Agenda and minutes

Prior to the consideration of the items listed on the agenda, the Chair remarked on the recent death of Mark Bostock, Common Councillor since 2017 and Deputy since 2022, and invited the committee to mark a moment’s silence in his memory.

Apologies for absence were received from Monique Long, Sandy Wilson, Andy Hope, and Fiona Lean, for whom Anne Toovey, Ted Reilly, Fred Rodgers, and Stephen Chapman substituted respectively.

Apologies for absence were also received from John Taysum.

Jenny Nesbit attended the meeting online as the representative of Frobisher Crescent.

There were no declarations of interest.

To agree the minutes of the Barbican Estate Residents Consultation Committee meeting held on 5 June 2023.

The committee welcomed feedback that the first meeting of the Car Park Working Group had been productive and had a clear sense of purpose. It was noted that the working group was not a decision-making body but that proposals on car parking arrangements would be brought to the Barbican Estate Residents Consultation Committee and ultimately the Barbican Residential Committee in due course.

In response to a question related to an item discussed at the August meeting of the committee, officers agreed that a summary of the roles and responsibilities of resident engineers would be shared with the committee following the meeting.

RESOLVED: To agree the minutes of the Barbican Estate Residents Consultation Committee meeting held on 5 June 2023.

Report of the Executive Director of Community and Children’s Services.

The committee received a report of the Executive Director of Community and Children’s Services.

The Chair agreed to meet with officers to review the outstanding actions and determine their prioritisation, and the methods through which outstanding actions were reported to the committee and seen through to completion.

Report of the Executive Director of Community and Children’s Services.

The committee received a report of the Executive Director of Community and Children’s Services.

The committee noted that the City of London Corporation had agreed to commission and pay for an audit to be undertaken by external consultants regarding the reconciliation of the two years where usage energy charges had been inaccurate, and to ensure that these issues had been remedied. The committee noted that a positive meeting between officers and residents had taken place on the morning of 4 September to discuss all aspects of the commissioning of the energy audit. It was agreed that the two resident nominees would be involved in all phases of the audit.

RESOLVED: To note the report.

Report of the Executive Director of Community and Children’s Services.

The committee received a report of the Executive Director of Community and Children’s Services.

In response to questions, officers agreed that future reports could be presented in the format used for service charge reports and that the report in question could be shared with the committee outside following the meeting in this style. Officers agreed to share a table of variances following the meeting.

The committee noted that an independent audit was to be commissioned of service charges, paid for by the City of London Corporation, and that two residents had been nominated to be involved in the commissioning and ongoing reporting of the audit.

Residents reported that their own surveying of other residents within Ben Jonson House suggested that there were approximately 70% of dwellings which had reported water ingress issues with a number of these issues continuing. Officers agreed to meet with residents of Ben Jonson House to discuss the matter further.

It was further noted that balcony repairs were a significant element of the repairs spend and it was confirmed that a survey was being commissioned to determine the extent of the problem with a view to undertaking such work on a programmatic basis to achieve economies of scale and other associated benefits.

RESOLVED: To note the report.

Report of the Executive Director of Community and Children’s Services.

The committee received a report of the Executive Director of Community and Children’s Services.

The committee noted that a weblink which would provide access to the completed surveys would be provided in the coming weeks.

The committee expressed its frustration at the delay in effecting a programme of work to achieve economies of scale and associated other benefits. The committee expressed frustration that the work was originally committed to in June 2021 and that the report made no mention of this.

RESOLVED: To note the report.

Joint report of the Chamberlain and Executive Director of Community and Children's Services.c

The committee received a joint report of the Chamberlain and Executive Director of Community and Children's Services.

RESOLVED: To note the report.

Report of the Executive Director of Children’s Services.

The committee received a report of the Executive Director of Community and Children’s Services.

The committee discussed the data within the report and discussed how and when redecorations were logged as completed. It was noted that Gilbert House and Willoughby House had logged formal complaints with the City of London Corporation regarding the quality and poor management of the works and it was understood that another House had made an application to the First-tier Tribunal. The committee discussed the delay between works being completed and inspections being undertaken. The committee considered that the report, as written, had presented a more positive overview of the programme than it warranted and asked officers to be more candid in future.

