Tenant-Regen-Proposals-2010[1]

The Excalibur Regeneration Proposals
The Excalibur
Regeneration
Proposals

Why voting on Regeneration with
L&Q matters
Voting yes
If a majority of residents vote in favour of
Regeneration with L&Q it would mean that the
Proposals outlined in this document would be
advanced.
Residents have been working with the Council and
London & Quadrant Housing Trust (L&Q) since
2007 to develop proposals that meet the specific
needs of Excalibur residents. Both the Council
and L&Q believe that the new build proposals
shown here offer the best option for delivering
Decent Homes at Excalibur.
L&Q’s proposal is to build a regenerated estate
of 397 new homes, with a minimum offer of a
brand new 2 bedroom house with a garden to
existing residents. Larger properties and wheelchair
standard bungalows will be available for those who
need them.
As a leading housing association with an excellent
reputation and over 60,000 properties, L&Q can
acquire the additional investment needed to
build and effectively manage and maintain the
new homes at Excalibur. Lewisham Council (your
landlord) does not have the funds, or the same
avenues available as a housing association to raise
the funds, needed to provide you with the standard
of home required.
Voting no
If a majority of residents vote ‘No’ these
Regeneration Proposals will not go ahead.
Excalibur tenants will have the same rights as
any other tenant of the Council but no special
rights, including no Homeloss or Disturbance
payment (as outlined below) or priority
re-housing status should they move.
Lewisham Council have confirmed that in the
event of a no vote there is no other source of
funding available to bring the homes up to the
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Decent Homes Standard. The Council will meet
its obligations as a landlord to repair but there are
unlikely to be any improvement works. When
properties become vacant the Council will only
re-let them if the necessary works represent value
for money. At present Lewisham would expect
most properties not to be re-let. Lewisham
Council will comply with its statutory obligations
in respect of the maintenance and repair of the
4 Grade II listed prefabs in its ownership, but the
listing will prevent most if not all improvements to
these properties.
Lewisham Council have also confirmed that a
no vote is unlikely to lead them to designate the
Excalibur estate a conservation area. The temporary
nature of the prefabs raises questions over their
future sustainability; therefore conservation area
status is not deemed appropriate.

The Excalibur Regeneration Proposals Page 2
The Redevelopment Proposal
In the event of a positive ballot, L&Q will continue
to work with residents to develop the designs in
order to submit them for planning approval. The
plans presented below are therefore still subject
to achieving full planning permission and to the
continued land and funding negotiations.
Lewisham Council and L&Q have already
had detailed discussions with the Homes and
Communities Agency (HCA), the government funder
of affordable housing, about the Excalibur project.
To date, all these discussions have been positive.
The masterplan
Below is a copy of the proposed masterplan that
has been designed using principles agreed with the
Regeneration Foru m and Excalibur Steering Group
and has been presented as part of the on-going
consultation with residents.
The new home types and the total number
of homes being built can be seen on the
accommodation schedule on the masterplan.
The number and types of homes available
for existing residents is available in the ‘The
number of new homes’ section of these
proposals.
The numbered sections refer to how the
development is likely to be phased, please
see page 3 & 4 for more detail on this.

The Excalibur Regeneration Proposals Page 3

4
5 5
5
6
5
2
3
1
5
7
5
5 5
5
5
1
The numbers on this masterplan
refer to the features below:

