Industry News


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Editor’s comment


Learning the lessons from our mistakes and putting things right must be top priorities for 2020


Patrick Mooney, News Editor


As the year 2019 draws to a close, it is amazing that matters relating to the Grenfell Tower fire continue to dominate so much of the housing agenda and the news headlines, despite the tragedy happening 30 months ago. In truth this is likely to remain the case for the next 30 months as well. Sir Martin Moore-Bick’s long awaited report from the first phase of the inquiry was more critical than many expected. It is positive that the Prime Minister accepted all of Sir Martin’s recommendations, but more importantly there now needs to be a clear timetable for legislation, proper scrutiny and new funding put in place. The lasting legacy of Grenfell has to be meaningful structural and behavioural changes that prevent a similar disaster from happening again. If the recommendations of the Lakanal House coroner had been accepted and acted upon, then it is highly likely the Grenfell disaster would never have happened. The deregulatory and ‘anti health & safety’ climate set by the Cameron Government created the environment in which a slipshod focus on safety regulations developed, where cutting corners became accepted practice and cutting costs a primary objective.


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DEREGULATION COSTS LIVES It meant many people lost sight of the fact that regulations (and specifically those relating to health and safety) are there for a very good reason – they protect us and save people’s lives. They do not exist because people enjoy red tape and paperwork. What made matters worse was that the culling of regulations coincided with swingeing public sector expenditure cuts following the 2008/09 financial crash. Many health and safety posts were cut and we were urged to just get on with it. From working in the housing sector in recent decades, it’s been clear that the development of new homes has nearly always been considered more exciting and interesting than the rather mundane world of housing management and maintenance. Except of course it is the repairs and maintenance service that is far more important to the vast majority of landlords’ customers – be they tenants or leaseholders. It is the regular servicing, routine checking and repair work that makes a bigger difference to far more people’s lives than the lucky few who get a newly built flat or house. Ensuring that the lift works when a button is pressed and the boiler provides heating and hot water when we need it, has a huge impact on all of us. This is continually pointed out in customer satisfaction surveys, but collectively we seem strangely reluctant to acknowledge this. We usually carry on behaving much the same as before, but perhaps with a few tweaks here and there. Perhaps 2020 will be the year when this changes.


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LOOKING FORWARD TO MEANINGFUL CHANGE The various changes being promoted by Sir Martin, Dame Judith Hackitt (as the adviser to the new building safety regulator) and Richard Blakeway (in his new position as the Housing Ombudsman), are all very different, but they also overlap with each other in that they are looking to improve services to residents and to make us more safe in our homes. I wish them the best of luck in pushing through higher service standards and changes in working practices. If successful these should result in more customer-focussed services, delivered to a higher quality and where saving pennies or pounds in the short-term is not regarded as the ultimate driver. Of course getting things right in the first place often leads to savings in the longer-term. We also need to be mindful of the unintended consequences of our actions and decisions. We need to be careful that in focussing on improving the safety of our existing housing, that we do not prevent sufficient new housing from being built to accommodate the growing numbers of homeless families. Money needs to be spent on solving both of these problems. As we wait for the second phase of the Grenfell inquiry to start next month, it is both worrying and frustrating to know that there are still tens of tower blocks covered in ACM cladding and many more high-rise blocks clad in other potentially dangerous materials. We cannot continue to just accept this situation, nor should we accept the confusion over ‘stay put’ or a managed evacuation, or the uncertainty over the effectiveness of water sprinklers and in what circumstances they are a necessity or a luxury. Surely 2020 will be the year when these and other essential safety questions are answered, solutions devised and work programmes put in place. In closing can I wish all readers and advertisers a Happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year.


HOUSING MANAGEMENT & MAINTENANCE


DEC/JAN 2020


Critical Grenfell inquiry report published


Benefits freeze to end


Homelessness costs top £1bn


Cladding removal delays affect thousands


Ombudsman fees to increase


Patrick Mooney


An exemplar for a new, progressive era of public housing design in London utilises high-quality materials – including Nordic Brown Light copper cladding – as part of its tenure-blind strategy. © Peter Landers See page 30


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