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Not happy bunnies
• I APPRECIATE the emphasis MP Emily Thornberry is placing on housing and her recognition that Priory Green residents are not happy with Peabody Trust (‘Give tenants right to sack landlord’, March 9).
I would remind her that it was Islington Council which urged Priory Green residents to support the transfer of their homes to Peabody Trust. The document that laid out all the promises that were made to the residents was entitled “Breathing new life into London”. This, basically, was supposed to guarantee better housing, better management, better everything. Part of this was the commitment given by Islington Council towards safeguarding tenants’ rights.
Not only has Peabody failed to deliver on its promises but also Islington Council doesn’t understand why Priory Green residents are not happy bunnies.
One thing however that Ms Thornberry and her supporters do need to address is what happens if tenants under her new bill feel their landlord isn’t up to scratch and hasn’t delivered its promises. Do they revert to the local council, another social landlord or some form of tenant management organisation (TMO)?
Many social landlords and TMOs are fine and successful. There are always some “rotten apples” in every barrel and Islington has had a few, particularly when they are virtually controlled by self-interest groups, frequently with their own agendas for running estates.
JOHN WORKER
Kendal House, Priory Green estate, N1 |
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