There will not be a significant increase in the
number of homes for social rent.
The masterplan currently allows for the
following mix of homes available for existing
residents:
As can be seen on the masterplan, there are an
additional 190 homes (a mixture of houses and
flats) available for new residents to help provide
a mixed and sustainable community long into the
future. The masterplan therefore provides for
397 new homes in total.
Your new home design
L&Q have worked closely with residents and
undertaken housing needs surveys to establish the
mix of homes that are required for the new estate.
L&Q are committed to providing existing residents
with a minimum of a 2 bed house, with larger
properties available for those who need them.
Delivering your new homes
Under the Regeneration scheme the estate will
transfer from Lewisham Council to L&Q in phases
rather than all in one go as it would have done
under Stock Transfer. The land in each phase will
only transfer once all existing homes in that phase
are empty and it is then ready for the building work
to begin.
The numbered sections on the masterplan indicate
how the development is likely to be phased. Below
is a timetable of how the phasing could translate
into the commencement of building work. All
these timings are provisional and subject to a
positive ballot:
It is our aim that as many people as possible
will move straight from their prefab directly
to their new home. By aiming to use mainly non-
residential land in the first phase (where the TMO
office, church and church hall are on Baudwin
Road) will allow many households to move straight
into a new property with minimal disruption.
For those whom it is not possible to move straight
into a new home, for example those in an early
phase whose property is required for the building
work to begin, a temporary move will be necessary.
The re-housing process will need to begin some
months before the building work is due to start in
each phase. For more on this see the ‘Temporary
Moves’ section below.
The number of new homes
Density on the new estate will be in line with the
planning authority guidance and will be similar to
the surrounding areas.
Since the original Stock Transfer Offer Document
was sent to residents in July 2008 the number of
new homes L&Q intend to build has reduced from
460 to 397. This was caused by the Department
of Culture, Media and Sport’s decision to list 6
prefabs on the estate and the impact this had on
the masterplan. This has meant that the overall
density in the proposed masterplan has reduced.
Despite this, there has been no overall reduction in
the number of homes available for existing residents
on the new estate.
Homes for sale and shared ownership (or other
tenures if necessary) will need to be built to help
fund the redevelopment of your homes. The
proceeds from these sales are essential to help
make the redevelopment financially viable.
Home Type No.
2 bed bungalow 30
2 bed over 55s apartment 46
2 bed house 89
3 bed house 29
4 bed house 13
Total available for existing residents 207
Phase Beginning of building work
1 Subject to negotiation with local
stakeholders
2 Spring/Summer 2011
3 Winter 2012
4 Winter 2013
5 Winter 2014
Page 5

There are 30 bungalows for existing residents
with disability and mobility issues and 2 apartment
blocks specifically for over 55s who choose them.
These have been created as a response to
residents’ needs. The bungalows and a number
of the apartments will be built to wheelchair
standards. Please see the ‘Allocation of the new
homes’ section for information on how they will
be allocated.
All homes will be designed to the Lifetimes
Homes standard. This means they can be easily
adapted to meet the changing needs of a family,
enabling people to stay in their homes in the future.
The new homes will be built 10% larger than the
Parker-Morris standard. This standard is recognised
in the housing sector as providing homes with
generous space allowances. This means that all
the new homes for existing residents will be
larger than the current prefabs. This can be
seen below:
The detailed design of every home will not be
finalised until planning permission is gained. The
current designs for the individual homes have been
developed through working with residents and the
Regeneration Forum and can be seen from page 7
to page 11.
Parking
The masterplan provides an allocated parking bay
for all existing Excalibur households, as well as
a number of visitor parking spaces (with permits
available form L&Q). This allocated bay will be
located adjacent to a resident’s home (or next
nearest space).
L&Q intends to implement a private controlled
parking zone for the new estate. This will ensure
parking is restricted to estate residents and their
visitors. Residents will not be charged for their
allocated bay or the management service.
Where L&Q households are not car owners the
allocated bay reverts back to an unallocated permit
space. New L&Q residents moving onto Excalibur
will be entitled to one allocated bay per household.
L&Q households that are not car owners, but
subsequently become car owners, will be entitled to
an allocated bay.
Residents who own more than one car will be
entitled to one allocated bay and permits for those
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other cars at no charge. All cars must be owned
and licensed to a resident within the household and
be in a road worthy condition.
Keeping energy affordable for you
L&Q are required to ensure that the energy
provision (heat, water and electricity) on the new
estate complies with Greater London Authority
(GLA) guidance. Decisions over the supply
of energy on the estate will be made through
consultation with the Regeneration Forum, using
advice from professional energy consultants. These
decisions have not yet been made, but L&Q will
work to find a solution that is the most affordable
for residents.
L&Q remain committed to gas on the new estate
for cooking purposes.
Resident choice
Residents have shaped the Redevelopment
Proposals through the Regeneration Forum and
various consultation events. Every resident will be
able to choose from a selection of different kitchens
and bathrooms, as well as paint colours throughout
the homes. This will include a number of standard
designs with the opportunity to upgrade to an
enhanced specification at cost.
Home Overall size m2
Overall size Sq Ft
Current prefab 62.43 or 62.46 671.9 or 672.3
New bungalow 67.1 722.6
New 2 bed house 86.9 938.4
New 3 bed house 97.9 1053.8
4 bed house 106.7 1148.5
New 2 bed Over
55s apartment
64.9 698.6

