PA Housing has failed to mend leaks in the roof of 4 Guilford Place WC1N1EA three years after it was first warned of the problems.
The listed building is essentially perfectly sound and cheap to maintain but the housing association has refused to take the advice of its own maintenance contractor Fortem and put in place permanent repairs.
Since its inception after the amalgamation of two other housing associations PA has never met its own targets for repairs and maintenance. Last year's maintenance budget was £6 million underspent, according to its annual report. It also undershot promised numbers of new home building by 20 per cent producing only 400 of the expected 500.
It's chief executive Dilip Kavi still pocketed a 22 per cent pay rise for last year, taking his salary to £204,000, plus a car allowance.
Water is pouring through the ceilings of all of the top floor flats in the building, including the light fittings.
Click on the image below to see how bad the leaks are
The listed building is essentially perfectly sound and cheap to maintain but the housing association has refused to take the advice of its own maintenance contractor Fortem and put in place permanent repairs.
Since its inception after the amalgamation of two other housing associations PA has never met its own targets for repairs and maintenance. Last year's maintenance budget was £6 million underspent, according to its annual report. It also undershot promised numbers of new home building by 20 per cent producing only 400 of the expected 500.
It's chief executive Dilip Kavi still pocketed a 22 per cent pay rise for last year, taking his salary to £204,000, plus a car allowance.
Water is pouring through the ceilings of all of the top floor flats in the building, including the light fittings.
Click on the image below to see how bad the leaks are
Safety fears for 40 elderly residents after three years of neglect by housing association
PA Housing neglects roof leaks at Guilford Place
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Hasan Vaspi died in January/February. For two months his housing association PA Housing left him without any proper cooking facilities in his sheltered flat and without any water in his kitchen.
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Lunchon club; Tea & Coffee afternoons; Video Club; Minibus trips; Gardening; Arts & Crafts; Day Trips; Classes.
Lunchon club; Tea & Coffee afternoons; Video Club; Minibus trips; Gardening; Arts & Crafts; Day Trips; Classes.
Art Gallery and Lunch Visit
Flat 2 Mrs Tamang Asha; Flat 3 Mr Salem; Flat 4 Mr Charma; Flat 5 Mrs Shrestha Bimala; Flat 6 Mr Smith
George; Flat 7 Mr Duranni Mouhamed; Flat 8 Mr Das Lila Natt ; Flat 9 Mrs Tennakoon Ashmala; Flat 10 Mr Said; Flat 12 Mrs Mary;
Flat 13 Mr13 Vasspi Hassan; Flat 14 Mr Rowland Tom.
George; Flat 7 Mr Duranni Mouhamed; Flat 8 Mr Das Lila Natt ; Flat 9 Mrs Tennakoon Ashmala; Flat 10 Mr Said; Flat 12 Mrs Mary;
Flat 13 Mr13 Vasspi Hassan; Flat 14 Mr Rowland Tom.
Cinema Visit
Thursday 5 November
A group of 14 residents went to see the new James Bond film Spectre at the enormous Imax cinema in Waterloo that boasts the biggest cinema screen in Britain. A great time was had by all at an event that involved watching the usual Bond mix of thrills, spills explosions and car chases. All of the residents said that they enjoyed the experience, including many who did not have a strong grasp of English.
Thursday 5 November
A group of 14 residents went to see the new James Bond film Spectre at the enormous Imax cinema in Waterloo that boasts the biggest cinema screen in Britain. A great time was had by all at an event that involved watching the usual Bond mix of thrills, spills explosions and car chases. All of the residents said that they enjoyed the experience, including many who did not have a strong grasp of English.
Launch supper event
Thursday 10 September
A spectacular spread was prepared and cooked by residents in their kitchens and then served in the communal lounge at Akbar House, 4 Guilford Place at 6pm in the evening. Of particular note and much appreciated were the lamb curry, spicy chicken, a huge and varied salad prepared by Mr Charma and sweets and puddings of mouth-watering delicacy. A great time was had by all.
