An interview with the Head of New Developments & Special Projects, and a look at new homes on Isleden House
Charging e-scooters and e-bikes safely, and spotting the signs of a damaged battery
Would you know how to recognise the signs?
Welcome to the Summer 2023 edition of @home, the twice-yearly magazine for City of London Housing Service residents.
In this edition, you can read about our approach to building much-needed new homes, with a closer look at the Isleden House project in Islington. This has brought old and new together, providing three new family homes on an estate with an interesting history – including a royal connection.
Tenancy fraud is serious problem for all housing providers. We work hard to ensure that homes are only allocated to people who need them, however some people abuse the system for their own gain. In this issue, you can read about the work done to tackle social housing fraud last year. Colleagues successfully took back nine properties, which have now been allocated to people who really need them. If you are concerned about tenancy fraud, you can report it confidentially. Please see the details on pages 4 &5 of this issue.
Fire safety in the home is something we are all concerned about. You may already have heard about serious fires caused by lithium batteries, including those involving e-scooters, electric bikes and mobile phones. The London Fire Brigade was called to well over 100 fires involving e-scooters and bikes in 2022, many of which were in people’s homes. Fires caused by faulty or damaged lithium batteries can happen very suddenly and have devastating consequences.
We have included some safety precautions you can take, and warning signs to look out for, if you have one of these devices. Please follow this guidance to keep yourself and your household members as safe as possible.
We hope you enjoy this edition of the magazine. If you have any comments on it, or any ideas on what you would like to see in future editions, please email home@cityoflondon.gov.uk.
Who are the people behind @Home magazine and newsletters?
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How to support greenery, wildlife and biodiversity in the City and on your estate
Advice from the London Fire Brigade on how to stay safe when charging
What to do, how to make a claim, and what’s covered
Tenant Satisfaction Measures Pilot
A new system for assessing social housing landlord performance
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11
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What happens when vulnerable adults are taken advantage of in their homes
Can you complete our summer themed crossword?
Beany quasedillas for under £4 - perfect for summer dinners
Key Contacts
Helpful contact details for City of London Housing
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How will the Act affect you, and what the City are doing 14
Contact the team at home@cityoflondon.gov.uk
Why are we building new homes?
This is the directive we have been given from our Members in response to the shortage of affordable homes in London. We know the demand for homes for social rent far outstrips the supply available. Construction costs are at a 40 year high and the UK faces a labour shortage of skilled construction workers.
All boroughs , including the City of London have many on their waiting lists for social housing, so while we have the funding available, we are determined to continue to deliver these new homes on our existing housing estates. We have achieved significant success in progressing several schemes and are on target to deliver the largest expansion of social housing on our estates for over 40 years.
Lane, 91 on York Way Estate and 110 on Sydenham Hill Estate. These projects will also improve site wide landscaping, play facilities, new housing estate offices, and community facilities.
How do we decide where to build new homes?
We prioritise exploring potential for more homes on the housing estates we manage and investigate where the greatest potential is to expand our housing portfolio.
Will new homes put more strain on estate services and facilities?
The opportunity to deliver new homes also embraces the need to improve and enhance existing housing estate facilities, this has been achieved at Twelve Acres House on the Avondale Estate which
How long does a new build take, and how much disturbance would one cause?
For a major new housing development, it will take many years to progress through the various stages of design, planning, procurement, and construction.
For construction, we expect a minimum of two years on site. During which we are committed to engaging with all existing residents and resolving any concerns.
regulations and planning conditions. We have put the health and wellbeing of our residents at the heart of our housing quality standards to achieve safe and secure homes, high levels of insulation and low demand on energy requirements.
We have several major building projects which will deliver almost 300 new homes for social rent by 2025. These include 66 on Golden
included a new estates office and community hall. We are following the same principle at York Way Estate and Sydenham Hill where new estates offices, storage and community facilities will be included.
Are new homes higher quality than existing homes, and if so, why?
Yes, the new homes we are building are of a much higher standard compared to several decades ago. This is driven by new and more stringent building
We have produced our own Housing Design Guide for our consultants and contractors to comply with. This pushes the boundaries on achieving net zero carbon and sustainability standards, all new homes will be provided with sprinkler and fire alarm systems for peace of mind.
