Public meeting minutes: July 2026

Written By india thorogood

Chaired by: Virginie (Vice Chair) — Nadine (Chair) present but asked Virginie to lead as she was feeling unwell Apologies: India (Secretary) — on holiday

Attendees

  • Committee: Nadine (Chair), Virginie (Vice Chair), Hazel (Treasurer), John (Co-Treasurer)

  • Council team: Priscilla (Resident Participation Officer - RPO), Zviko (new Ward Councillor for the area — also Cabinet Member), Teniola (Building/Construction Housing Officer), Ainsley (Senior Housing Officer), Ryan (Surveyor), Dashauna (People's/Tenancy Housing Officer), Dan (Dan Anthony Prentice - Housing Manager South - job sharing with Joyce Giuste)

For information Council Team details:

  • RPO: Priscilla Wright (née Barnett)

Resident Participation Officer | Brixton & Clapham

Resident Engagement Team, Housing Services

T: 020 7926 6994 | M: 07720 143 751

E: pbarnett2@lambeth.gov.uk

  • Housing Head Team Job share partners:

1. Introductions

  • Nadine and Virginie opened the meeting and asked everyone to introduce themselves given the number of new faces, and asked speakers to project towards Hazel/the hearing loop so she could follow the discussion.

  • Council team ran through their respective roles: repairs, cleaning, surveying, and day-to-day housing management for the estate.

  • Zviko introduced himself as the newly elected councillor for the ward and a cabinet member, and explained he plans to attend estate meetings regularly to understand issues first-hand and see where he can help. He confirmed he does not live on the estate.

  • A printed sheet with new councillors' contact details was noted as going up on the community noticeboard (also available online). India can add to the website.

2. Estate Issues Raised by Residents

  • Drains: A few drains around the estate reported as blocked/not working for several days; unclear whether all had been formally logged with the council — to be checked.

  • Playground repairs (Purser House): Bricks/potholes in the play area reported roughly three months ago and still not repaired. Priscilla confirmed these have been logged but flagged as unlikely to be prioritised quickly; the council team agreed to chase.

  • Storage for play/activity equipment: Virginie raised a previous conversation between Dashauna and Christine about possible storage space (e.g. for outdoor play equipment). Dashauna explained this needs input from safeguarding/estate management colleagues (Sean and Teniola?) before a location can be confirmed, and agreed to follow up directly with Christine.

3. Committee Administration

  • Reminder of ways to reach the TRA and Website:

  • A caretaker email (admin purpose only) also exists and can be shared on request.

  • Treasurer email: John and Hazel/India had discussed setting up a dedicated treasurer email previously but this hadn't been finalised. Virginie asked John to confirm with Hazel whether a separate address is wanted, and offered to help set one up.

  • Accounts: Hazel noted there is a backlog of accounting items from the previous year still being resolved; a short meeting between Hazel, John, Virginie and the accountants was proposed to review outstanding items. Diane (from the accountants) is coming in on Thursday, 2–4pm, to act as counter-signatory on the estate bank account, avoiding additional accountant fees. John confirmed he could attend; it was agreed he and Virginie would coordinate directly (e.g. via WhatsApp) on timing.

  • Bank signatory: India to proceed with required steps to be signatory on the account.

4. AGM Process — Discussion/Disagreement

This was the most extended discussion of the meeting:

  • Several residents (notably Meconah and Christine) raised concerns that at the AGM, the audience/floor was not clearly enough given the opportunity to nominate alternative candidates for Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary or Treasurer before roles were confirmed i.e. not properly explained or offered at the time.

  • Nadine and Virginie said that the AGM process was council-led (not run by the committee itself), that nominations were asked for at the time and no one else came forward, and that complaints about how the AGM was conducted should be raised with the council team who facilitated it - John and Priscilla

  • Pricsilla, Council Resident Participation Officer, who was present at the AGM, confirmed the AGM process was accurately followed.

