CONTENTS
1 Future Resident (including leaseholder) engagement with Newlon
2 The definitive date for establishing residency for both Old and New Barnsbury leaseholders
3 Refurbishment work in Old Barnsbury
4 Legal Advice for Old Barnsbury leaseholders
Hello, the weather has been a bit crazy lately but we hope that you’re enjoying the summer and getting away for a holiday without too many extra hoops to jump through. Here is an update for what has been happening with the Old Barnsbury refurbishment. As ever, if you find out any information that could be useful to the group, please email us: barnsburyleaseholders@gmail.com
1. Future Resident (including leaseholder) engagement with Newlon
As you know, currently, there is no Residents’ Association at Barnsbury but Newlon’s community team (led by Graham Watts and Emma Preston-Dunlop) has started a new initiative to help establish one. It’s very early days, but a meeting was held in early July with c.10 residents (mix of leaseholders and tenants, Old & New Barnsbury) to discuss the broad principles. The meeting included two of the Old Barnsbury resident leaseholder reps, and a New Barnsbury resident leaseholder rep. had also been invited.
It was suggested that this Group starts informally, potentially split into sub-groups (including Old and New Barnsbury, Leaseholders etc) and a follow up meeting is to be held in August to draft a terms of reference.
We have suggested that both Source and New Barnsbury Leaseholder reps – resident and non-resident – are invited along to the group. We’ll update next month and share the draft terms of reference. If anyone is keen to get directly involved, please email barnsburyleaseholders@gmail.com and we can pass your details on, bearing in mind that Emma and Graham are keen that the group is not dominated overall by leaseholders or tenants and is generally as diverse as possible. The role this new group will play in developing the Residents’ Charter etc is to be further bottomed out at the next meeting. Watch this space.
Note: Source is still available to provide independent support to residents and leaseholders – they have advised that their current commission through Newlon runs up until the submission for planning permission.
Section 20 process explained + find out what we can about the planned refurbishment of Old Barnsbury and impacts for leaseholders Newlon (Bill Henderson & Symon Sentain) and Source have confirmed that they will hold a zoom meeting session for leaseholders on Thursday 5th August 6-8pm.
Please hold the date and try to join this session, you’ll receive more details from Source including details of how to register for the session but please reserve the slot now in your diaries. Lots of very helpful information will be shared and you’ll have an opportunity to ask questions.
2. The definitive date for establishing residency for both Old and New Barnsbury leaseholders
Source expects this to be the target date of submitting the planning application but this is still to be confirmed by Newlon. On the issue of the potential sliding scale of costs to apply where the residential status of an Old Barnsbury leaseholder changes, no updates have been made to the draft charter in this respect, but Source continues to flag the position with Newlon so we have much more certainty on this point. It is something we can also press for as the draft Residents’ Charter gets developed and raise at the Leaseholder meeting on 5th August.
3. Plans for Refurbishment work in Old Barnsbury
On our behalf, Source has been seeking clarity on the phasing / cost of recharges of works for Old Barnsbury but this detail is still unconfirmed. We understand from Source that Newlon is currently conducting surveys of Old Barnsbury. We can ask more about this at the Leaseholder Section 20 meeting on August 5th.
4. Legal Advice for Old Barnsbury leaseholders
Thank you to everyone who has responded and committed to sharing our initial legal costs, we are now close to commissioning this independent expertise. Contribution payment details have been sent out. It’s not too late for anyone who has yet to respond to offer a contribution! Please see recent emails sent to all of the Group’s Old Barnsbury Leaseholders. Any questions, please email the Old Barnsbury reps barnsburyleaseholders@gmail.com
Many thanks from your Old Barnsbury Leaseholder Reps
barnsburyleaseholders@gmail.com
Barnsbury Estate Leaseholders Group 