THE CITY WEST NIGHTMARE CONTINUES – 25 more ‘nightmare’ stories ’s decision to scrap City West Homes and bring it in-house has been welcomed across the city by tenants and leaseholders. The Labour Group’s year-long campaign on behalf of Westminster’s 22,000 tenants and leaseholders has been totally vindicated. This latest dossier of 25 more ‘nightmare’ stories exposes the scale of the task ahead for Westminster Council. As does this tale of misery suffered by a resident of the Hallfield Estate https://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/news/west-london-news/i-showered-leisure-centre-six- 15252793 This, together with two more reports from Labour Councillors, shows the depths to which City West Homes’ performance has sunk. Churchill Ward Councillor Shamim Talukder says: “There is a family in St George's Square, Tachbrook ward, their ceiling partly collapsed for over 3 months now and they get showered every time it rains. CWH only just approved the job to be done this week, upon my intervention!” And Harrow Road Councillor Guthrie McKie reports: “Another CWH case yesterday. 74 year-old woman been without heating since August on the Lydford Estate” The hard work now begins and Labour Councillors will continue the fight for a more effective, efficient and resident-focussed housing service. The Council Director of Housing has already acknowledged that there is a very big job to do. She told the Council Cabinet: “So, whilst all efforts will be to maintain service delivery if not improve it over the next six months, I would be the first to acknowledge that we will need another six months after that, of hard work, to get those services organised and delivering at a level that you and your residents would expect.” You can read Labour’s proposals for improving Westminster’s housing service here https://labourwestminster.files.wordpress.com/2018/09/cwh-review-westminster-labour- submission.pdf

Nightmare Number 1 Ashby Court, Wharncliffe Gardens Mr A has been waiting for over 3 months to have the broken fan in his toilet repaired. He was promised someone would call round between 8am - 2pm today. Nobody came or called to say they would not be coming.

Nightmare Number 2

Ilbert Street, Queen’s Park

On Tuesday 4th September I reported to your out of hours teams a possible leak from the flat above ours in Ilbert Street. I spoke to someone who said that if the water wasn’t pouring through the ceiling it wasn’t an emergency, but he would make a report for the engineers to visit the property. He also promised that someone would call.

I have attached a photo of a large brown stain that has recently appeared, probably caused by a leaking radiator valve although I am not certain. Although this might not be an emergency the damage to our decoration will continue to worsen until this problem is fixed. Over the past few years we have had a leak from a washing machine hose pipe, a leaking boiler, backed up waste water due to a frozen waste pipe and now this through the ceiling of the upstairs flat, each time causing a huge amount of damage. It is a very difficult situation for leaseholders in this position and it is a pity that you do not make your tenants responsible for making CityWest aware of these problems in a timely way.

Nightmare Number 3

Page Street,

Our residents booked Grosvenor Hall tonight for a meeting. When we arrived there was no lighting, no toilet paper and no handtowels. If you are going to book out during the day and evening maybe your staff should check facilities.

Nightmare Number 4

Ilbert Street, Queen’s Park

I am a tenant living in Ilbert Street and have been trying for several months to get outstanding jobs and replacement windows in my flat. They are metal casement windows around 50 years old that were installed when they converted the houses into flats. My kitchen window leaks when it rains and I have video evidence catching water in a bowl as it pours in. A surveyor came out to have a look on 8th August, I called today to find out what is happening as I have heard nothing from them and was told no report has been done yet.

Almost a month has gone by and the weather is changing into autumn now and I'm worried for my health and it's difficult to afford to heat my home. I am on benefits so have limited funds. The windows let in a lot of draught so I get very cold in winter. I recently had a level access shower fitted by Able2 in my bathroom but in the winter the condensation from the shower forms ice inside the window and it's freezing in there, everything is damp.

At the back of my flat there is a virginia creeper plant growing from the property next door and it blocks the hot water vent from the flat above. I have called CityWest about this several times but nothing has been done and I'm worried about the lady living there and carbon monoxide seeping back into the flat as the vent is completely covered in the creeper - it's stuck to the wall like glue.