  • Hazel noted she has "been doing a one-man band" on the accounts for some time and is in the process of handing over to a new treasurer; she asked not to be pressured by multiple people at once on this.

  • Outcome: Shirley confirmed she wished to step down from her committee position. Christine put herself forward and was agreed as her replacement, to be confirmed formally at the next committee meeting.

  • It was agreed and clarified that committee membership (15 seats) can be updated during the year — if members don't attend, their seats can be reallocated.

5. Setting Up a Full Committee Meeting

  • Agreed a full committee meeting is needed to bring everyone up to speed, agree roles/responsibilities, and discuss people's strengths and preferences for involvement.

  • A show of hands indicated a majority preference for evening meetings over weekend/Saturday slots.

  • Contact details (phone numbers/emails) to be collected from all committee members to set up a WhatsApp group and mailing list for coordination. It shall be noted that some numbers and email remain missing as people omitted them on the sign-in sheet.

  • Suggestion to alternate future meetings between in-person and online (Zoom/Google Meet) to widen access — to be discussed further at the first committee meeting.

  • Target: committee meeting to be arranged within the next couple of weeks.

6. Council Surgeries

  • Confirmed drop-in surgeries continue on Tuesdays, 2–4pm, monthly (changed some time ago from Wednesdays to Tuesdays to fit better with residents' availability).

  • No surgery in August (summer break) — will resume in September.

  • Residents are encouraged to contact the estate team directly (or via the council call centre if unable to reach the local team) rather than wait for the next surgery if urgent.

7. Council Services: "Meet the Landlord" Event Special Repair Edition

  • Date/time: Meet Lambeth on 29 July, 10am–4pm, Lambeth Town Hall

  • New combined format being trialled for three months: repairs, community works, surveyors, the disrepair claims team, and the gas servicing team will all be present together in one place.

  • Purpose is to reduce duplication and make it easier for residents to get multiple queries answered in one visit; council team will review after the trial period to see if it's working.

  • Event to be publicised.

8. Council Services: Repairs, Damp & Mould

  • Damp/mould cases running at 130–150 new cases per month across the wider service area, volumes were expected to drop over summer but have stayed level, noting a particular problem on Tulse HIll Estate.

  • Council recruiting additional surveyors and officers to manage the volume of work; new job postings going out in the coming days.

  • Process reminder: once issues are identified on a walkabout (by a housing officer, surveyor, or building worker), they should be logged and followed up once works are completed, residents were asked to flag directly if this follow-up isn't happening so it can be chased with contractors (referred to as "Wates"), who the housing team meet with weekly.

  • Residents are encouraged to use the tenant portal to log and track repairs where possible, as this creates a clear reference/paper trail.

  • Concerns raised widely by residents that contractor works are often not being properly checked/signed off before being marked complete — flagged for follow-up with the contract management team.

9. Council Services: Digital Access / Communication Concerns

  • Strong concerns raised by residents (particularly regarding older or less computer-literate residents) that increasing reliance on online/digital council services is leaving people unable to get help — described frustration with automated phone systems, difficulty reaching a person, and lack of resourcing for face-to-face support.

  • Residents asked for more consistency in communication, e.g. clear reference numbers and updates when repairs are logged, and easier ways to escalate issues that go unanswered.

  • A separate concern was raised about local policing — that patrolling officers are sometimes not local to the area and unfamiliar with residents/context.

  • Council team (Dan, Sehaer) acknowledged the resourcing gap and noted regular local surgeries (three per month in the wider area) as one way to get more face-to-face support; committed to circulating information on where/when these happen.

10. Elderly Residents' Meet-Up

  • Idea to set up a regular meet-up or space for elderly residents to use during the week, e.g. a morning tea/coffee session in the hall — hall is under-used in mornings so considered feasible.

  • No date or format confirmed yet; Nadine noted the idea needs to be discussed properly (including with Hazel/Anne) before it can be planned and publicised, and that suggestions like this need someone to actively take them forward rather than remain "just an idea."

