ETRA & Community Meeting 16 April 2026

Resident attendees: K MacEwen, P Cushion, I Marlow, J Walker-Murrain, R Bevis, S Wissler, K Bagci, S Hulcoop, E Pine, R Awesu, J Herrera, V Blaskova, A Montanari, J Mankelar, E Virk

Hackney staff: June Welcome (housing officer), Manoj Pawara (cleaning team)

Apologies: P Melville (resident)

·        Approval of minutes from last meetings:

-18.09.2025 was last ETRA meeting – Approved by Isadora, Kathy,

– 22.01.2026 was last community meeting – Approved by Sarah, Jill

No objections

Bernard not available, sent Manoj.

Haven’t been able to do an estate walkabout yet but have been together to address specific issues. Tuesday next week plan to go through the old blocks starting in Bramfield to highlight issues and basic standards. June has managed cleaning in the past. Basic standards need addressing. Where landings are full of clutter cleaners are ignoring.

Q – PC – 2 weeks ago big bin stuck outside chute room (by bin man), blocking all bins, all filled up over Easter. Lots of fly tipping – armchairs etc. Part of rent now goes on rubbish collection

Cleaning team blames collection team and vice versa

Road sweeper just sits on cab not helping

KB – people sitting on stairs in Kelshall making a mess, door not secure so can be yanked open, sit on 3^rd/5^th floor. June to let enforcement know.

SH – residents don’t have a say in what is cleaned. Some things get cleaned every day but other things don’t get cleaned. Is there a way for residents to suggest what neds cleaning if something is not getting done.

Also group of youth hanging out in Chipping, write on walls, spitting, burned railings. Problem before but possibly not happening now. June identified one of the boys involved and spoke to his parent about the issue, hasn’t had complaints since then.

Wallington – ground floor swept every day but 3^rd floor rarely gets cleaned, pine needles left for months after Christmas

Manoj – there is a new cleaning schedule – Bernard to share

Bramfield main entrance door keeps breaking and security cameras sprayed. Recycling bins getting full and people leaving cat litter and general fly tipping. EP –  the issue on Queens Drive has been ongoing for months, Cllr Potter is aware.

If see fly tipping try to note the vehicle details and licence plate, take a video if possible (only if no danger) then can be sent to enforcement and people can be prosecuted. Similar issue outside bulk waste store new build.

Pigeon droppings not cleaned near Lemsford

Housing Officer               ? cleaning team

June/Manoj to address rubbish issue

June to tell enforcement about youth in Kelshall

Bernard to share cleaning schedule and ask if residents can input into frequencies

Apologies that no one from repairs is willing to attend today.

Repairs –  email from Sean Roche – Repairs Customer Services/Call-Out Manager

I apologise for the previous Repairs Officer’s candid comments regarding our internal processes.

I can confirm that the Repairs Contact Centre currently lacks a formal diagnostic tool, which occasionally results in misdiagnostics and errors in scheduling or allocation. Hackney is aware of this issue and is exploring interim solutions, as a diagnostic tool will be included in the upcoming rollout of the new integrated Housing Management System.

Regarding how repair costs are covered, I understand these are typically handled through service charges rather than being job-specific. However, this would need to be confirmed by the Homeownership team.

I know it’s not a lot, but it includes some feedback from both areas. It is especially important, I think, to include information about the diagnostic tool within the rollout of the Integrated housing Management system. That will benefit all residents who request repairs and help ensure diagnostics are correct at the first point of contact.

Email reply to June from Josephine Burton – Home Ownership Services

-Service charge queries for Kings Crescent Estate are being addressed via the disputes process.  However, if there are any new queries, that have not already been raised and answered, we can provide written responses to specific questions either in advance or after the meeting

-With regard to leaseholders’ service charges, under the terms of the lease agreement, an estimated service charge is payable each year in advance which is notified prior to the beginning of each financial year.  Within six months of the end of each financial year (usually September) leaseholders are provided with a statement of actual service charge costs incurred  which is then reconciled against the sum collected on the estimates for the corresponding year.

Leaseholders have a legal right to ask for an itemised breakdown of the actual service charge bill and this is where queries such as the one outlined below are raised:

‘Question I posed: Leaseholders have enquired whether they are charged for repeat repair visits when operatives arrive with the wrong parts or to examine an issue that has already been reviewed. ‘ 

There is no single answer and each case has to be individually assessed on the basis of whether it is reasonable to charge for a repeat visit.  For example, it is possible that investigation was required to determine a correct part and that it had to be ordered and fitted on a repeat visit or that an issue reviewed by an operative had to be referred to a specialist due to unexpected/complex issue being discovered at the first visit. –

Leaseholders have a right to ask for a detailed breakdown of service charges

June advised it is best to keep paying service charge but email to say you are paying under protest, but need to adhere to contract

Repairs vs home services team no one takes responsibility for quality of services delivered and paid for

KPI about percentage of monitoring – will ask director if there

·        Broken courtyard gates

Courtyard gate ‘fixed’ but not properly, fixed the lock but not the closing mechanism, have to push it closed. Gate is too heavy for the closer it has. Drug users are coming into the courtyard. Residents having to ask drug users to leave. Needs to be reported to community safety. Bin rooms also used by drug users, can tell people have been in there from the graffiti and bits left, fear of opening it as not sure what will find.