Present: P Tennakoon Flat 9; Arpuda Marie Flat 12; Lila Natt Das Flat 8;
Ajman Ali Flat S9; Mehar Wallah Flat S4; Mrs Asha Tamang Flat 2; Mrs Asmani Gurang; Mounira Nakala Flat S14; Hassan Vassi Flat 13; Mr Salem Flat 3;
Mr Charma Flat 4; Mr Mouhamed Said Flat 10; Mr Duranni Flat 7.
Mouhamed Muquit (Chairman) Flat S11: Mrs Bimala Shrestha (Honorary Treasurer) Flat 5; Tom Rowland (Honorary Secretary) Flat 14
Thursday 10 September
A spectacular spread was prepared and cooked by residents in their kitchens and then served in the communal lounge at Akbar House, 4 Guilford Place at 6pm in the evening. Of particular note and much appreciated were the lamb curry, spicy chicken, a huge and varied salad prepared by Mr Charma and sweets and puddings of mouth-watering delicacy. A great time was had by all.
Present: P Tennakoon Flat 9; Arpuda Marie Flat 12; Lila Natt Das Flat 8;
Ajman Ali Flat S9; Mehar Wallah Flat S4; Mrs Asha Tamang Flat 2; Mrs Asmani Gurang; Mounira Nakala Flat S14; Hassan Vassi Flat 13; Mr Salem Flat 3;
Mr Charma Flat 4; Mr Mouhamed Said Flat 10; Mr Duranni Flat 7.
Mouhamed Muquit (Chairman) Flat S11: Mrs Bimala Shrestha (Honorary Treasurer) Flat 5; Tom Rowland (Honorary Secretary) Flat 14
Lunch club: Akash provides regular festival food for members and guests which is prepared by members in their home kitchens and then served in the lounge.
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Members of the association tuck into one of our regular festival meals in the common room at 4 Guilford Place which is situated on the ground floor.
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Come fly with me: in the cable car station before the start of the flight across the river Thames which provided spectacular views over much of East London.
Cable Car
21 October
An intrepid party set out for the Cable Car station in London’s Docklands on a rainy weekday morning via the Docklands Light Railway. The poor weather had the advantage that the queues were small to get onto the cable car to Greenwich but the views were still surprisingly good. A total of 10 residents plus ASRA’s support officer residents came and all joined us for a light lunch in the O2 Dome after the trip before returning to Bloomsbury on the Underground.
Present: Arpuda Marie Flat 12; Lila Natt Das Flat 8;
Mrs Asha Tamang Flat 2; Mrs Asmani Gurang Flat 9; Mounira Nakala Flat S14; Mr Mouhamed Said Flat 10; P Tennakoon Flat 6;
Mouhamed Muquit (Chairman) Flat S11: Mrs Bimala Shrestha (Honorary Treasurer) Flat 5; Tom Rowland (Honorary Secretary) Flat 14; By invitation Saleha Begum (ASRA floating support officer).
Kew Gardens 2 September 2015
The gardens at Kew provided a glorious setting for one of our first trips as a group with visits to the Palm House.Highlights included the enormous early Victorian hothouses of metal and curved sheets of glass; the impressive Princess of Wales Conservatory ; the red-brick, 1631 Kew Palace , formerly King George III's country retreat; the celebrated Chinese Pagoda designed by William Chambers in 1762; the Temperate House , the world's largest ornamental glasshouse sadly it is closed for restoration until 2018); and the very enjoyable Rhizotron and Xstrata Treetop Walkway , where we could survey the tree canopy from 18m up in the air.
Present: Arpuda Marie Flat 12; Lila Natt Das Flat 8;
Mrs Asha Tamang Flat 2; Mrs Asmani Gurang Flat 9; Mounira Nakala Flat S14; Mr Mouhamed Said Flat 10; P Tennakoon Flat 6;
Mouhamed Muquit (Chairman) Flat S11: Mrs Bimala Shrestha (Honorary Treasurer) Flat 5; Tom Rowland (Honorary Secretary) Flat 14; By invitation Saleha Begum (ASRA floating support officer).
Crews Hill
27 October
This garden centre and collection of outdoors related businesses in North London provided the venue for a highly enjoyable visit which was followed by a light lunch in a nearby Bengali restaurant.
