Agenda item

8.06pm – Councillor Lisa Homan moved, seconded by Councillor Larry Culhane, the special motion – with a tabled amendment – In their names:

“This Council acknowledges and supports the extensive work undertaken by Hammersmith & Fulham’s Labour Administration to ensure the safety of all residents at Hartopp and Lannoy Points.

The Council reaffirms its support of the fire safety measures it has put in place including fire wardens, smoke alarms and a £600k investment in fire safety programme – all actions put in place after discussions with the London Fire Brigade and world-leading Fire Safety Experts, CS Todd Associates. 

The Council welcomes the Administration’s on-going commitment to work with residents of all the borough’s council estates which is in stark contrast to the council housing sell-off and demolition programme undertaken by Hammersmith & Fulham’s Conservative councillors during their two consecutive terms of administration ending in 2014 – many of those individuals still Conservative councillors now.

This Council reiterates its commitment to continue to work with Hartopp and Lannoy Points’ residents, providing them with full access to information, including Fire Risk Assessments, Structural Survey, a Hartopp and Lannoy webpage and weekly housing management surgeries. 

The Council supports the Labour Administration’s commissioning of the structural investigation of Hartopp and Lannoy Point and that it has engaged and consulted extensively with all Hartopp and Lannoy Point’s residents on this issue over the whole period this work has been on-going.

The Council notes with concern that on 22 January 2019, Greg Hands MP misled the House of Commons when he implied that Hammersmith & Fulham Council had not properly communicated with Hartopp and Lannoy Points tenants and leaseholders.

The Council recognises that the administration has worked extremely closely with the residents of Hartopp and Lannoy Points. It has properly consulted them and undertaken actions that have been more thorough than at any other council home consultation since 2006. That includes:

·         Thirteen letters updating residents on what is happening;

·         Having undertaken a thorough door-knocking canvass of all

·         residents so that they can be advised of the work the Council is doing and of their housing options;

·         So far, having held four public meetings by the cabinet member for housing;

·         Holding special surgeries each week, three times a week and one Saturday a month over the last year especially for Hartopp and Lannoy Points residents;

·         Undertaking all follow-up casework meetings with residents to deal with their issues;

·         Prioritising moves for tenants to alternative accommodation and offered to buy back resident leaseholders.

The Council also notes that Greg Hands failed to attend any of the above public meetings or raised a single query from any resident of the Hartopp and Lannoy Points flats about these matters.

The Council agrees that Greg Hands has an unhappy history of misrepresenting the facts and it must raise this particular matter with the Parliamentary authorities.

The Council also recognises the atrocious way the borough's former Conservative administration and Capital and Counties Properties Plc (Capco) side-lined the tenants, leaseholders and freeholders of the West Kensington and Gibbs Green estates and agreed a deal that was dreadful value and against the vast majority of residents' wishes. It notes that this deal is now being investigated but that the harsh treatment residents have experienced on that infamous but now failing scheme has caused anxiety to council housing residents across Hammersmith & Fulham.

The Council therefore pledges to never behave like that ever again no matter which administration is in charge but recognises the gross hypocrisy of Conservative councillors and Greg Hands MP who respectively voted for and/or vocally support the Capco scheme.”

Speeches on the special motion as amended were made by Councillors Lisa Homan, Larry Culhane, and Max Schmid (for the Administration) – and Councillors Adronie Alford, Andrew Brown, and Alex Karmel (for the Opposition). Councillor Lisa Homan then made a speech winding up the debate.

The special motion as amended was then put to a named vote.

FOR                            31

AGAINST                   0

NOT VOTING            9

The special motion as amended was declared CARRIED.

8.41pm – RESOLVED

This Council acknowledges and supports the extensive work undertaken by Hammersmith & Fulham’s Labour Administration to ensure the safety of all residents at Hartopp and Lannoy Points.

The Council reaffirms its support of the fire safety measures it has put in place including fire wardens, smoke alarms and a £600k investment in fire safety programme – all actions put in place after discussions with the London Fire Brigade and world-leading Fire Safety Experts, CS Todd Associates. 

The Council welcomes the Administration’s on-going commitment to work with residents of all the borough’s council estates which is in stark contrast to the council housing sell-off and demolition programme undertaken by Hammersmith & Fulham’s Conservative councillors during their two consecutive terms of administration ending in 2014 – many of those individuals still Conservative councillors now.

This Council reiterates its commitment to continue to work with Hartopp and Lannoy Points’ residents, providing them with full access to information, including Fire Risk Assessments, Structural Survey, a Hartopp and Lannoy webpage and weekly housing management surgeries. 

The Council supports the Labour Administration’s commissioning of the structural investigation of Hartopp and Lannoy Point and that it has engaged and consulted extensively with all Hartopp and Lannoy Point’s residents on this issue over the whole period this work has been on-going.

The Council notes with concern that on 22 January 2019, Greg Hands MP misled the House of Commons when he implied that Hammersmith & Fulham Council had not properly communicated with Hartopp and Lannoy Points tenants and leaseholders.

The Council recognises that the administration has worked extremely closely with the residents of Hartopp and Lannoy Points. It has properly consulted them and undertaken actions that have been more thorough than at any other council home consultation since 2006. That includes:

·         Thirteen letters updating residents on what is happening;

·         Having undertaken a thorough door-knocking canvass of all

·         residents so that they can be advised of the work the Council is doing and of their housing options;

·         So far, having held four public meetings by the cabinet member for housing;

·         Holding special surgeries each week, three times a week and one Saturday a month over the last year especially for Hartopp and Lannoy Points residents;

·         Undertaking all follow-up casework meetings with residents to deal with their issues;

·         Prioritising moves for tenants to alternative accommodation and offered to buy back resident leaseholders.

The Council also notes that Greg Hands failed to attend any of the above public meetings or raised a single query from any resident of the Hartopp and Lannoy Points flats about these matters.

The Council agrees that Greg Hands has an unhappy history of misrepresenting the facts and it must raise this particular matter with the Parliamentary authorities.

The Council also recognises the atrocious way the borough's former Conservative administration and Capital and Counties Properties Plc (Capco) side-lined the tenants, leaseholders and freeholders of the West Kensington and Gibbs Green estates and agreed a deal that was dreadful value and against the vast majority of residents' wishes. It notes that this deal is now being investigated but that the harsh treatment residents have experienced on that infamous but now failing scheme has caused anxiety to council housing residents across Hammersmith & Fulham.

The Council therefore pledges to never behave like that ever again no matter which administration is in charge but recognises the gross hypocrisy of Conservative councillors and Greg Hands MP who respectively voted for and/or vocally support the Capco scheme.