  • Possible link to a future dinner/lunch event for elderly residents, similar to the existing Christmas dinner — would require funding to be arranged in advance.

11. Youth (Teen) Engagement

  • Significant concerns raised, particularly by Leah, that teenagers aged roughly 14–17 feel there is nothing for them on the estate once they age out of the play scheme (which runs up to age 14).

  • Cited a past example — a promised "treehouse"/youth project (organised via a contact called Linda Elliot, still working locally) — that residents felt was never delivered, contributing to disengagement and mistrust ("no point having a suggestion box for them").

  • Suggested approach: use food and informal events as a way to draw teenagers in, and gather feedback via short, informal questionnaires rather than expecting them to volunteer ideas unprompted.

  • Agreed the committee will look into reconnecting with Linda Elliot/the youth service to understand what could realistically be offered.

  • General point made (Virginie) that the committee wants to develop more activities for both teenagers and adults, and invited residents to submit ideas.

12. Regular Hall Activities (sample week, for residents' reference)

  • Mon–Wed: After-school club, 4–6pm; Doorstep Library also running Mondays

  • Monthly (Tue): Housing team drop-in surgery

  • Thu: Kinetica Bloco music workshop for kids, 4–6pm

  • Fri: Mosque use, 12:30–2:30pm; Taekwondo, 6–7pm (ages 6–12, boys and girls)

  • Some sessions (e.g. music workshop, likely Taekwondo) pausing for summer break — exact dates to be confirmed.

13. Summer Play Scheme

  • Registration: 21 July

  • Starts: 22 July

  • Ends: 28 August (5 weeks total)

  • Hazel still finalising the full programme; Virginie/India to follow up to help with communications/publicity once ready.

14. Upcoming & Proposed Events

  • Brixton Chambers Orchestra: annual summer visit, 19 July, 3pm. Exact location and who organises it (previously thought to be council-arranged) was unclear on the night — committee to check and confirm details.

  • World Cup Final Party (proposed): Use the hall and projector to screen the final, tentatively Sunday 19 July — kick-off time and logistics (including who would stay to lock up) still to be confirmed and shared via WhatsApp.-- As no specific interest raised, the idea was dropped.

  • Cinema evenings (proposed): Use the projector for monthly or quarterly film/documentary evenings later in the year — to be tested for interest via the committee/community meetings; mixed initial reactions from committee members present.

  • Community Champions Awards (proposed): Recognise residents who contribute positively to the estate (block reps, volunteers, etc.); Nadine suggested this could be combined with a proposed September community event.

  • September community event (proposed): Timed to coincide with the end of the play scheme; ideas floated include food, music, and activities/games for children, with a request for more volunteers to help run it.

  • Winter/Christmas dinner or elderly lunch (proposed): Floated as a future event, likely later in the year, and would need funding arranged well in advance (booking caterers, entertainment, etc. cannot be done last-minute).

15. Funding

  • Hall hire income over the summer (largely weekend lettings) is currently helping cover running costs of TRA activities

  • Committee will need to reapply for funding from September onwards to support activities into autumn/winter.

  • Priscilla/the council team offered to advise on funding applications; a separate meeting between a resident (Pamela) and Priscilla on this was also mentioned as being arranged.

  • All proposed events above are contingent on funding being secured and volunteers coming forward — to be worked through at the committee meeting.

16. Any Other Business

  • A resident query about whether the Civic Centre is closing was raised (in a light-hearted tone) — Council Team confirmed this was just silly rumors.

  • General frustration noted about turnover/changes in housing management contacts (e.g. new starter Ainsley taking over from a previous officer) affecting continuity of support for residents.

  • GLOWS and Fire safety assessments for estate buildings were referenced in passing, with a request that residents be kept informed of outcomes, particularly regarding any implications for building use.

india thorogood
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AGM meeting minutes: June 2026