Present: Arpuda Marie Flat 12; Lila Natt Das Flat 8;
Mrs Asha Tamang Flat 2; Mrs Asmani Gurang Flat 9; Mounira Nakala Flat S14; Mr Mouhamed Said Flat 10; P Tennakoon Flat 6;
Tom Rowland (Honorary Secretary) Flat 14; By invitation Saleha Begum (ASRA floating support officer).
Brick Lane/Video Club
A visit to a series of specialist shops in and around Brick Lane where we chose and purchased a collection of classic and modern South Asian films including Bollywood Classics and box office hits. Afterwards we enjoyed a light lunch in a nearby Bengali restaurant.
Present: Arpuda Marie Flat 12; Lila Natt Das Flat 8;
Mrs Asha Tamang Flat 2; Mrs Asmani Gurang Flat 9; Mounira Nakala Flat S14; Mr Mouhamed Said Flat 10; P Tennakoon Flat 6;
Mrs Bimala Shrestha (Honorary Treasurer) Flat 5; Tom Rowland (Honorary Secretary) Flat 14; By invitation Saleha Begum (ASRA floating support officer).
British Museum
This autumn the British Museum presents a major exhibition looking at an important transition in Egypt’s history never explored before in its entirety. Egypt: faith after the pharaohs explores 1,200 years of history, providing unparalleled insight into the lives of different religious communities. This exhibition of around 200 objects shows how Christian, Islamic and Jewish communities reinterpreted the pharaonic past of Egypt and interacted with one another. The transitions seen in this period have shaped the modern world we know today.
Present: Arpuda Marie Flat 12; Lila Natt Das Flat 8;
Mrs Asha Tamang Flat 2; Mrs Asmani Gurang Flat 9; Mounira Nakala Flat S14; Mr Mouhamed Said Flat 10; P Tennakoon Flat 6;
Tom Rowland (Honorary Secretary) Flat 14; By invitation Saleha Begum (ASRA floating support officer).
Fruit Picking
Hugely popular trip to Garsons Pick Your Own Farm near Esher. We went by minibus, piloted by our trusty driver Paul Corrigan from A1 Minibus Hire, the film and location transport specialists who are happy to provide highly competitive rates for Akash trips.
The visit was to the UK’s largest Pick Your Own farm for 150 acres of fruit, vegetables and flowers. From May to October there is a choice of over 40 crops exclusively for pick-your-own harvesting on our farm in Esher, Surrey. The crops include strawberries, raspberries, runner beans, peas and sunflowers. Most popular with residents on this trip were courgettes, sweetcorn and late raspberries.
Present: Arpuda Marie Flat 12; Lila Natt Das Flat 8;
Mrs Asha Tamang Flat 2; Mrs Asmani Gurang Flat 9; Mounira Nakala Flat S14; Mr Mouhamed Said Flat 10; P Tennakoon Flat 6;
Tom Rowland (Honorary Secretary) Flat 14; By invitation Saleha Begum (ASRA floating support officer).
21 October
An intrepid party set out for the Cable Car station in London’s Docklands on a rainy weekday morning via the Docklands Light Railway. The poor weather had the advantage that the queues were small to get onto the cable car to Greenwich but the views were still surprisingly good. A total of 10 residents plus ASRA’s support officer residents came and all joined us for a light lunch in the O2 Dome after the trip before returning to Bloomsbury on the Underground.
Present: Arpuda Marie Flat 12; Lila Natt Das Flat 8;
Mrs Asha Tamang Flat 2; Mrs Asmani Gurang Flat 9; Mounira Nakala Flat S14; Mr Mouhamed Said Flat 10; P Tennakoon Flat 6;
Mouhamed Muquit (Chairman) Flat S11: Mrs Bimala Shrestha (Honorary Treasurer) Flat 5; Tom Rowland (Honorary Secretary) Flat 14; By invitation Saleha Begum (ASRA floating support officer).
Kew Gardens 2 September 2015
The gardens at Kew provided a glorious setting for one of our first trips as a group with visits to the Palm House.Highlights included the enormous early Victorian hothouses of metal and curved sheets of glass; the impressive Princess of Wales Conservatory ; the red-brick, 1631 Kew Palace , formerly King George III's country retreat; the celebrated Chinese Pagoda designed by William Chambers in 1762; the Temperate House , the world's largest ornamental glasshouse sadly it is closed for restoration until 2018); and the very enjoyable Rhizotron and Xstrata Treetop Walkway , where we could survey the tree canopy from 18m up in the air.
