Agenda item

Report of the Town Clerk.

 The Committee considered a report of the Town Clerk in respect of the Annual Audit of Recognised Tenant Associations (RTAs).  Members noted that all those House Groups which had applied and had received RTA status in 2015, had achieved it again in 2016. 

During the discussion, the following points were noted:

• The Town Clerk advised that, with the exception of the Barbican Association (BA), all successful House Groups had agreed to adopt an ‘Opt Out’ Membership Scheme.  Overall, the number of Opt Outs in each Group was very small; i.e. only 1 or 2, across 1 or 2 of the House Groups.  The Town Clerk agreed to include the actual numbers in future reports. Members also suggested that it would be more appropriate to use the term ‘Opt-Out’, rather than ‘Op-In’ in the table in the report, as this was a clearer description of the principle of the scheme.

• The City of London Corporation actively encouraged the Barbican House Groups to achieve RTA status.  Members suggested articles in BA news and electronic bulletins when the audit commenced next in the summer of 2017. 

• Members noted that those groups which had not achieved the status had a very high number of absentee lessees,  and this made it very difficult to source volunteers to act as House Group Chairmen and Secretaries.

• The City Solicitor agreed to check whether it was possible for the BA to have RTA status, given the high number of RTAs in blocks across the Estate.

RESOLVED, That: 

The RTA status of the House Groups, as set out in the report and the Barbican Association, be formally recognised.