1 Silk St. Planning Application - Huge Building

The planning application for the new building at 1 silk street is now live. Here is a letter from the Silk Street Campaign Team:

Dear Neighbours,

Many of you may now have received formal planning application letters from the City. Please find attached the latest Silk Street Campaign update, with details of a briefing meeting for residents to be held on 22 October.

Thank you for your support.

Silk Street Campaign Team
silkstreetcampaign@gmail.com

Here is the update which includes images showing just how big the proposed building is:

Another whopper - click to open the update

Bulky Waste Collections - the rules

The BEO asks that we dispose of large items as described here:

https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/services/waste-and-recycling/household-waste-and-recycling/reuse-and-recycle/bulky-item-collection

Letter from the BEO:

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Bulky Waste Collections

Dear Residents,

We'd like to remind everyone about the process for arranging bulky waste collections.

Recently, there have been a few instances where large and/or inappropriate items have been left in communal areas/car park without going through the proper collection channels.

We completely understand that disposing of larger items can be inconvenient at times, and our aim is always to make things as straightforward as possible. However, when bulky waste is not managed correctly, the estate management team is left with no choice but to arrange additional collections. Because this is an additional external service, the cost is then recharged back to the service charge – something we want to avoid. Wherever possible we do attempt to recharge offenders directly but identifying this behaviour accurately can be very difficult.

To help prevent this, please ensure that all bulky waste collections are arranged through the appropriate channels, details of which can be found on our website Bulky item collection - City of London. By following this route, we can ensure that collections are carried out efficiently, fairly, and without unnecessary additional costs for everyone.

For the avoidance of doubt, the scheduled bulk waste collections on Monday and Thursday are free of charge. This issue relates to inappropriate waste left in communal areas or car parks not collectable under the guidelines.

Thank you for your cooperation and for helping us to keep our building clean, safe, and cost-effective.

Proposed "art screen" for 1 Golden Lane - What is it?

 DP9 Limited, on behalf of the re-developers of 1 Golden Lane have submitted a planning application to add a requirement for an "art screen".

What is an "art screen"?   I have no idea and the application does not make this clear.   Have a look for yourself by visiting the City of London planning portal and searching for "25/00824/LBC".

I have raised an objection just to note that there is no explanation of what an "art screen" is.

Here is the letter about the application from the City.  Notice the signal to noise ratio of ~1% which is typical for such letters from the City ...

Click to read the whole leter

BEO - Maintenance Contract Termination

From the BEO:
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Dear Residents,

It is with some disappointment that I must inform you that Chigwell, our newly appointed repairs and maintenance contractor for the Barbican Estate, has served formal notice to terminate their contract after just three months of operation. The contractor has cited concerns over the profitability of the contract as the reason for this action.

We are currently working with the City of London's legal team to review the notice in detail and respond formally. Nonetheless, from both a practical and operational standpoint, the contract will ultimately need to conclude.

Please be assured that officers from the Barbican Estate Office, in collaboration with Procurement and City Solicitor colleagues, have already convened and are actively working on robust business continuity plans. These plans aim to ensure the uninterrupted delivery of services to residents and include exploring longer-term strategic options for the delivery of this service.

A full business case, setting out all potential options for delivering the repairs & maintenance function along with a clear recommendation, will be produced for consideration at the earliest appropriate opportunity and is our firm priority.

We have provided an accompanying FAQ sheet with this note and will continue to keep residents closely informed as the situation develops.

FAQ Sheet – Barbican Repairs & Maintenance
 

1. Why is Chigwell withdrawing from the contract so soon after starting?
 

Chigwell has cited concerns about the commercial viability of the contract and do not believe it is financially sustainable for them. We are disappointed by this decision, especially given the rigour and transparency of our tender documentation and the short duration of the contract. We are reviewing how this situation arose and will reflect on this as part of our business case for future delivery.
 

2. Will my repairs still be completed during the notice period?

Yes. Chigwell remains contractually responsible for delivering the service during the notice period, and we expect them to continue fulfilling their obligations. We will continue to closely monitor performance to ensure standards are maintained.

3. How long is the notice period, and when will Chigwell stop working on the estate?

We will provide a timeline for Chigwell's exit as soon as it is confirmed, the contractual notice period is 6 months. 

 

4. Is there a risk of a gap in service once Chigwell leaves?

We are doing everything possible to avoid any service disruption. A cross-departmental team is actively working on a detailed business continuity plan to ensure there is no gap in service during the notice period.  

 

5. Will the services provided by the roofing contractor (Elkins) be affected by this. 

Following conversations, we are confident Elkins' service will remain unaffected by this situation.
 

6. What are the options being considered for the future delivery of repairs and maintenance?

A full business case including a range of options is being developed and will be considered by elected Members of the Corporation.


7. Will leaseholders be consulted or involved in deciding how the service is delivered going forward

While the immediate focus is ensuring continuity, leaseholders (including Freeholders in Wallside) will have the opportunity to feed into the longer-term delivery solutions for this critical service. Once options are more defined, we will share updates and, where appropriate, seek input from leaseholders. The final business case and recommendation will be presented to the Residents Consultation Committee and then formally taken for decision to the Barbican Residential Committee at the earliest opportunity. 

8. Chigwell also won the Housing Revenue Account(HRA) contract to deliver repairs & maintenance across the Corporations Social Housing developments – Is this impacted?

Chigwell have confirmed they do not have the same commercial concerns on the HRA contract. Officers are working closely with Chigwell to monitor this contract.

Spring BEO Progress Report

 From the BEO:

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Click to read

 

Window Frame Inspections from 17 March

from the BEO:

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Window Frame Inspections from 17 March - Ben Jonson House, Bunyan Court & John Trundle Court

Dear Residents,

As part of our window repair programme external surveys of all the windows of the top floor properties of the above blocks will commence on 17th March 2025. The surveys will involve abseiling to ensure all windows are surveyed and will commence at 09.00 until 17.00, latest each day Monday – Friday weather permitting. I will provide details of which blocks will be surveyed first closer to the 17thMarch. If your windows require any internal repair, please let me know so that I can programme the internal survey of these windows.

Don't flush those wet wipes!

From the BEO:

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Please consider what you flush
 

Unfortunately this week has seen another pipe blockage occur on the estate. As you can imagine these incidents are very unpleasant and stressful for both the residents affected and the staff who work to rectify the issue.

Please consider what you are flushing down your toilets, wipes are one of the biggest causes of blockages in pipes, and go on to cause flooding on the estate.

Wipes are often labelled as ‘flushable’, but regardless of any claims on packaging, wipes should never be flushed down the toilet as they are not compatible with our plumbing system. We kindly request that you, your guests, subtenants, or private cleaners refrain from flushing them down the toilet.

Our plumbing system, equipped with cast iron pipes, is particularly susceptible to snagging on anything other than toilet paper due to naturally occurring material imperfections which can easily lead to blockages and subsequent issues. The consequences of these blockages extend beyond inconvenience, causing significant distress to our lower floor neighbours and necessitating extensive and costly clean-up efforts by our contractors and staff.

To prevent the risk of future incidents, we urge all residents to ensure wipes are disposed of in bins rather than flushing them down the toilet. This simple action will greatly contribute to maintaining a pleasant living environment and drive down avoidable sewerage repair recharge costs for all residents. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.