We are also stipulating that our new homes must achieve Home Quality Mark and be independently verified.
This opportunity to deliver new homes also embraces the need to improve and enhance existing facilities
“
Social housing tenancy fraud remains a key fraud risk area for the City of London Corporation. The Counter Fraud Team provides a full investigative response across all aspects of housing, from initial applications to the investigation of civil and criminal tenancy breaches and right to buy screening.
The work of the team is designed around minimising the risk of fraud across housing, by providing a comprehensive counter fraud and investigation response with a clear focus on safeguarding the City’s assets and recovering any losses due to fraud.
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101 cases
62 cases -no further action
successful tenancy fraud outcomes
Total value of prevented losses RESULT =
Reporting social housing fraud
£715,512
Email: raiseyourconcern@cityoflondon.gov.uk
Online: bit.ly/report-fraud-col
Phone: 020 7332 3663 (24 hour confidential)
Post: Head of Audit and Risk Management City of London Corporation Guildhall, PO Box 270 London EC2P 2EJ
3
The team prevented fraudulent housing applications from progressing
6 cases resulted in guilty pleas from residents who had illegally obtained social housing tenancies
£108,425
identified in recoverable losses from unlawful sub-letting
Remember to include all your personal details and the details of your concern.
To aid in any subsequent investigation, it would be helpful if you could tell us as much as you know about the issue, particularly if you choose to leave an anonymous message. Provide as many details as possible of what you have witnessed and/or heard. Where possible, include dates, times, places and people involved. All reports received are treated in confidence.
£53,841
already recovered
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tenancies have been recovered
The recovery of properties lost to fraud enables the City to provide good quality, affordable housing to those in the greatest need.
Did you know - we often share Social Housing Fraud case studies in our monthly newsletters.
HOLLOWAY ESTATE: “GREEN COMMUNITY”
There has been an increase in serious fires in homes in the UK caused by faulty lithium batteries or chargers for e-scooters, electric bikes and other devices.
On average in 2023, the London Fire Brigade has been called to an e-bike or e-scooter fire every two days. In 2022, the London Fire Brigade attended 116 fires caused by e-bikes and scooters, many of which were in people’s homes.
If you have an e-bike or e-scooter, please follow this guidance:
• Where possible, avoid charging e-bikes and e-scooters inside
• The storing or charging of mobilty scooters, e-bikes and e-scooters in communal areas is prohibited, as this can affect people’s ability to escape
• Charge batteries while you are at home, awake and alert. Do not charge them overnight
• Avoid charging near flammable materials.
• Ensure your smoke alarms are working
• Always use the manufacturer approved charger and unplug it after use
• Regularly check the charger and battery for any signs of damage
• Do not overcharge your battery
• Do not overload plug sockets
• Do not cover the charger or battery while charging
• Dispose of damaged batteries properly – do not throw them in a bin
The warning signs your e-bike or e-bike battery is a fire hazard:
Heat: It’s normal for batteries to generate heat when charging or in use. However if your device’s battery feels extremely hot to the touch, it may be defective and start a fire.
Noise: Failing lithium batteries have also been reported to make hissing or cracking sounds.
Smoke: If your battery or device is smoking, a fire has already started.
Bulging: A battery bulging or swelling out of shape is a common sign of it failing. If your battery looks swollen, you should stop using it immediately.
Smell: If you notice a strong or unusual smell coming from the battery, this could also be a sign of it failing.
Performance: A failure to fully charge or longer charge times can be a sign that your battery is failing.
If your battery shows any of these signs of failing, Immediately turn off the device and unplug it from the power source. Call the device manufacturer or retailer for further instructions.
If the device starts smoking or catches fire, raise the alarm, get out, stay out and call 999 immediately. If you’ve spotted the warning signs, make sure you report your faulty battery to your local Trading Standards office.
In the event of a lithium battery fire, do not attempt to extinguish it – get out, stay out and call 999.
The Building Safety Act 2022 sets out safety requirements for landlords of buildings deemed to be a higher risk by providing additional protections to tenants and leaseholders from fire risks and the financial burden of remedying defects.
