The Hammersmith Gazette is reporting that H&F Council has failed the recent Audit Commission inspection of how it manages its council homes. If this is confirmed it will disqualify the Council from receiving much of the £114 million of the original £192 million Decent Homes investment programme that had been set to transform Council housing across the borough – making this the biggest debacle faced by H&F Council in a generation.

The Government requires the Council to prove that it is running a housing service that is, at least, satisfactory before allowing it to invest such large amounts of public money. The Gazette is reporting that the Audit Commission has graded H&F Council’s housing management as “poor” with “uncertain prospects for improvement”. I understand that H&F Council is contesting this judgement and for the sake of the thousands of local people that would be affected by this, I hope they are successful.

Housing management has been cloaked in secrecy since the Conservatives took office two years ago with the scale of their failure only now becoming clear. H&F Council’s housing service was viewed as one of the best in the UK only a few years back. It passed the last two Audit Commission inspections under the last Labour Administration - which had secured the multi-million Decent Homes investment programme in 2004.

Cllr. Lisa Nandy, Labour’s Shadow Lead on Housing and Regeneration, has confirmed that the Opposition will do everything it can to help the appeal. She commented “Some of our residents are now facing a situation where they are stuck in appalling housing conditions, while their neighbours enjoy a decent standard of living. The Opposition will commit our assistance to the Tory Council to help them to appeal their "poor" rating, and win back the money Labour secured to give people decent homes. We urge them to put party politics aside and accept our offer of help, which is based on years of running a well rated housing service”.

Cllr. Stephen Cowan
Leader of the Labour Group
Hammersmith and Fulham Council

YOUR LABOUR COUNCILLORS

Each councillor represents a ward. To find out which ward you live in please click on Find your ward or Map of the borough by ward.

These are the Labour Councillors arranged by ward, together with their contact and surgery details.

ASKEW

Surgeries:

Last Tuesday of each month (except August)
9 a.m. – 10.30 a.m.
Shepherds Bush Advice Centre
338 Uxbridge Road, W12

2nd Thursday of each month (except August)
6.00pm - 7.00pm
Askew Road Library
87/91 Askew Road W12

You can contact your Councillors during office hours on 020 8753 2020

Email:
gill.dickenson@lbhf.gov.uk
lisa.homan@lbhf.gov.uk
rory.vaughan@lbhf.gov.uk

COLLEGE PARK AND OLD OAK

Cllr Reg McLaughlin

Cllr Wesley Harcourt

Surgeries:

1st Thursday of each month
7 p.m. – 8 p.m. (excluding August)
Woodmans Mews Tenants’ and
Residents’ Association Room, Scrubs Lane, W12

2nd Saturday of each month
11 a.m. – 12 noon (excluding August & Bank Holiday weekends)
Old Oak Tenants’ & Residents’ Association Office
92 Wulfstan Street, Old Oak Estate, W12

3rd Thursday of each month
7 p.m. – 8 p.m. (excluding August)
College Park Residents’ Association Community Centre,
Rigeley Road, NW10

Last Saturday of each month
11 a.m. – 12 noon (excluding August & Bank Holiday weekends)
Wood Lane Estate Community Centre,
White City Close, W12

You can contact your Councillors during office hours on:

Wesley Harcourt: 020 8749 3298
Reg McLauglin: 020 8811 2399/07740 063956

Email:
wesley.harcourt@lbhf.gov.uk
reg.mclaughlin@lbhf.gov.uk

HAMMERSMITH BROADWAY

Cllr Michael Cartwright

Cllr Stephen Cowan

Cllr Lisa Nandy

Surgeries:

Councillor Cartwright:
2nd Saturday of each month (term time only)
11.00 a.m. – 12 noon
Macbeth Street Community Education Centre, W6

Councillor Cowan:
1st Tuesday of each month (term time only)
11.00am in
Room 216, Hammersmith Town Hall, King Street, London W6 9JU
Please ring 020 8753 2018 to make an appointment.

Councillor Nandy:
4th Saturday of each month (term time only)
11.00am - 12 noon
Macbeth Street Community Education Centre, W6

You can also contact Councillor Cartwright during office hours on 0208 741 5238

email:
michael.cartwright@lbhf.gov.uk
stephen.cowan@lbhf.gov.uk
lisa.nandy@lbhf.gov.uk

SHEPHERDS BUSH GREEN

Cllr Ed Owen

Cllr Mercy Umeh

Surgeries:

Councillors Owen & Umeh:
2nd and 4th Saturdays of each month
11 a.m.
Shepherds Bush Library
Uxbridge Road, W12

1st Thursday of each month
7 p.m.
Edward Woods Community Centre
60-70 Norland Road, W11

You can contact your Councillors during office hours on 020 8753 2020

Email:
ed.owen@lbhf.gov.uk
mercy.umeh@lbhf.gov.uk

WORMHOLT AND WHITE CITY

Cllr Colin Aherne

Cllr Jean Campbell

Cllr Sally Powell

Surgeries:

1st Thursday of each month (except August)
7 p.m.
White City Community Centre
Corner India Way/New Zealand Way
White City Estate, W12

You can contact your Councillors during office hours on:

Colin Aherne: 020 8753 2192
Jean Campbell: 020 8753 2020
Sally Powell: 020 8753 2020

Email:
Colin.aherne@lbhf.gov.uk
Jean.campbell@lbhf.gov.uk
Sally.powell@lbhf.gov.uk