a copy of this Vermin Control Order from CPH but none has been forthcoming. We will pursue these issues as the accumulation of these microagressions can have a serious debilitating stressful effect on the health and wellbeing of residents.

Street lighting and parking:

Street lighting has been an issue on the Estate for some years now, but nothing has happened since CPWRA put in a complaint on behalf its members in February 2011. It is now August 2012! The absence of adequate street lighting encourages crime, and instills a fear of crime. CPWRA has asked for our complaint to be escalated but as yet, nothing has happened. 'Metropolitan' advise, that 'CPH was in mess', and no doubt it will take time to correct. We have therefore asked our members to be vigilante and be careful until the lighting situation has been resolved. CPWRA will monitor progress until resolved.

The parking scheme, Clapham Park Homes (CPH) introduced earlier in the 2011, is still not working. Residents complain that they are paying for a service that they are not getting. Recently, 'Car Parking Partnership' enforcement officers have been issuing parking notices to residents who have failed to renew their permits on time. Previously, CPH had sent out reminders to those at risk of receiving such notices, but since theirf move to New Park Road, not such reminders were received. I am sure that this is an oversight, but should appeal any such notices as they have a right to expect to recieve reminders, and where Metropolitan Clapham Park have failed to issue such reminders, residents should not be expect to accept all the blame for not renewwing their parkng permits on time.

Primary and secondary school provision:

There is still no news on the provision of a nwe porimary school and part of the 'Clapham Park Regeneration Scheme', now in its seventh year. Our children are still expected to attend 'Glenbrook Primary School' for instance; a good school accroding their 2011 report, in unsatisfactory buildings. Although, continues to improve since their 2011 Ofsted Report, our children are still in the bottom 40% of all schools in England and Wales. This is unacceptable. Whilst it is not suggested that the condition of the school buildings and play areas is solely responsible for the poor academic achievement, it can not help improve academic achievement and support child development. The Ofsted Inspector said in his letter to the school, that:

'Glenbrook is a good and improving school. It does some things outstandingly well. In particular, it provides excellent care and this helps your personal development considerably. For example, you have an excellent understanding of how to stay safe and healthy. The school also makes sure that each one of you is well supported in your work and development. Teaching is good and, with your enthusiasm for learning, this means that you make good progress at school, leaving it at the end of Year 6 with attainment at similar levels to other boys and girls of the same age. Leaders and managers work well as the team with the rest of the staff to make sure the school keeps getting better. For example, attainment is slowly improving. We have asked the school to focus on improving two areas:

1) Make sure all lessons are good or better by keeping up the pace and providing work that keeps all of you at full stretch the whole time.
2) Work to improve attendance, especially that of the small number of pupils who are absent too much.we can be certain that these figures are not due to poor attendance. School attendance is: 97%.'

Community Garden – Agnes Riley Gardens:

Clapham Park West Residents Association has taken 'Clapham Park West Estate' into the Safer Neighbourhood Watch Scheme, and signs have been put up around the Estate, and continue to forward on Neighbourhood Watch alerts to our members. We thought things appear to be getting back to normal since the riots, and our hardworking Safer Neighbourhood Team back to normal duties, however they appear to have been absent about Clapham Park West Estate of late, and the last Safer Neighbourhood Panel was cancelled. Issues of ‘high police visibility' and ‘reducing the fear of crime' will be raised with the Borough Commander, as the neighbourhood police service provided is not satisfactory. Our campaign to ensure that we keep our full complement of community police and our police station has not worked so far. We need to do more. CPWRA continue to work with Thornton SNT minimise burglary, theft from the person, and antisocial behaviour, but we need to do more to remove the threat of illegal drugs on the Estate. Clapham Park West Residents Association has been successful in registering Clapham Park West Estate as a Safer Neighbourhood Watch Area; given CPH's inability to address the safety issues raised on numerous occasions with their head of neighbourhood services. Residents have been complaining about the security of communal areas, antisocial behaviour in communal poor street lighting in Clapham Park West Estate for several years now without much success. Perhaps, CPH do not feel that this is a ‘service failure or a breach of CPH policy or procedure ' either? Signs and stickers have gone up, and we hope that this will help protect what little we have, and reduce the amount of crime taken place on the Estate. Should anyone wish to report an incident please note the number is now: 101. Should anyone be interested in joining the neighbourhood watch scheme do contact us for details. Latest SNW newsletter can be found at: http://lnwa.net/lnwa2/

Thanks to All those who voted to save our community!

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