Higher risk buildings are categorised as being at least 18 metres or seven storeys high with two or more residential units. The new safety requirements relate to more than just how new buildings are designed during the planning stage or built during construction, as the Act also covers older buildings being lived in by tenants and leaseholders.
Full implementation of the Act begins in October 2023, which means that each building owner covered by the Act should be fully compliant with the new duties by this time.
Some of the leaseholder protections in the Building Safety Act came into force on 28 June 2022. This includes protecting leaseholders from being charged to remove unsafe cladding from their buildings by shifting the burden of remedying safety defects onto developers and freeholders of buildings. The amount that leaseholders can be asked to contribute through their service charge in fixing other historical, non-cladding building safety defects has also been firmly capped.
The owner, housing authority or housing management company will also have to nominate an accountable person who will have an ongoing duty to identify building safety risks and mitigate and improve those risks to ensure the safety of residents living within the building. This accountable person will have to promote engagement through a Resident Engagement Strategy that enables tenants and leaseholders to participate in decisions about the safety risks in their building.
The Act also introduces a new Building Safety Regulator to oversee that the safety responsibilities are being carried out by building owners, and introduces a New Homes Ombudsman, which will help with disputes between homeowners and their building’s developers.
The City Corporation takes fire and building safety seriously. We already have an ambitious fire safety programme, such as installing new fire doors across our estates, retrofitting sprinklers and an ongoing installation programme for smoke, heat and carbon monoxide detectors. We also work closely with the London Fire Brigade to ensure that properties are safe, meet all fire safety regulations and provide advice to residents in keeping themselves and their neighbours safe.
As the Act sets out new responsibilities for local authorities in relation to building safety, the City Corporation is preparing for its introduction. This includes:
• Appointing an accountable person for building safety
• Ensuring that building safety risks of high-rise residential buildings in their area are managed effectively
• Ensure that the people responsible for overseeing, managing and delivering works to higher-risk buildings are competent
• Providing information about building safety risks to the new Building Safety Regulator
• Ensuring that higher risk properties are registered with the Building Safety Regulator
by Scott Myers – Strategy & Projects Officer
Cuckooing occurs when a vulnerable adult (or adults) are targeted with the intention of taking over control of their home.
The home may be used for any criminal purpose, including drug dealing, sexual crimes. storing weapons or for the purpose of using the tenant financially. The vulnerable adult can be exploited and coerced to participate in criminal acts.
Young people vulnerable to criminal exploitation can also be associated with these properties. Cuckooed residents may be victims of crime and neighbours may be affected by anti-social behaviour and localised criminal activity.
What we can do:
• provide support to the cuckooed resident to get the help they need
• take steps to prevent people entering addresses which are being used for cuckooing using formal enforcement action
What you can do:
• Look out for your neighbours who may be vulnerable. Those whose homes are most vulnerable include older people, those with mental health problems, drug users or those living on low income.
Signs a home may be cuckooed:
• A person living alone who suddenly starts having lots of visitors arriving at all times, who don’t stay long
• People waiting in cars outside and exchanging cash or small packets
• People bringing in items like TVs or bikes but leaving empty handed
• Increase in litter
• Increase in local anti-social behaviour
Speak to your Resident Services Officer and let them know of your suspicions.
Tell them as much information as you can, for example, descriptions of people, do you see them at the same time each day, what direction are they coming and going from. Never put yourself at risk and do not confront or approach anyone.
The best advice is to trust your instincts. Even if someone isn’t being cuckooed, they may be being exploited in some other way, so it’s always worth reporting.
Sign up to the City of London Housing Service mailing list to receive this magazine and our monthly newsletters via email. You will also receive any estate or block specific communications by email, including any emergency or urgent service notices. Ensure we have the most up to date contact information for you.
Join the Housing User Board, and help shape service provision on your estate. Take part in consultations and policy reviews, have your voice heard. Email resident.involvement@cityoflondon.gov.uk to join.
Interested in getting involved on your estate?
To find out what is happening on your estate, contact your Resident Services Officer. Or why not run your own coffee morning or get together? Your estate team and the Resident Involvement Team can offer support and guidance.
