Warm, Dry & Safe Major Works / Refurbishment Nelson Square

Does anybody have any more details on the major works on Nelson Square?
They were supposed to start late June, but so far, there has been no action and little information.
Jo Taylor from Southwark Council is the Project Manager, but she doesn't seem to like replying to email (although she did once).

We don't have a (active) residents' association, so it's quite hard to get information from one place to another.

thanks.

No idea im afraid, I had no idea to be honest, RHH had their upgrade a few years back and had assumed we were done for the time being (after 3 years of punishing payments)

Which block in Nelson square?

Zoe, it's Helen Gladstone House. I think they should be encouraged to form a Major Works group if they don't have an official TRA.

Yes, it's Helen Gladstone and Vaughan House. A few nearby properties are also done under the same contract.
I offered becoming part of a Major Works Group (and TRA in fact), but the main problem at the moment seems to be getting information from the council.
Jo Taylor took a list of email addresses in the (one and only) leaseholders' meeting we had, but I've never received one from that distribution group.

Well watch out for cost over runs and bad management, the scaffolding must have been up for over a year, and it was added to the bill at the end along with some other things that bumped it up again.

Hi TTT

Firstly, the RPT or Residents Project Team is separate from a T&RA. Follow the "Major Offer" and other documents that will guide you how the RPT should be run. So there's no need for a T&RA which can be a lot of work and hassle to set up. Don't be distracted because over £3Million is a lot of money to focus on!

Secondly, it was just before the election that your project went through as a "general exception". So it is still fairly early days in gearing up.
http://moderngov.southwark.gov.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?ID=4631

Thirdly, you are about to enter a twilight zone. An essential resource is
http://orgstructure.southwark.gov.uk/publishedcharts/orgstructure.Southwark.dll?Frame

Your project is under:
Projects Area 1

And Team 3 of Project Area 1 (think of The Borg) is Contract Manager Jo (Joan) Taylor

Who is line managed by Project Manager
Cheryl Phillips

So if you don't hear from Jo contact Cheryl.

Design and Delivery Manager is Sylvester Hilton who line manages - in a fashion - Team 3.

Hope this helps.

There is a lot of knowledge in this Forum to help you. Just ask. And of course we hope that things go better for you than they did for many of us.

Thanks hhrca,
that is really valuable information.
I'll send a note round again about setting up an RPT. I think it's important to have one.
I'm still finding my bearings around Southwark Council - I used to live in Westminster until mid last year, and they are incredibly responsive in comparison.

Your welcome TTT.
Westminster - much maligned - but their Housing Service is in a completely different league! They have a smart people over there.

Re RPT - at this stage informally gather together neighbours ready for when the Council set up an RPT or whatever they call it this time around. You can include anyone living in an affected block.

Gaywood and Nelson Sq Gdns are not being done under the collapsing discredited "partnering contract" shambles which has blighted many lives and homes of residents including Draper House and John Kennedy

House so you may have better luck.

One word of caution though - PRP or Potter Raper Partnership are delivering the scheme with J Murphy & Sons.

Other readers might have some knowledge of J Murphy. My experience of PRP is that they can be completely hopeless depending on whose doing the work.

So, four things to request without delay + READ & CHECK:

1) Scope
2) Specification/s
3) A copy of the contract
4) Any "change orders" or variations already issued (which can be sneaky changes to specification etc)

Any obstruction then submit a Freedom of Information Request.

Scope and specification might have already been discussed with the residents. Check to see if someone is not already representing you on your behalf.

I think its worth setting this stuff out in the Forum because it's a resource for others.

All the best.

Jerry

I was part of Major Works Group (or something similar, had not even realised I had signed up for it initially by signing a list in some meeting) when Rowland Hill House and Styles House had the works a few years ago. I recognise Cheryl Phillips as having being part of the organisation even then.

I do know that a huge dossier was prepared of the whole issue from the resident side of things in anticipation of the future works in Helen Gladstone and Vaughn Houses. I think some of the members of the now defunct residents committee could know where the material is held at the moment.

There has always been almost no activity from Vaughn House, even when we had a residents' association, but there are some residents in HGH who have been coming to the meetings.

Of course there has also been repeated calls to get the tenants' and residents' association started again, so if there would be some fresh interest to get involved I could point any such people in the right direction, maybe send a private message here with details how to contact you and I can pass them on to people who have been at it before?