Present: Arpuda Marie Flat 12; Lila Natt Das Flat 8;
Mrs Asha Tamang Flat 2; Mrs Asmani Gurang Flat 9; Mounira Nakala Flat S14; Mr Mouhamed Said Flat 10; P Tennakoon Flat 6;
Mouhamed Muquit (Chairman) Flat S11: Mrs Bimala Shrestha (Honorary Treasurer) Flat 5; Tom Rowland (Honorary Secretary) Flat 14; By invitation Saleha Begum (ASRA floating support officer).
Crews Hill
27 October
This garden centre and collection of outdoors related businesses in North London provided the venue for a highly enjoyable visit which was followed by a light lunch in a nearby Bengali restaurant.
Present: Arpuda Marie Flat 12; Lila Natt Das Flat 8;
Mrs Asha Tamang Flat 2; Mrs Asmani Gurang Flat 9; Mounira Nakala Flat S14; Mr Mouhamed Said Flat 10; P Tennakoon Flat 6;
Tom Rowland (Honorary Secretary) Flat 14; By invitation Saleha Begum (ASRA floating support officer).
Brick Lane/Video Club
A visit to a series of specialist shops in and around Brick Lane where we chose and purchased a collection of classic and modern South Asian films including Bollywood Classics and box office hits. Afterwards we enjoyed a light lunch in a nearby Bengali restaurant.
Present: Arpuda Marie Flat 12; Lila Natt Das Flat 8;
Mrs Asha Tamang Flat 2; Mrs Asmani Gurang Flat 9; Mounira Nakala Flat S14; Mr Mouhamed Said Flat 10; P Tennakoon Flat 6;
Mrs Bimala Shrestha (Honorary Treasurer) Flat 5; Tom Rowland (Honorary Secretary) Flat 14; By invitation Saleha Begum (ASRA floating support officer).
British Museum
This autumn the British Museum presents a major exhibition looking at an important transition in Egypt’s history never explored before in its entirety. Egypt: faith after the pharaohs explores 1,200 years of history, providing unparalleled insight into the lives of different religious communities. This exhibition of around 200 objects shows how Christian, Islamic and Jewish communities reinterpreted the pharaonic past of Egypt and interacted with one another. The transitions seen in this period have shaped the modern world we know today.
Present: Arpuda Marie Flat 12; Lila Natt Das Flat 8;
Mrs Asha Tamang Flat 2; Mrs Asmani Gurang Flat 9; Mounira Nakala Flat S14; Mr Mouhamed Said Flat 10; P Tennakoon Flat 6;
Tom Rowland (Honorary Secretary) Flat 14; By invitation Saleha Begum (ASRA floating support officer).
Fruit Picking
Hugely popular trip to Garsons Pick Your Own Farm near Esher. We went by minibus, piloted by our trusty driver Paul Corrigan from A1 Minibus Hire, the film and location transport specialists who are happy to provide highly competitive rates for Akash trips.
The visit was to the UK’s largest Pick Your Own farm for 150 acres of fruit, vegetables and flowers. From May to October there is a choice of over 40 crops exclusively for pick-your-own harvesting on our farm in Esher, Surrey. The crops include strawberries, raspberries, runner beans, peas and sunflowers. Most popular with residents on this trip were courgettes, sweetcorn and late raspberries.
Present: Arpuda Marie Flat 12; Lila Natt Das Flat 8;
Mrs Asha Tamang Flat 2; Mrs Asmani Gurang Flat 9; Mounira Nakala Flat S14; Mr Mouhamed Said Flat 10; P Tennakoon Flat 6;
Tom Rowland (Honorary Secretary) Flat 14; By invitation Saleha Begum (ASRA floating support officer).
Part of the party which visited The British Museum
Sunflowers: Fruit picking in Surrey on a minibus trip subsidised by the association
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Home improvements: MrLila Natt Das (Hon Treasurer) and Mr Tom Rowland (Hon Secretary) in front of the new hall table at 4 Guilford Place. It is a matter of considerable regret that ASRA refuses to let the association improve the external appearance of the listed building which consequently looks drab and run down.
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