Islington Tribune - by ROISIN GADELRAB Published: 10 October 2008
Fury over £3k away day for HfI
HOUSING chiefs have spurned their own conference facilities in Islington in favour of holding an away day meeting in a lush Mayfair hotel. Homes for Islington (HfI), which manages the borough’s housing stock, is sending 17 board members, five senior managers and three support staff to the four-star Hilton hotel in Green Park, for a day of strategy and planning discussions.
The cost for room hire, facilities and lunch for the day is £3,000 – £120 a head. No overnight stays are planned.
A HfI spokesman said: “This is a one day strategy and planning day for the HfI board and senior managers. This is a normal activity for a board responsible for the governance of an organisation.”
The news has infuriated Brian Potter chairman of Federation of Islington Tenants Associations, who said: “We paid £2.6million to restore the HfI building. They have their own meeting room. “Why should they go to a four-star hotel? That money could have gone to old age pensioners or tenants associations instead of being wasted on four-star hotels.”