I had a flood in my kitchen from blocked drains and sewage water all over my kitchen. It took 4 months to get it replaced by CityWest. After it was finished the gaps for the joints were huge and couldn't be filled and they put the new floor straight over the top of the old one without levelling it first and I can feel grit underneath when I walk. The surveyor that came out said it would be replaced but again I have heard nothing. it's a constant battle to get anything done with CityWest homes. I would appreciate some advice.

Nightmare Number 5

Ashbridge Street, Church Street

I live in Ashbridge Street with my two children and husband. Since Tuesday, due to a leak coming from upstairs, we have had our electricity switched off as the electric's cupboard was filling with water. City west homes has given us an option to stay in a hotel in Wembley. We did stay there on Friday and Saturday but had to come back Sunday night as Monday morning the children had to be at school. Since last week I have been asking to be put in any vacant property near me so that we can cope during this situation which in no aspect was any of our fault. My children are suffering as they are either in a flat without lights, fridge etc or in a hotel room. We are all very sad and frustrated.

The leak started a long time ago, and I have been regularly calling the council explaining that I have been getting water from the ceiling and the bathroom started disintegrating. The kitchen and hallway followed and I kept calling and reporting. The walls, door and flooring got destroyed as the leak goes inside the door and through the wall. City west homes, despite me insisting that there is a leak from upstairs, decided to fit a dehumidifier. In the meantime they did find out that there was indeed a leak, but the answer I have been getting is that the flat upstairs belongs to a leaseholder and that they cannot do anything about that. They asked me to knock on the neighbour’s door and ask him to do something about it. As many times as I knocked I did not get a response. In the meantime, we kept and keep on living in damp, mould and recently without electricity.

I am asking in despair as a mother who is seeing their children upset and does not know who to address anymore.

Nightmare Number 6

Westminster North

I’m in a wheelchair. I’m on my own. The kitchen taps are damaged and I can’t get myself a drink. Also, I can’t open the kitchen cupboard as the door’s jammed. Now I’ve got no hot water. I have to wash in cold water. Just over a week ago the engineer called and said a new part is needed in the tank. Just now, as I hadn’t heard anything, I called the repairs line and after waiting a long time to get through and after explaining my situation to several people I was asked to hold on and I was cut off. I have had enough!! Please, please can you do something about this?

Nightmare Number 7

Lillington Gardens, Tachbrook

I would like to inform you of a matter that is ongoing on the Lillington Gardens Estate for one of my neighbours who is a pensioner and who asked me to help re some unwanted aerials on the side of her property for which she is the tenant. The aerials do not belong to her and have been in place for more than ten years and were also being used by her neighbour to grow plants up them and have bird boxes positioned on them.

The aerials are big and rusty and an eyesore. I approached City West on her behalf and enquired about their removal and they were corresponding with me from when the first email was sent in October 2017. However, City West then decided to tell me it was 'case closed', none of my business and that one of their staff had spoken by phone to her and she had suddenly agreed to close the case without the aerials being removed. What worries me is that because of her age she perhaps doesn't want to be seen to be causing a problem and allow City West to simply do nothing.

Nightmare Number 8

Blandford Estate

You are proposing that as wheel clamping is no longer allowed, to control unauthorised parking, you are looking to consult on the implementation of Traffic Management orders. In effect this would allow traffic wardens to patrol estates at certain hours and issue tickets to illegally parked cars. In order to do this, you have stated that drivers who rent a specific bay will be guaranteed a permit for their area where their current bay is located but they will no longer be able to keep their current bay.

This is an absurd proposal, many residents have had their issued bays for 20 years or more why should they as law abiding parkers be chastised in order to stop illegal cars parking? I do not understand why current rented bays cannot keep these bays, it should NOT affect traffic wardens patrolling as the traffic wardens would only be checking for a valid permit. The permit could still contain the bay number which would just be relevant to the bay holder. This will cause much unnecessary dissent in our community and cause much angst for residents.

Once again a ridiculous proposal which will have a significant impact on Blandford residents. CWH's have failed its residents once again by not fully engaging or consulting with residents knowing full well the significant impact this change will cause.

