Use of smart technology to improve maintenance in Council managed social housing

The request was successful.

Dear Hillingdon Borough Council,

I am a post graduate student currently undertaking research in to whether the use of internet enabled 'smart' technology can be utilised to improve the efficiency of maintenance in the social housing sector.

Under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I would therefore be grateful if you could respond to the following questions:

1. Does your authority retain ownership and management of its social housing stock? If not, please could you provide contact details for the Housing Association(s), ALMO's etc., to whom your stock was transferred?

The following questions need only be answered if you continue to own and manage your social housing stock.

2. How many socially rented properties do you currently own?

3. Does the Council currently use any form of internet enabled smart technology to assist in the maintenance of its properties e.g. smoke alarms linked to a portal so maintenance personnel can identify when the alarm has been disconnected/failed? If so, please could you provide details of the types of devices utilised? Would you be willing to discuss your experience in more detail?

4. If the Council is not currently utilising any such technology, has the issue ever been considered? If so, please could you provide details as to why it was not pursued?

I thank you for your consideration of the above queries and I look forward to hearing from you in due course.

Yours faithfully,

Phil Hiscott

Residents Services FOI, Hillingdon Borough Council

Dear Phil Hiscott,
I am writing in response to your request for information under the Freedom
of Information Act 2000, received 19/01/2020 

 

Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 we have 20 working days to
respond to your requests.  Therefore the deadline for our response
is 14/02/2020

 

If we require further information or clarification from you in order to
assist us in responding to your request, or if we require a fee to be paid
before we can respond we will contact you shortly.

 

 

Yours sincerely

 

Michelle Barber

Members Liaison Officer /FOI Officer

Resident Services

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FOI ., Hillingdon Borough Council

Dear Phil Hiscott

 

I am writing in response to your request for information below.

 

Please see the council's response below

 

1.  Does your authority retain ownership and management of its social
housing stock? If not, please could you provide contact details for the
Housing Association(s), ALMO's etc., to whom your stock was
transferred? Yes

2.  How many socially rented properties do you currently own? As at
01.01.2020 we had 9,846 social rented council owned properties

3.  Does the Council currently use any form of internet enabled smart
technology to assist in the maintenance of its properties e.g. smoke
alarms linked to a portal so maintenance personnel can identify when the
alarm has been disconnected/failed? If so, please could you provide
details of the types of devices utilised? Would you be willing to discuss
your experience in more detail? Hillingdon council is currently installing
remote monitored Emergency Lighting (Commulite) within all its High Rise
and Sheltered Housing Communal Areas. In addition we have a planned
programme to install Fire Detection devices (AICO 3000 series with
Smartlink) within each High Rise & Sheltered Dwelling that will have the
capability to be remotely accessed for testing & maintenance purposes.
Fire Detection within communal areas is already fully addressable and
remotely monitored in cases of activation.

4.  If the Council is not currently utilising any such technology, has the
issue ever been considered? If so, please could you provide details as to
why it was not pursued? N/A

Regards

 

Liam Bentley

Operations Manager, Corporate & Housing Repairs and Voids

Housing Repairs

London Borough Of Hillingdon

Ext: 6528

Main Line: 01895 556528

[1]www.hillingdon.gov.uk

 

 

If you wish to request an internal review of our response you should
write, within 2 months, to:

Office Managing Partner, Legal Services, Civic Centre, High St, Uxbridge,
UB8 1UW (or via email to [2][Hillingdon Borough Council request email] marked for the attention
of the Office Managing Partner).

Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future
communications.

If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have
the right to apply to the Information Commissioner for a decision. The
Information Commissioner can be contacted at: Information Commissioner’s
Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF.

 

Regards

 

Nathalie Chuhan

Data Protection &
Freedom of Information Officer
Legal Services (3E 04)
London Borough of Hillingdon
Civic Centre
High Street
Uxbridge
UB8 1UW
T: 01895  556351

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