Southwark council major works programe on properties - Saltash what a company???

[trinidad]

Hello all,

I live on Copleston road SE15. We have just gone through Southwark Councils Major works programme, the street was furnish with scaffolding for several months, while external painting was carried out by Southwark council contracting company Saltash. It took the company months to paint my street door. Like most along the street, the company painted our window frames while closed during february, which meant, during spring march, none of us could open our windows.

An operative discovered rotten wood from my windows, it took Saltash just under four months to address as the liason officer simply was not proactive enough. I had to get my local councillor involved before any works could commence. The councillor informed me, officers from southwark council had been informed by Saltash, the delay was due to myself not responding to letters, mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm I wonder what address this company was writing to? I am currently pursuing a complaint. Has anyone else experienced any issues with Southwark Council works scheme or Saltsh? I hear they are heading towards nunhead shortly.

[doolallysally]

Hello Trinidad, I also live on Copleston road and have just had the pleasure (or not) of having major works completed at my address. It won't surprise you to hear that my own works didn't go too smoothly either and I can tell you we are not alone! Several of my neighbours have had various issues, mainly because of a complete lack of communication, professionalism and respect for the tenants and their homes!

Operatives would often not turn up and not inform the tenants. When we called to ask why they would use the weather as an excuse. Even if it only showered for ten minutes in the morning, they would not work at all that day. When they did work they were painting over windows that were completely rotten and also painting windows shut! Since completion of the works that are meant to keep me "warm, dry and safe" my bedroom window now has gaps in which I can see daylight through so obviously the rain can get in too and my bathroom window which also lets in water has not been touched at all. When I pointed this out to the inspector who came to sign off the work with the liason officer they both argued that the bedroom window was damaged on the inside of the frame!? I told them it was not like that before they gouged out all of the dead wood to fill it but they argued that it was and stated there was nothing they could do as they were only contracted to do the outside of the property! They also admitted they had overlooked the bathroom windows on many other properties and would be back soon to address this. We are all still waiting.

As part of this programme I was told I was getting a new kitchen. The planners came in and we sat down and agreed the layout together. Plans were drawn up in May which I have in my possession and I was told there were 2 kitchens to do before mine. I have heard nothing since.

Another of our neighbour's got missed out of this project altogether and was told that Southwark did not realise they owned the property so did not include it on the contract! They have now decided that they will commence work on that property in October! This is a familiar story to me as back in 2000 or 2001 there was another major contract to replace the windows in the street. All my immediate neighbour's properties had new windows with double panes of glass installed. When I asked why they were missing out mine and my downstairs neighbour's property I was also told that Southwark did not realise they owned them so we would have to wait until the next major contract to have our windows replaced! So now, after waiting nearly 15 years for this major works contract to happen, all the time believing that my windows would eventually be brought up to the same standard as my neighbour's I am left with windows that are worse than they were before the works began which means my already sky high heating bills are going to increase! Thanks Southwark!

When another of my neighbours who is housebound, complained that the scaffold had been up on her property for four months, she was told that it was my fault as I was refusing access!? Luckily I had kept all text correspondence regarding appointments and was able to prove that this was an outright lie! My poor neighbour was in complete darkness all through the summer as she lives downstairs. She could not even get out into her garden as the scaffold was making it unsafe for her to move around. Lots of her plants that she had been nurturing for years died as she could not water them and some were badly damaged by the operatives going about their work with a complete disregard for her belongings.

I could go on for hours about this as there are so many issues and so many mistakes have been made by Southwark and Saltash that this entire initiative has been a joke! On many levels Southwark need to step up and be accountable as it's down to a complete lack of communication and management on their part. Saltash are only taking advantage of Southwark's incompetence.

Most of us rent-paying tenants do work for a living and it is unacceptable to expect us to take time off work to wait for incompetent, rude foul-mouthed workmen who disrespect us and our homes and don't do the work properly. As for the complaints system....that's another story. Myself and several of my neighbours are so exhausted by it that we have given up with that too, even getting Harriet Harman involved did not get results! Maybe us tenants should get together and discuss a way forward on this? If anyone agrees please reply to this post so we can work out a plan.

Thanks for reading. Rant over!!

[trinidad]

wow, I thought it was only me who experienced issues. I had my street door painted recently by saltash. The operative left the numbers of my door on the ground. when I quired this, I told I needed to contact saltash to get them refitted, mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm I really do not like this company. I understand the liason officer for saltash is on leave right now. Is there any plans for an evaluation of these works?????? I am aware some tenants have had new kitchens installed, i have not been contacted, i am really shocked to learn the Housing Department is unaware of what properties they own along the street, surely the rent accounts are a bit of a clue :).