Nightmare Number 9 Lillington Gardens, Tachbrook

Over the course of this week you have employed a worker with no talent or respect for the listed status of this estate, as we all watched him fill in the stone paved area in front of Longleat House with cement, when the holes and broken bricks should have been replaced with the same bricks as was originally set on the path between 1961 and 1980.

Your contempt for this particular part of the estate has been noted by all who reside here where that certain area had been left to fall into decline for the past five years and more, and now this is your answer to use basic cement to fill in the gaps. Cheap and nasty. It is by no means physically and visually compatible and is far from acceptable and what has been done here will lead on to prejudice alternative solutions in the future by not adhering to the listed rules status of this whole estate.

After our enquiries, action was forthcoming:

I just wanted to say many thanks, the guys are back this morning replacing all the cement with real bricks and doing the job they should have done in the first place. You have achieved in one week what no one else has ever been able to achieve for this estate including all other councillors and Mark Field MP. Brilliant job.

Nightmare Number 10 Dufour’s Place, Soho

The latest flood from the flat above mine is only exactly that - the latest. Ever since the flat above was gutted by the leaseholder and enormous changes made, I have suffered truly innumerable floods. For years, for instance, I had water pouring down the inside of my living room windows every time it rained, because the leaseholder had had the balcony screen torn out - without permission, and only shortly after major works throughout the building during which all soffits were replaced to make all the balconies completely safe against leaks.

What I truly do not understand is that all these floods were caused by work done plumbers or others employed by the leaseholder. Surely therefore the leaseholder should be responsible for repairs to my flat? Given how little CWH are spending on residents, why on earth aren't leaseholders responsible if truly dreadful botched work is carried out in their properties which causes floods in tenants' homes?

Nightmare Number 11 Warwick Avenue, Little Venice This is a freehold property with two Westminster Council flats. We submit accounts twice a year to BT for payment of our previous six month expenditure. Since Westminster moved on to this system, I’ve received a letter every September with a new Purchase order code. This changes annually in September. Without it, BT will not pay any accounts

I have not received any such code this year, despite waiting patiently for it. The only number available on the website is constantly too busy to answer calls and directs one to an e mail address. Having used this before, they take at least three weeks to answer any query. At one time we’d have a named member of staff to contact with a direct phone line and e mail address. Now it’s a anonymous mess. I’ve no idea who to contact. Even once these accounts are submitted to BT, it takes over a month to pay us .

Are you able to supply a direct number for me to speak to a knowledgeable person or somehow find out who’s responsible for sending us this vital information.

Nightmare Number 12

Dufour’s Place, Soho

I have lived in this block for over 30 years and have never ever been as cold in my flat as I was last night. No individual heater could have helped - the entire building and all its acres of glass was freezing, plus there are empty flats around me so no communal heat could possibly have been created without hot water running through the pipes. At one point I opened my balcony door and found that the temperature was exactly the same outdoors and in.

A few minutes ago I got back to the building and in the lift going up to my flat was told by a very agitated man that the heating had gone on this morning at 11.00 and had then gone off again. He was terribly angry about this. I arrived at my floor to find a desperate woman knocking on my door, who begged me to help - her radiators had gone on at 11.00 only to go off again and she had tried ringing CWH and hadn't even got an answer.

This is a terrifying situation and anything you can do to urge that some humanity be shown would be greatly, greatly appreciated.

Nightmare Number 13

Lisson Grove, Church Street Ward

No wonder @CityWestminster are dispensing with your services @CityWestHomes I reported a repair a couple of months ago. @morgansindall attended to assess. Heard nothing. Scaffolding sub-contractor arrived at my home with no notice just now demanding access to my property. He insisted he was coming back to put up scaffolding in my back garden.

I told him he would need to make an appointment with me for access. I can't just have people turning up in my garden if I'm not there. He seemed surprised. Now on hold to you on phone... @citywesthomes

The buck passing has been unbelievable. Customer service saying it’s repairs responsibility and vice versa. Terms of my lease have been broken by my freeholder @CityWestminster Yet @CityWestHomes are saying they can’t guarantee anyone will get back to me with an explanation.

