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After the mess, how about damages?
• HOMES For Islington has listened to Labour councillors Gary Doolan and Martin Klute, myself and others, and have now reviewed their policies on the electrical rewiring on our estate.
As you excellently highlighted in the story on the issue, (Bullying
or a case of crossed wires? July 10) tenants were told that they had to have their homes fully rewired using ugly, surface-mounted, trunking fitted in what could only be described as a way which appeared to vandalise our homes.
Homes For Islington (HFI) has looked again at the disruption this causes, and has seen examples of how tenants’ lives and homes are wrecked by this work.
From now on tenants who do not want their homes fully rewired can opt to just having their wiring checked and, if OK, have it certificated for five years as long as they sign to say that they do not want a rewire and agree to periodic checks and minor works being carried out.
Leaseholders will have to have their own wiring tested themselves.
But, there are still a few cracks to be ironed out from this success, for which HFI are yet to respond.
Namely, what happens to the homes that have already been ruined before this review?
Are they going to get compensation, are they going now to have work carried out comparable to the new review?
HFI also says that all homes will need to be rewired at some stage. But just what “some stage” is we are yet to find out.
Also, when and if a full rewire is necessary, HFI will use existing conduits where possible, and if trunking is required, then HFI are now looking into more aesthetically pleasing trunking.
Drawings of the work will be shown before work starts.
So apart from the points that need sorting for tenants, only one quick question remains. Why could this have not been done in the first place to save time, money, worry, and bad workmanship?
MARTIN RUTHERFORD
Secretary, Popham Estate Tenants
& Residents Association
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