In response to questions, officers agreed to share a breakdown of the costs per block of the programme following the meeting. The committee discussed the need for a cyclical works programme to ensure the estate remained well maintained. In response to questions, officers confirmed that in remedying the works the priority for the Corporation would be for the contractor to remedy works at their own costs and that a report on the possibilities for payment for said works could be brought to the next meeting of the committee. It was clarified by officers that where issues were identified with the quality of works that the costs of corrections would not be borne by residents.

RESOLVED: To note the report.

Report of the Executive Director of Children’s Services.

The committee received a report of the Executive Director of Community and Children’s Services.

The committee expressed disappointment that a series of outstanding questions and comments from the Asset Maintenance Working Party had not been answered nor referred to in the report as presented. The questions and comments were tabled by the Chair, to which officers agreed to provide written responses following the meeting:

Process and management approach

1.     Greater detail is required on the City’s proposed approach to managing this programme of potential works, including:

2.     Who will be responsible for delivery? Is the intention to recruit a programme director? And if not, why not?

3.     What is the proposed governance structure? We presume there would be a programme board, including key stakeholders and resident representatives.

4.     What is the intended programme and project reporting cycle and approach?

5.     Who is the programme sponsor?

6.     What project and programme management methodology will be applied? E.g. Prince2, MSP.

7.     What is the proposed approach to ensuring lessons are captured, learn, and applied through the programme and through phases from one block to the next?

8.     What other specialist project and programme resource requirements have been identified?

9.     Has a gap analysis been carried out to identify what capabilities are present within the City’s current resources and what additional resources will need to be brought in?

10. What is the proposed project gate approach? We note reference to the City’s gateway process but understand this is primarily financial, rather than a project governance methodology.

11. We note the City’s gateway process is currently under review. When is this review expected to complete and when will updated processes be shared?

12. Can details of the current process that applies in the meantime be shared?

13. Has engagement has been carried out with

Executive Director of Community and Children’s Services to be heard.

The committee received a verbal report of the Executive Director of Community and Children’s Services.

The committee noted the work undertaken to check City of London Corporation records and that 24 leases were in the process of being checked for canopy clauses. The committee discussed what commitment, if any, the Corporation had given regarding the ongoing maintenance of the canopy roof and noted that the legal advice of the Corporation’s Comptroller and City Solicitor’s Department was being sought to inform interpretation of the information found thus far. It was noted that a range of leases were in place across the residential estate.

Executive Director of Community and Children’s Services to be heard.

The committee received a verbal report of the Executive Director of Community and Children’s Services.

The committee noted that a meeting with the Town Clerk and Chief Executive was scheduled for the end of September 2023 and that the matter would be reported back to the committee in due course.

There were no questions.

The Chair advised the committee that she had accepted several items of urgent business.

Barbican Estate Transformation Programme and Action Plan

Officers advised the committee that the action plan was being delivered in accordance with its timeline and that the recruitment of a permanent Head of Barbican Estate Office was likely to take place in November 2023. It was noted that the recruitment to this role had been agreed and that agreement on an increased salary was expected in the coming days.

Breach of Lease Protocol (Verbal)

The committee noted that proposals to amend the lease protocol with respect of the carpeting of floors and keeping of animals would be brought to a future meeting of the committee.

Repairs and Maintenance Procurement Update (Verbal)

The committee expressed its dissatisfaction that the complex briefing had not been provided in a written report for the meeting, to which officers responded by confirming that a written summary of the matter would be provided following the meeting and that it was proposed to extend a contract with a supplier which residents were dissatisfied with because officers had not initiated the procurement early enough. It was further agreed that a timeline for the procurement would be provided to the next meeting of the committee.

The committee discussed the financial impact of outsourcing repairs and maintenance as compared to this service being provided in-house and noted that it was likely that any affected staff would be subject to the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006.

Underfloor Heating Working Party

A motion was moved by Ted Reilly and seconded by Adam Hogg requesting that further information be provided regarding the governance, finance, and scope of the programme of works. This was put to the committee and agreed.

RESOLVED:

1.     The Barbican Estate Residential Consultation Committee