Oh surprise surprise. I got through to someone and mid-conversation our call was cut off. So now I have to call back and be put on hold for another 1/2 hour. This is a joke @CityWestHomes @CityWestminster

And now I have been cut off again after being on hold for 10 minutes. What is going on over there please?

Nightmare Number 14

West End Ward

A while ago, the system at CWH changed from being able to email members of the team to some kind of customer service portal. Emails are met with an automated reply promising a personalised one within two days. This almost never happens, sometimes they aren't answered at all. If they are answered, it's with a request for more information - you reply sending that and you're back in the automated cycle. There's no one you can directly contact, there is no accountability. A worse job is done, taking weeks when it used to be the same day.

Before, as a trivial example, I'd email someone there to get a reading for my electricity meter, they'd ask the caretaker, and he'd pop a note through my door the same day. This time, I emailed on the 6th, got the automated reply and then nothing. I emailed again on the 10th, got the automated reply, and finally, on the 12th, got a reply saying they were forwarding my 'enquiry' to the Compliance Team. Still no meter reading.

As a more crucial example - I've been trying to sell my flat. Thanks to CityWest giving a Management Pack (costing £200) that didn't provide half the information needed, I needed to get more out of them. Despite my solicitor arguing that the information needed to sell the property that only they could give should be included in the Management Pack, they demanded another £50 before they'd supply it. I had no choice but to pay. Since then, I still haven't had the information I requested. I paid the £50 on the 21st August. On the 6th of September, my solicitor was given a small bit of the requested info (mostly 'we don't provide this'). The rest has been 'requested' and will be provided as soon as possible.

I don't know what to do. I'm extremely worried my sale will fall through. And it looks like CWH has adopted a new management style so much worse than before that it's causing unhappiness and a great number of problems in our block.

Nightmare Number 15

Hanson Street, Fitzrovia

Ms A has been a CWH tenant for 32 years and for the last 20 years she has regularly requested that her bathroom and kitchen be renewed, together with new skirting boards in the rest of the flat. She says that CWH surveyors have been round to inspect her flat and have regularly reported that the works should be undertaken. So far nothing has been done although many of her neighbours have had their flats upgraded. She is over 60 and pays her rent regularly and does not see why she has been left out.

Following our enquiries, the resident told us:

I have waited so many years to receive this good news. The fact that my landlord states that they hope to commence the major works to my home within the next 2-3 weeks is most encouraging. I pray that this comes to fruition. Thank you very much for taking this up on my behalf.

Nightmare Number 16

Ingestre Court, Soho

I don't want to say that it's all bad. Some of the individuals are excellent - the caretaker for the Ingestre block is a reassuring, reliable presence who always goes above and beyond with his work. When he was off with a bank injury, his absence was keenly noted. Similarly, when we were actually allowed to speak to members of the City West team directly, I found Repa Khan really helpful - she always went out of her way to make sure things were resolved or tried her best when she didn't have the authority to do anything about them herself. I had a similar experience with Neili Karim.

But it went downhill when the office was moved (against our wishes) from Broadwick Street. There was no where I could reach within working hours, so if I wanted to see a human in person, I'd have to take time off work. And since there was no human face on the support, there was less accountability. I think we became customers rather than people CityWest employees knew and got on with. But the main change for the worst was when everything became automated responses and we couldn't request to deal with a particular person, and certainly couldn't email an individual. There's no way to follow up on a specific request, any attempt resets the 2 days automated email timer. If my problem is moved to another department there's no way to chase that new department - I have to email customer services, wait 2 days, get a request saying they'll look into it and then more silence.

Nightmare Number 17

York Mansions,

I thought the delivery of the York Mansions major works programme couldn’t get any worse, but I was wrong. I have just witnessed 2 painters on the 4th floor balcony working on the long-awaited outstanding snagging works attempting to paint the pipe on the balcony ceiling with one painter being lifted up in the other painter’s hands and dabbing the area needing to be updated instead of using a ladder. Is this what CWH and Westminster Council consider a quality service and value for money for residents? Can someone responsible for the management of this programme do their job that residents are paying for them to do and investigate this shoddy work and get back to me please?