I know there is a contract manager and a resident officer in southwark relating to these works. have they ever been on the street? I agree we need to get together. We use to have Mary Netty as a Resident Housing Officer. Southwark Housing did a move around in 2014, and the Housing Department chose not to let us know who our new Housing Officer is. We really need a Resident & tenant Association. I bet Saltash is laughing all the way to the bank, and council officers sit nicely in tooley street. no accountability, There should be a clarke of works going up and down the street carrying out regid inspections. no one cares. Most of the windows on our street should be replace, but Saltash/council dont do it.

[poppy-bees]

We too had major works with Saltash, a complete joke, painted all our windows shut (window's didn't need doing in the first place as we'd already done them to a good standard)

I won't go on, but after about 6-12 months of back and forth with them and Southwark we decided for our sanity to just drop it and move on, swallow the cost and try and forget the whole thing. Very frustrating experience. Totally inept, Southwark council & Saltash. Unable to even communicate properly. No idea how they get away with it

[trinidad]

I had my street door painted by saltash at the end of July. The operative naturally had to remove the numbers to paint the whole door. I am still waiting for the contracting company to refix them. The company has now left the street, and the numbers are left in the same spot as the operative left them, on my stairs. Thanks saltash

[lorraineliyanage]

My partner took Southwark Council to court over the shoddy state of major works - some of the same things as listed above, sash windows painted shut etc. It's worth pursuing them over the ridiculous bills that they send leaseholders every 3 or 4 years!

[midivydale]

We have also had substandard work carried out by this company and will pursue the matter further. We are still waiting for repairs to be corrected (damage of which was caused by saltash).

[Mands]

Same here on bellenden road. Don't even get me started!!! Even have photos to prove how bad their painting was. Atrocious work. I could have done it better myself and I'm rubbish at that sort of thing.

[Chief]

Appallingly shoddy work by Saltash.

Workers who turn up for only a few hours a day.

Scaffolding that is left for literally months after work has finished.

Southwark Council - you are a disgrace and unfit to be a landlord of social housing. You are responsible for letting this contract, which you clearly do not supervise and are wasting OUR money.

[James Barber]

From all the casework I've dealt with and currently dealing with.

Wherever possible buy the freehold from Southwark Council - I know that wont apply to many - but if it does buy it. You are then in control of what happens. I'd be amazed if you couldn't negotiate better quality and pricing than Southwark.

[trinidad]

James Barber Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> From all the casework I've dealt with and

> currently dealing with.

> Wherever possible buy the freehold from Southwark

> Council - I know that wont apply to many - but if

> it does buy it. You are then in control of what

> happens. I'd be amazed if you couldn't negotiate

> better quality and pricing than Southwark.

I guess this is one possible option to a small amount of people, however, for me, I think better forms of accountability, better value for money, etc.... Its great you have responded James, I just wish the council had better platforms to serve tenants /leaseholders like those who have contreibuted here. We have paid council resident officers and contract managers, but there seems to be very little consultation with council officers.

For example when the council carried out there presentation of works on my street, this was carried out at the Area Housing Office in camberwell. Clearly the wrong place to host such an event as we live here in peckham/east dulwhich. the copleston road church, the east dulwhich church hall, all would of been local / accessable to residents/tenants. There also does not seem to be any evaluation, no one has asked for my opinons. no questionnaire, no feedback, no plan meeting, no noithing. I thought the council was meant to serve tenants/residents, not the otherway round.

[James Barber]

Hi Trinidad,

Everything you say is true.

I just think Southwark Council Housing Department is too big even with area offices. It doesn't seem capable of doing granular. The contract management either isn't resourced well enough or isn't using the right tools/levers.

And yes, clearly any work should seek resident feedback - how else can they have meaningful scorecarding of the supplier and get to the root causes of issues.

[trinidad]

James Barber Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Hi Trinidad,

> Everything you say is true.

> I just think Southwark Council Housing Department

> is too big even with area offices. It doesn't seem

> capable of doing granular. The contract management

> either isn't resourced well enough or isn't using

> the right tools/levers.

> And yes, clearly any work should seek resident

> feedback - how else can they have meaningful

> scorecarding of the supplier and get to the root

> causes of issues.

so whats the answer?????????

[Delainie]

James Barber Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Hi Trinidad,

> Everything you say is true.

> I just think Southwark Council Housing Department

> is too big even with area offices. It doesn't seem

> capable of doing granular. The contract management

> either isn't resourced well enough or isn't using

> the right tools/levers.

> And yes, clearly any work should seek resident

> feedback - how else can they have meaningful

> scorecarding of the supplier and get to the root

> causes of issues.

Having similar problems, my rabbits kept indoors for 4 months, no daylight due to scaffolding, no work at all done outside back of property. Estimated ?5000 for works! Right now drilling going on above scaffolding, men appearing above at any time without notice. So James barber what is the answer? What can us leaseholders and tenants do?

