Southwark Council's Housing Scrutiny Commission has identified significant communication breakdowns as a key factor hampering the success of major works projects on council estates. A review of projects on the Canada Estate, Fair Street/Devon Mansions, and Kirby Estate revealed a pattern of strained relationships between residents and the council's project teams, leading to dissatisfaction and project inefficiencies.
The Housing Scrutiny Commission met to discuss the findings of a review into major works projects. The review, which included internal and external assessments, highlighted failures in communication and consultation with residents, contributing to delays and cost increases. Robust procedures have since been introduced to ensure the involvement of residents at an early stage and for the duration of future projects, ensuring clarity and transparency in all decisions, as demonstrated by the Consort Estate (Fire Safety and Refurbishment) project.
One of the key findings of the Task and Finishing Team (TFT) internal review was that the relationship between residents and the council's project team was often challenging and tense, leading to breakdowns in communication.
The report noted that residents became frustrated with a lack of response to longstanding issues, while officers felt badly treated and unsupported. The TFT also observed a deep-rooted lack of trust in the council from residents and Tenants and Residents Associations (T&RAs).
To address these issues, the commission considered a management response and action plan from Ryan Collymore, Director of Repairs and Maintenance. The action plan addresses the 36 recommendations made by the TFT in its outcome report. The action plan identifies that 15 of the 36 recommendations have been addressed and completed, with good progress being made on the other recommendations, with target dates set for completion. The action plan, which is attached as Appendix 1, can be found in the Public reports pack. The action plan included measures to improve communication and consultation with residents on future projects, drawing lessons from the breakdowns experienced on the Canada, Fair Street/Devon Mansions and Kirby Estates.
The review also highlighted specific instances where communication failures led to project delays and increased costs. For example, on the Canada Estate, a delay in deciding on the external colour scheme for high-rise blocks, due to a lack of consultation with residents, resulted in a four-month delay and considerable additional costs.
The Housing Scrutiny Commission's report recommended that the council ensure clarity around the level and scope of consultation with residents on future major works projects. It also suggested that the council consider a deep dive
audit into the relationship between residents and officers for the duration of the projects, and the respective conduct of officers and some members of the T&RAs.
The Director of Repairs and Maintenance acknowledged the communication challenges and outlined steps being taken to improve resident involvement in future projects. These steps include holding meetings with leaseholder representatives and ward councillors to discuss specifications and costs, sharing information with residents to demonstrate the need for works, and inviting TRA representatives to attend monthly progress meetings. To further support these efforts, a Learning & Development Manager has been allocated to the Planned Maintenance Team to assist in identifying skills gaps and identifying appropriate training, with a budget being sought for the necessary training.
While acknowledging the need for improvement, the Director of Repairs and Maintenance also defended the council's approach to leaseholder recharges. He stated that leaseholders should only be recharged their fair and proportionate cost of works and services that have been delivered and completed to the required standard, as set out in the terms of their respective leases.
The Housing Scrutiny Commission's review and the subsequent management response highlight the importance of effective communication and consultation in ensuring the success of major works projects on council estates. By addressing the identified communication failures, Southwark Council aims to improve resident satisfaction, reduce project delays, and deliver better value for money in future housing projects.