Nightmare Number 18

Westbourne Terrace,

I am a Westminster tenant and am in recovery following a major operation. Ever since I returned from my operation, I have been unable to get sleep as the tenant above me is constantly banging and stamping the ceiling. I managed to politely explain my situation and that I needed sleep, the tenant got very defensive and said that there have been ongoing complaints regarding noise from her Flat and told me to report to the council. I reached out to the noise team a good few times, they attended but unfortunately it was over 2 hours later, they told me they could not do anything and advised me to deal with Westminster council direct.

A kind gentleman on the phone confirmed that this has been an issue with the tenant above for many years, the previous tenant came to collect post and confirmed to me that’s the reason she moved out of this Flat. I have called to report at least 5 times and the housing manager never calls back. I have kept a log of all dates and times of the noise. It is really stressing me out and has is causing a major delay on my recovery process and having a major effect on my mental health also.

Nightmare Number 19 Vincent House, Pimlico Residents have yet to receive written confirmation of the decision taken re repairs to gutters and also that no repair work has been done. It is now 8 months since this repair was reported. The rain was dripping from the gutter joints and soaking the wall outside my kitchen again last the weekend.

How do you explain this lack of action? Certainly, it shows your procedure for handling repairs is ineffective and your internal complaints procedure a sham. Similarly your failure to respond to earlier requests for action from two councillors indicate a lack of political accountability. I am left wondering to whom CityWest is accountable! It is desperately disappointing that resolution of such a straightforward matter may require the involvement of the Housing Ombudsman, First-tier Tribunal and/or Courts because of CityWest Homes negligence and indifference.

Nightmare Number 20

Fir House, Queen’s Park

I have just received a call from a Mr A who has been trying to reach CityWest Homes’ emergency repair line over the last two days but has been unable to do so. He wants his issue to be resolved (the details of which he didn’t go into) but also wanted to voice his frustration at not being able to speak to anyone at CityWest.

Nightmare Number 21

Blandford Estate, Marylebone

This is a formal complaint to City West Homes from the Committee of the Blandford Estate Residents’ Voice about the way City West Homes manages the estate where we live. We wish to express our deep dissatisfaction over many years at the lack of progress on repairs, of informed communication, and of accountability to the residents for whom CWH has taken on responsibility.

We have regularly attended quarterly site inspections for at least the past ten years, and the situation has remained the same: empty assurances from CWH and increasing frustration from residents as work is either delayed without explanation or shoddily done. Our belief that jobs that are done are neither inspected nor passed for quality was confirmed recently by a senior executive officer who informed us that fewer than 15% of jobs done have ever been inspected. That alone is a disgrace.

When site reports have been made by CWH, items have appeared over and over again without being dealt with: we can provide multiple evidence of this. As one example, a job that took less than two hours to complete in 2017 was first flagged up in 2007. It took ten years and forty site inspections to get this done. Our lives as volunteers are one long, fruitless nag.

Time and again we have pointed out repairs that could and should have been completed in a short time and at reasonable expense. One Estate Manager would regularly shrug her shoulders and say, ‘Major Works!’ When we replied that this was basic routine management, that the problem would get worse if untouched and the cost would rise, she ignored our problems.

The ‘new’ system for residents to communicate with CWH is not meeting residents’ needs. We are regularly at the mercy of a ‘7-working-days’ reply irrespective of what kind of job is required; we have no contact with professionals with whom to explain or discuss our needs; most residents can’t get through to office staff at all; despite all the time and money spent on upgrading the Lilestone office, there isn’t even a telephone on the office desk, which only increases the helplessness of those working behind it. We pay CWH to provide service which we get only if we constantly make the running, and there are all too many residents who have not time, experience or ability to do this. It is a shameful situation. We are faced with a backlog of negligence and inefficiency stretching back years, of flooded drains and broken gutters, holes in walls and leaks in ceilings, constantly faulty gates on to the property which expose us to incessant anti-social behaviour including regular drug- dealing, and all the other long-standing items to be dealt with, while we wait, and wait, for the promised Major Works for which we shall be charged extortionate sums, and for which we will have no guarantee of quality or effectiveness. Life on the estate as it is has become intolerable to many residents whose basic human right, to live our lives in peace and personal security, is being constantly breached.