5. The first month of summer
6. Essential beach footwear
10. An inflatable floating bed
11. A palace built on the beach
12. Soaring temperatures mean the UK’s headed for a...
13. Cooking outdoors on a grill
14. Use this to dry yourself after a dip
15. The biggest park in London
You can complete this puzzle online! Go to: https://crosswordlabs.com/
Down
1. A boat powered by your feet
2. Frozen cubes to cool your summer drink
3. Use these to protect your eyes from the sun
4. The bug that bites you in the summer evenings
7. A game with a flying disc
8. When pollen makes you cry
9. A fruity flavour of ice cream
11. Salty water for swimming in
These cheesy chilli-beany pockets are quick to assemble and bake quickly in the oven rather than one at a time in a pan on the hob. Any leftovers can be eaten cold the next day or reheated in the microwave.
This recipe is budget friendly, feeds 4 people and priced at an average of £3.84 when price checked at four UK supermarkets. Cooks in 20 minutes.
400g tin mixed beans in chilli sauce
400g tin red kidney beans in water, drained
150g/5½oz frozen sweetcorn
8 regular flour tortillas
150g/5½oz cheddar, finely grated
100g/3½oz cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered (optional)
1 lime, cut into wedges (optional) ground black pepper
1. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Put all the beans and the sweetcorn in a frying pan or saucepan and warm over a medium heat for 2–3 minutes, or until hot, stirring regularly.
2. Take one of the tortillas, place on a board, and spoon a couple of heaped spoonfuls, roughly an eighth of the bean mixture, over half of it, leaving a 15mm/⅝in border around the edge.
3. Top with a small handful, roughly an eighth, of the grated cheese. Fold over and press tightly around the edges to seal – this is easier if a little of the cheese is on the border. Place on a large baking tray.
4. Continue making another seven quesadillas in the same way. Don’t worry if they overlap slightly on the tray, or if the edges open slightly once they are placed on the tray – the melted cheese will keep them together as they bake.
5. Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the tortillas are lightly browned in places. Scatter the tomatoes over, if using, season with ground black pepper, and serve with lime wedges for squeezing if you like.
If you would like to see your favourite recipe featured in a future edition, please email home@cityoflondon.gov.uk
020 7332 1343 | benefits@cityoflondon.gov.uk
• Almshouses: 020 7274 1337 | almshouses@cityoflondon.gov.uk
• Avondale Square: 020 7237 3753 | AvondaleSquareEstate@cityoflondon.gov.uk
• Holloway: 020 7607 3119 | DCCS.HollowayEstate@cityoflondon.gov.uk
• Golden Lane: 020 7253 2556 | GoldenLane@cityoflondon.gov.uk
• Harman Close: 020 7237 1696 | Harman.Close@cityoflondon.gov.uk
• Isleden House: 0207 226 2892 | Isleden.House@cityoflondon.gov.uk
• Middlesex Street, Dron House, Spitalfields and Windsor House: 020 7247 4839 | Middlesex.Estate@cityoflondon.gov.uk
• Southwark, Horace Jones and William Blake: 020 7620 3702 | Southwark@cityoflondon.gov.uk
• Sydenham Hill: 020 7620 3702 | Sydenham.Hill@cityoflondon.gov.uk
• York Way: 020 7607 3119 | YorkWay.Estate@cityoflondon.gov.uk
You can report issues relating to cleaning and grounds maintenance on your estate by email: estate.services@cityoflondon.gov.uk
If you would like to speak to someone instead, please call your local estate office
HOME OWNERSHIP HOUSING NEEDS
020 7332 1647 / 3208 | homeownership@cityoflondon.gov.uk
020 7332 1237 / 3452 | hadvice@cityoflondon.gov.uk
REPAIRS
0800 035 0003 | propertyservices@cityoflondon.gov.uk
RENT ACCOUNTS/PAYMENTS £
020 7332 3937 – (ask for housing rents)
DCCS-rentsteam@int.cityoflondon.gov.uk
RENT ARREARS
To contact us about rent arrears, please call your local estate office or email us at incomerecoverofficer@cityoflondon.gov.uk
Repairs – between 5:00pm and 8:00am, emergencies only, call 0800 035 0003
For urgent estate matters outside normal office hours, other than repairs, please call 020 7256 6583