[burty]

I am a survivor of this scheme too - on Bellenden Road - windows painted shut, work that did need doing wasn't done (eg, repointing of brickwork at the rear of the property), scaffolding up for a whopping 7 months and only came down after I contacted my local councillor. One of the most annoying elements was the sporadic letters from Saltash saying that they hadn't been able to contact us over various things and asking us to complete their survey now the works were all done (they weren't done!) - they just seemed completely and utterly inept at managing the works. We did have a new roof done and the roofing company were actually really good, did a good job, work completed quickly and they tidied up after themselves but I am dreading the bill we'll get for that... The working relationship between Saltash and Southwark is totally dysfunctional and we are all getting caught in the middle.

[trinidad]

burty Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I am a survivor of this scheme too - on Bellenden

> Road - windows painted shut, work that did need

> doing wasn't done (eg, repointing of brickwork at

> the rear of the property), scaffolding up for a

> whopping 7 months and only came down after I

> contacted my local councillor. One of the most

> annoying elements was the sporadic letters from

> Saltash saying that they hadn't been able to

> contact us over various things and asking us to

> complete their survey now the works were all done

> (they weren't done!) - they just seemed completely

> and utterly inept at managing the works. We did

> have a new roof done and the roofing company were

> actually really good, did a good job, work

> completed quickly and they tidied up after

> themselves but I am dreading the bill we'll get

> for that... The working relationship between

> Saltash and Southwark is totally dysfunctional and

> we are all getting caught in the middle.

What survey, I was not offered a survey to complete on Copleston Road????

[richard tudor]

When the scaffolding came down on Chadwick Road I noticed as I walk up every day they did not bother to paint where the scaffolding had been.

Don't they have snagging anymore?

[midivydale]

Yes they were supposed to do snagging (as i took one day annual leave to attend it). They did not bother turning up. The builders were also drinking heavily on the job (vodka in their tea, leaving cider cans on the scaffolding etc). I am aghast and very upset about this substandard work, for which I am liable thousands of pounds.

It is a disgrace.

I would buy my freehold in a heartbeat if I could, but the other resident in our house (a terrace, 2 flats) is a tenant so sadly that option is not open to us.

[burty]

Trinidad, it occurs to me now that they didn't actually ask me to do the survey after they had finally left! We should all give Saltash a call and request to do this survey... Get it off our chests!

[trinidad]

A friend of mine had saltash in North Dulwhich, and informed me Resident officers from Saltash and southwark council were second to none on their project. Always on regular oncontact with tenant/residents, appointments were kept, complaints robustly delt with, and a "can do apprach" with new windows installed all round.

what happoned to the project on Copleston roas and the sounding streets? what happoned to our key staff from saltash and southwark council? can do approach?????

I think we got short changed, and Saltash are laughing all the way to the bank with vast tax payers money, let along unaccountable council officers assinged to projects who you dont see.

I am not impressed with southwark council housing department or saltash

i cant think who is worse?????

[stevie23b]

Yes they are in Nunhead, we are refurbing a house there and their 'laison' people asked to have a look around to see how it's done. Saltash employ any dosser available.

[fredbear]

we are having work done by saltash in Nunhead i met with the surveyor before they started to look at work required.This is the second lot of Major works we have had to put up with the last lot completed in 2009.Then windows were painted shut doors painted closed etc an ?8500 bill eventually reduced to ?1700.This time they could not take scaffolding through house so they built a frame over the roof, part of surveyors report says broken slates, were they damaged before difficult to say.

[janesy123]

Hello, I'm new here, apologies if this case has already been discussed. Anyone else live on the Goschen Estate, Camberwell? I had a major works bill at the beginning of the year, but due to being out of the country for many months, come home to a nasty suprise. It's for ?23,759.22 for a 3 bed flat The major cost seems to be, confusingly scaffolding. Anyone else had this one?

[trinidad]

janesy123 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Hello, I'm new here, apologies if this case has

> already been discussed. Anyone else live on the

> Goschen Estate, Camberwell? I had a major works

> bill at the beginning of the year, but due to

> being out of the country for many months, come

> home to a nasty suprise. It's for ?23,759.22 for a

> 3 bed flat The major cost seems to be,

> confusingly scaffolding. Anyone else had this one?

Welcome james, your the first people to mention camberwell on this forum page, please tell us more

[janesy123]

Hello, Please to meet you. So it's a very ordinary 1940's maisonette in a block comprising 16 in total - 12 tenanted, 4 leasehold on Bethwin Road just off Camberwell Road opposite Burgess Park. They claim they need to do roof repairs, (I'm on the ground floor - I know I'm still liable but..), concrete and brickwork repairs, balconies and walkways, windows and doors, staggeringly not even new windows for that price, just changing the front entrance doors. The figures look bewildering. For example to supply and fix a new 'safety rail' on the roof is almost ?5,000, scaffolding/hoists are ?24,000, security alarms for scaffolding ?1270, removing satalite dishes, of which I don't have, ?960.

I'm just wondering if anyone has ever disputed and won over Southwark Council, they seem extraordinarily aggressive..