FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUESTS CONCERNING LEASEHOLD
SERVICE CHARGES 2008/9
Freedom of Information Request 2773 : Service Charge Actuals
a. Full and comprehensive breakdown of all actual costs (2008/9)
incurred for the provision of services.
Individual leaseholders are able to inspect the actuals up to 6 months after the
final accounts were prepared. Given that this is an established process, there
is no obligation on the authority or Tower Hamlets Homes to disclose under
the Freedom of Information Act 2000, the information being available to
individuals under an alternative route. The information requested is therefore
exempt under Section 21 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
b. Annual budget review appraisal of the housing management cost
centre
Please see 2775 below
c. Details of market testing carried out in 2008/9 to ensure best
value.
We now benchmark our management fee levels against other ALMOs and
Local Authorities within the London and Southern area each year to see how
our fee levels match up, but with the proviso that all organisations are run
slightly differently. This is a retrospective comparison and gives comparison
for 2008/9 and 2009/10. We are also involved at the moment with a more
detailed analysis with a handful of such housing providers to a degree more
detail.
Freedom of Information Request 2774 : Technical Services
With respect to the 2008/9 Service Charge actuals, I request the
sets of actuals for all technical services. This must include
dates, specifications, costs, and inspection data.
The technical service area covers all repairs, but also covers any major works
schemes.
All response repairs in actualisation 2008/9 = £13,761,159.29
Cyclical Repairs = £1232727.90
major works = £3,331,026.63
overall total = £17,231,843.52
admin fee for repairs = £1,508,455.20
These costs have all been audited at different times, and inspections are
carried out to each repair and major works scheme.
Freedom of Information Request 2775 : Management Fee
Comprehensive information from the management accounts about all
cost centres and all apportionments which relate to the management
fee (administration and housing management charge), housing
management staff workload assessments for the latest year available
(or 2006/7 at the earliest). At the very least, these should
apportion the charges as mentioned on p7 of the “Leaseholder Focus”
that arrived with the 2008/9 Service Charge Actual invoice.
Average %
of Time on Total Leasehold
CCNo
Section
Leasehold Cost Activities
10701Chief Executive
10.0
7,720.88
10703Head of Housing & Customer Services 20.0
28,092.11
10739Homeownership Customer Services
95.0
368,663.38
10743Homeownership Quality Improvement 95.0
213,504.20
10745ADR Team
95.0
199,213.49
10787Head of Finance & Resources
10.0
4,864.38
10791Finance Management
22.5
35,062.81
10795Homeownership Finance
82.8
372,234.05
10797Revenues
84.7
484,077.98
1,713,433.28
Complaints Process
As we have applied an exemption to the information requested, this document
constitutes a Refusal Notice under Section 50 of the Freedom of Information
Act 2000. The application of this exemption is subject to a public interest test.
The public interest is best served by not repeating a now expired process
concerning the accounts from 2008/09.
You have the right to complain to the Council about this decision. If you wish
to do this please write to:
Corporate Complaints Unit
Tower Hamlets Town Hall
Mulberry Place
5 Clove Crescent
London E14 2BG
If you are subsequently not satisfied with the Council’s response to your
complaint you have a right of appeal to the independent Information
Commissioner at:
Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire SK9 5AF
Telephone: 01625 545 700
www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk
