From the Hornets' Nest
The Pond House Residents' Association

where 'good neighbours become good friends'

 

Grenfell Tower - Never Again
Grenfell Tower Inquiry

Self-interest is unhumbled by the disaster, or indeed by this Inquiry. Each core participant continues to blame others, and predictably, now blames the regulatory regime for its permissiveness and propensity to be abused.

Show Me the Bodies: How We Let Grenfell Happen by Peter Apps has been published in November 2022

 
Energy Efficiency Grants
33-124 Pond House had Cavity Wall Insulation installed, which has made them warmer and cut fuel bills (not all homes have cavity walls so cannot have this type of insulation). The Council must ensure that all homes have the maximum amount of energy efficiency works available funded by government grants ASAP
 
Tenancy Agreement Changes Review
There's very little information on the RBKC website. The decision to be made not before 18 January 2023.
Double Glazing/Major Works

Decisions on Energy Efficiency Grant Feb22. Management of Works June 22, The decision on our works to be made not before 30 November 2022

 
Fibre Optic Internet

There are 2 companies able to install this in your flat.

1) Hyperoptic, whom I'm delighted to say are intending to start installing their external fibre-optic cables from 14th November 2022 and

2) Community Fibre, who have already installed external their fibre-optic cables to our homes. This is one of their Linksys routers

Please be aware of the Council's report into Digital Connectivity for which your Chairman was a co-author.

Community Fibre at the time of writing this, wanted to know who manages our homes in order to register with them. So for name, phone number, email, please answer with the RBKC Fibre Project Manager's details, Phil Logue, 020 7361 3000, housingconsult@rbkc.gov.uk

Mobile Phone Masts

If you and your neighbours in your block get a letter from a mobile phone company wishing to install mobile phone masts on the roof of your block, then it is very important to tell the Council and your Residents' Association as soon as possible so there is a better chance of stopping the installation

There is normally much less than 14 days in which to stop these installations as the mobile phone companies have what are called "permitted development rights".

 
Consultation with residents using Traverse

The Council felt obliged to consult with residents after the Grenfell disaster, to find out if we still wanted the Council to own and manage our homes. The answer was strongly in favour of remaining with the Council owning our homes.

Tenants of Letting Agents - Private Tenants

This section applies to tenants, who live in Pond House but are not Council Tenants.

You are always welcome at our meetings as you are neighbours. Your name and flat number can be redacted from the attendance register. Your privacy and rights to freedom of speech will be protected by you being referred to as Tenant "X", "Y" or "Z" in the minutes of our meetings.

We find that tenants who have a direct relationship with their Leaseholder landlord will keep their landlord informed of events promptly and understandibly protect their landlord's privacy, Likewise the Leaseholder may ask their tenants to go to meetings to find out what is going on.

In 2015, Pond House leaseholders (through no fault of their own) were taken to the Lands Tribunal by the Council/TMO (see below), and your residents association was advised of their contact details at that time, so your landlord's credentials are known by your residents' association.

These may be different from the contact details shown on the title register for your property entry at the Land Registry, which you can obtain for £3 (at the time of writing this) to find out who is your real landlord.

 
RBKC v Lessees of 1-124 Pond House and others

See the decision on the Lands Tribunal website regarding Framework Agreements. What a dreadful waste of money by the Council and the RBKC TMO on lawyers in an attempt to set a 'test case' using Pond House.

RBKC and the TMO were seen off in a very effective manner by 2 leaseholder Barristers and other leaseholders of RBKC, who were non residents of Pond House and were joined into this case.

This is the second time RBKC has tried it on with leaseholders following the LAPN (London Area Procurement Network) judgement in 2007

 
False Smoke Alarms
Closing the kitchen door while cooking will reduce false alarms.
 
Digital TV
It's been almost 10 years since the contract between RBKC and SCCI was signed. If you haven't had a digital TV socket installed in your flat, now is the time to get this done, before the contract expires
 
 
To send this website to neighbours. copy/paste this link into your email
To add this to your favourites, right-click here -> rbkc,org.uk
 

Contact form

Contact Address: - You can contact your Residents' Association by putting a letter/note through the letterbox at:-

Pond House Residents' Association

The John Keys Community Centre

Next to 48-63 Pond House

Pond Place

Chelsea

SW3 6QS

| Google | Directions | Google Earth (Downloads a .kmz file to open in Earth)

 

Fire Risk Assessments

Find an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) for your home.

 

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No renewal of bad legacy decisions by the RBKC Council.

No more developer friendly regeneration

Anti-Gentrification Handbook

Planning Inspectorate (South Ken Station)

 

Challenge the Developers

Academic Housing Papers

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Right to Manage & TMOs

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Crosssrail 2

Chelsea 4 Crossrail 2

No Crossrail in Chelsea

Albert Bridge Tides

Mobile Phone Masts Information

Powerwatch

Dog Control Public Spaces Protection Order 2018 (see page 27)

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Links to legal advice websites

Law Centres

Citizens Advice Bureau

BPP Pro Bono Centre

Support Though Court

A Handbook for Litigants in Person

 

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Links to leasehold advice websites

Leasehold Advisory Service

RICS Compulsory purchase helpline for leaseholders

gov.uk Compulsory Purchase Booklet

Leasehold Knowledge Partnership

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Links to housing advice websites

World's End Advice Centre

Staying First (broken link)

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For private tenants

Generation Rent

London Renters Union

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Links to other advice

Citizens Advice Bureau

Tax Aid

End Furniture Poverty

Benefits and Work

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Dept for Levelling Up Housing & Communities

The late Prof. Peter Ambrose on a meaningful definition of 'affordable' housing

Audit Commission 2006 report on the RBKC TMO regarding failings in resident representation and leaseholder issues.

Smith Institute Policies for a fairer society

APSE

Local Government Ombudsmen

Regulator of Social Housing

 

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Newspapers and Magazines

Inside Housing

Chelsea Gazette

Enquirer K&C

Private Eye

The Resident

 

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External links

Defend Council Housing (DCH) national website supported by a cross-party group of MPs from parties including Green, Labour and Lib-Dem.

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Homes UK 2022

Plumis - Automist Fire Suppresion

Vodafone Essentials

Chimella - Blocking heat loss through chimneys with an inverted umbrella

Adey (Protecting Heating Systems)

Wilko Decorating Card - for new tenants

Brewers Decoration Pack at Brewers

Allpay - Payment Help

q-bot underfloor insulation - robots in your basement

Help with (not) Hoarding

BillyChip - Delivering kindness

 

 

Residents' websites

Grenfell Action Group

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Residents' Association websites

World's End

Cats

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Other areas in the UK

TBA

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Solve the housing crisis in RBKC by serving Empty Dwelling Management Orders on all the unoccupied homes in the private sector

Neighbours were cruelly hoaxed in 2008 - did you see the person who distributed this anonymous flyer? Many thanks to neighbours, who claimed that their English is a very poor second or third language and pointed out the spelling mistakes in this flyer to the committee. Click back in your browser to return here