Bike storage room – people try to force the doors open at night. Kimpton bike store door is about to break.

Barley Court door was broken, homeless people sleeping on the stairs. Doors constantly broken. Fixed 1 month ago, broken again. Noted that this issue has been raised for the past 7 years!!

·        Lighting Theobalds Court – nothing from repairs

·        Flooded area under old boiler room

Took a lot of work to get it escalated and various teams involved but they have drained the flooded area now. Likely identified the source of water leak and will fix it

Environmental health assessed the mosquito type. Is empty now so hopefully won’t be an issue this summer. Ground water lever raised from the flood in 2019 so not sure if that is contributing but ongoing work on this.

Also fountains were not working last summer in Clissold ponds. Is working now.

Environmental health said that the mosquitoes in the park were different and the source was not there.

Environmental health were being notified when people were bitten, set traps to analyse mosquitoes, investing

Don’t have plant pots etc with water collection as breeding ground for mosquitoes

Window fallen out, chased repairs, June: need to make a formal complaint

·        How can residents be kept updated on progress of repairs? – no response

·        Who supervises to ensure repairs are carried out effectively given the repeated nature of raised issues? – no response

Housing Officer

Message from repairs team

June to request environmental health report regarding mosquito breed and source of issue

June to continue to monitor repairs issues

·        High costs of repairs ? value for money

Karsten checked with Cllr Clare Potter, not much to update unfortunately. She checked and no news on root cause analysis from Ron Greenwood. Spoke to a lift engineer by chance re Wallington court lift; he was going to make a few upgrades, including the door. The lift door does seem to operate more smoothly now and not broken down since.

Remote monitoring system was installed recently so that night help

Ongoing issues with call bells and lack of mobile signal so trapped, but Hackney keeps saying it is working, but issues keep happening.

• Monthly inspections update – doesn’t have a set schedule. June has KPIs to meet, usually do them all in the first 2 weeks. If people want to join the inspection can get in touch with June and she can schedule their block. Top to bottom damaged paintwork, broken items, cleaning issues etc. New blocks quite easy. Should not be storing things in communal areas. In older blocks the biggest issue is clutter on landings that obstructs landings and fire escape route. Laundry hanging is not good. Email June via neighbourhood email if want to join a block inspection. Neighbourhood@hackney.gov.uk
• Bike store update – lack of usable space. Some bikes broken or covered in dust and clearly not being used. Has put warning notices on these. Will letter drop every resident to give them a last chance to claim the bikes (to be sent out next week). Will be removed soon. Will be put in storage for 28 days then disposed of.

Housing Officer

• Urine in Theobalds lift, cleaner thought it was a dog but it isn’t. June has written a letter, will be sent to block soon.

Won resident participation grant for £10,000 to fund youth projects

Ongoing CDF funding for gardening, youth and events

9 new gardeners

Mulalley have put in 2 new raised beds

69 beds

Bought compost and now making own compost (compost team)

Lots of activity in the courtyards

Ongoing issue with tap not working (old email pump wasn’t working, was resolved, but not working again). Many residents are not able to carry buckets

Rain collectors don’t really work, Hackney teams don’t take responsibility

Homework club Tuesdays (Hackney Showroom)

Youth club back on, Wednesdays now 4.15-6pm (Hackney Showroom)

Could residents be reminded that children are allowed to play during the day up to 8pm?

June requested block treatment

·        Street party 11 July 2026

·        ETRA/Community meeting Tuesday 14 July 2026

·        AGM/Social Thursday 22 October 2026

Timing

·        Approval of minutes from last meetings

–18.09.2025 was last ETRA meeting

– 22.01.2026 was last community meeting

Housing Officer               ? cleaning team

·        Flooded area under old boiler room

·        Broken courtyard gates

·        How can residents be kept updated on progress of repairs

·        Who supervises to ensure repairs are carried out effectively given the repeated nature of raised issues

Housing Officer

? someone from repairs team

·        High costs of repairs ? value for money

• Monthly inspections update
• Bike store update

Housing Officer

·        Gardening update

·        Youth update