Islington Tribune - Letters: My long wait for home repair

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Islington Tribune - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Published: 27 April 2007

My long wait for home repair

• IF my recent experience with Islington Council’s housing contractors is in any way typical, then they are providing a very poor repairs service to council tenants.
In February I reported a rotting window frame to Kier Islington via the council repairs line. It took two people on separate occasions to measure up for a new section of frame.
Then, over five weeks, I made five appointments for the work to be done. Twice, Kier left a card indicating “No Access”. I was at home, but heard neither the entry buzzer nor any knocking on my door. It appears very little effort was made to make themselves heard.
Other reasons given for failure to attend were that the carpenter had injured his hand during the day and a computer systems breakdown meant the workmen did not know what their appointments were. The last appointment, on March 30, was not kept and no explanation was given.
Two phone calls to elicit information and a request for a return call were not followed up. At this point I lost patience with Kier and cancelled the job.
I’m not confident that Kier Islington is particularly interested in carrying out its contractual responsibilities on behalf of Islington Council. I’m also not convinced the council is especially interested in ensuring its housing stock is properly maintained.
An attempt on my part to get this rotting frame attended to about five years ago during external redecoration was ignored – even though this 1870s tenement block is listed within a designated conservation area. (Is the council’s slogan still “Islington cares”?)
If Kier was operating in the private sector it is likely that, with this level of non-service, its contract might have been terminated by now. Strangely, it has an efficient follow-up phone service to check whether repairs have been completed satisfactorily (which was useful when making yet another appointment).
I can only hope this high standard will be reflected soon in its commitment and responsibility to council tenants.
ROSIE COLLINSON
Rawstorne Street, EC1

Send your letters to: The Letters Editor, Islington Tribune, 40 Camden Road, London, NW1 9DR or email to letters@islingtontribune.co.uk. Deadline for letters is midday Wednesday. The editor regrets that anonymous letters cannot be published, although names and addresses can be withheld. Please include a full name, postal address and telephone number. Letters may be edited for reasons of space.

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