Agenda item

To agree the public minutes and non-public summary of the meeting held on 13 February 2015.

RESOLVED – That the public minutes and non-public summary of the meeting held on 13 February 2015 be agreed as an accurate record.

Matters Arising

Livery Company Almshouses

Members noted that the list of Livery Companies that ran sheltered housing or Almshouses schemes had been circulated electronically by the Town Clerk on 7^th May.

City of London Gresham Almshouses

The Sheltered Housing Manager updated Members as to the communal hall, road works, and damage to a boundary wall.

·    Communal Hall

    Members noted a delay in obtaining furniture owing to the need for specialist pieces for reasons around accessibility and fire safety.

·    Road Works

Members noted that work on the tree roots and road surface would be undertaken during summer, although the contractor was yet to be appointed. In response to a Member’s suggestion regarding the annual survey of the trees, the Sheltered Housing Manager undertook to liaise with the Open Spaces Department regarding their working relationship with the London Borough of Islington to see if a similar arrangement could be made with the London Borough of Lambeth.

·    Boundary wall

Members noted that a retendering exercise was being carried out to ensure a reliable contractor was appointed to undertake the repairs, which would be funded from the existing repairs budget. The Sheltered Housing Manager advised that the leaseholders of the adjoining property had been asked to remove plants grown up their side of the wall, as this was having structural damage and was against the terms of their lease. In response to a Member’s query concerning the state of the lawn, the Sheltered Housing Manager confirmed that this would be addressed once the wall repairs were complete.

In response to Members’ questions, the Sheltered Housing Manager advised that concessionary TV licences were available for Sheltered Housing, but they were conditional on a low percentage of residents being in employment and therefore the Almshouses did not qualify. Members noted that the eligibility criteria of the Almshouses had been amended and, in light of this, the Sheltered Housing Manager undertook to review the conditions on obtaining the concessionary licence. With regard to roofing and gutters, the Sheltered Housing Manager undertook to raise the issue at the next estate ‘walk-around’ later in the month, and advised that gutter clearing was undertaken on a cyclical basis and there were no complaints about roofing issues.