Nightmare Number 22

Dowland Street, Queen’s Park

It is with despair and utter frustration that I find myself having to email you once again, as again, council services act with complete disregard and indifference to council tenants. You may recall my previous email in January 2018 regarding my mother’s flat in Dowland Street, where there was periodic but frequent loss of electricity over a number of months, despite numerous visits by Morgan Sindall electricians. It was later established that the flat needed a complete rewire and overhaul of the heating system. As a result of the extensive work required, the council advised that the flat would need to be vacated for 5 weeks... In actual fact, this turned out to be over 2 months. Regardless, due to my mother’s age and health conditions, CWH arranged alternative accommodation, and the packing, boxing-up, removal and storage of all household items, furniture and appliances for the duration of the works. Following my mother’s return home, the boxes were returned a few days later (some of them in a very questionable condition). With there being approximately 100 boxes to unpack - the accumulation of over 30 years’ worth of personal possessions. Unfortunately, we came across a number of breakages and damaged items.

So now, as a result of the council’s initial incompetence, which saw my mother in temporary accommodation for almost 3 months, with all of her worldly belongings packed up and removed to some unknown storage facility which has consequently damaged and broken numerous items, my mother is now upset and angry (again), as am I, and left feeling like the council truly do not care and are now not only intentionally ignoring us, but blocking our attempts at any communication in order to avoid having to rectify the situation my mother now finds herself in.

Nightmare Number 23

Droop Street, Queen’s Park

I have tried to ring twice this morning and waited for half an hour and no one answer. Since the heavy rain yesterday the water has run straight down the window and wall in the bedroom and living room and also the kitchen. My gutters are blocked and I need someone to come and have a look at them. If it carries on raining and the gutters are not fixed then I am going to get damp.

Nightmare Number 24

Wharncliffe Gardens, Regent’s Park Ward

I am sending you another epistle about our experiences with CWH. I cannot believe how inept they are and how expensive! This time, the leaks were through my mother’s ground floor flat. About a month ago, my mother noticed staining through her bathroom ceiling. There had been a great deal of construction noise going on upstairs above my mother’s flat.

She called the repairs line at CWH. She does not have a computer. Eventually someone came to her flat, looked at the ceiling and told her it was dry and an old stain. The stain spread and she called again. This time when repairmen finally arrived, they agreed there was a leak. They contacted the people above. It turned out that Effectible Construction, contractors for CWH, had installed a new bathroom for the tenants above. They came twice but could not find a leak. It was only when water started coming through my mother’s bathroom light fittings, causing a dangerous electrical shortage and sparks that another plumber came and, again went to investigate upstairs. He found that there was a cracked pipe leading to a radiator that had been moved during the bathroom renovation. Repairs then took place (we think). CWH did send an electrician to repair my mother’s electrical fittings and make it safe. They also told my mother they would send someone to repair the damage once the ceiling was dry.

After waiting for two weeks, she again called to find out when the repairs to her ceiling would be fixed, as promised. She was told that CWH did not do this for lessees and that whoever had fixed her electrical wiring, light etc. should not have done so. The person on the phone said she was to contact Davies Management Ltd, an Insurance firm, about her problem. She phoned the number she was given. She was then asked to give, dates, names, times, number of workmen, hours they spent in her flat and so on. Some of this she had jotted down but many of the questions she could not answer exactly. So she is now in limbo. We asked that Davies Management contact CWH repairs for this information. They should have it all noted. Why, I ask, is the onus on my mother, the aggrieved person in this matter, to go through more distressing phone calls and paper work? This is truly a disgusting state of affairs.

Nightmare Number 25

Riverton Close. Harrow Road Ward

We rent a garage at Riverton Close. We are concerned about a fire risk and security. There is no lock on the outside of the garage block. In two unlocked garages there are piles of mattresses. The garages are underneath flats. The residents will be unaware of the risk below them. Anyone can access the garages. Please can you alert whoever needs to secure the garages and remove the fire risk.