Two bedroom bungalow
Page 7

Two bedroom apartment for over 55s
Typical apartment plan
Page 8

Two bedroom house
Ground floor plan First floor plan
Page 9

Three bedroom house
Page 10

Four bedroom house
Page 11

Moving to your new home
Help planning your move
It is our aim that as many people as possible will
move from their prefabs directly into their new
homes. However, whether 1 or 2 moves are
required L&Q and Lewisham Council are committed
to making the process as smooth as possible
for residents.
A dedicated Lewisham re-housing officer and an
L&Q Resident Liaison Officer will individually
assist you throughout the entire process. They
provide a direct and personalised point of
contact until you move into your new home.
Where appropriate, we will assist with the changing
of services, help to claim benefits from the new
address or liaise with other agencies such as Social
Services. We will be particularly sensitive to the
needs of vulnerable residents.
Allocation of the new homes
All existing residents will have a choice of
property on the new estate based on the local
lettings plan that will be devised specifically
for Excalibur.
This plan will mean that all residents will be entitled
to the minimum of a new 2 bed house, with larger
properties and wheelchair standard bungalows
available for those who need them. In the plan’s
definition of housing need, each child will
receive their own bedroom (up to a maximum
of 4 bedrooms per household). Allocation of
a bungalow will be agreed in conjunction with
Lewisham’s Medical Adviser and Occupational
Therapy Team.
You will only be able to move to a home on the new
estate once the re-housing of the phase in which
your prefab is located has begun. New homes
will therefore be available to those residents in the
next building phase (meaning they move straight
into their new property) or those who have been
temporarily moved off the estate and are requesting
a return.
Temporary Moves
It is our aim that as many people as possible
will move from their prefabs directly into their
new homes. Where this is not possible,
for example for those in an early phase whose
property is required for the building work to begin,
a temporary move will be necessary.
As is outlined above, residents will be personally
assisted through the process by a Lewisham
re-housing officer and an L&Q Resident Liaison
Officer.
In the event of a positive ballot Lewisham Council
would look to stop new lettings of empty prefabs on
the estate. Those in a suitable condition could be
available for residents requiring a temporary move
who request one and this will limit the number of
temporary moves off the estate.
To give residents the widest possible choice in a
temporary move, residents will be given priority
re-housing status. Once you have met with your
Lewisham re-housing officer and L&Q Resident
Liaison Officer and you have been given this status,
you will be able to select a property in the
borough of Lewisham that is suitable for you.
The homes available will be placed on Lewisham
Homesearch, the choice based lettings system in
the borough. Your Lewisham re-housing officer and
your L&Q Resident Liaison Officer will be able to
assist and advise you through the process.
If temporary moves off the estate are required,
residents will be eligible to choose from homes
that meet their needs and take into account their
circumstances and lifestyles. This eligibility will be
based on Lewisham’s Housing Allocations Policy,
which can be discussed further with your Lewisham
re-housing officer at your first meeting or is available
on request. In accordance with the policy there
will be no minimum bedroom offer in a temporary
move.
Only if you are not able to choose and be allocated
a property in the given timescales (which will be
outlined at the start of the process) will you begin
to be directly offered properties. In selecting a
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property to offer you Lewisham will do their best to
take your known preferences into account.
Tenants rent will be protected from rising to
target levels in a temporary move. The rent will
reflect the rent of the new Excalibur homes (the
rent for these homes is explained further in the
Rent section below). This means that irrespective
of where your temporary move is your rent will be
capped at the level it would have been if you had
moved straight into your new home.
Tenants will have the option of remaining in their
temporary move property, should they choose to
do so. This decision will have to be made well in
advance of when they would have returned to the
Excalibur estate. Exact timings can be discussed
with the re-housing officers, however should
tenants choose this option they will begin to pay
target rent for their home.
Permanent re-housing elsewhere
If residents want permanent re-housing in the
borough of Lewisham, they will be eligible to
choose from homes that meet their needs
and take into account their circumstances
and lifestyles. This eligibility will be based on
Lewisham’s Housing Allocations Policy, which
can be discussed further with your Lewisham
re-housing officer at your first meeting or is available
on request. In accordance with the policy you will
not be automatically offered a 2 bedroom property,
allocations will be based on need.
To give residents the widest possible choice in a
permanent move, residents will be given priority
re-housing status. Once you have met with your
Lewisham re-housing officer and L&Q Resident
Liaison Officer and you have been given this status,
you will be able to select a property in the
borough of Lewisham that is suitable for you.
The homes available will be placed on Lewisham
Homesearch, the choice based lettings system in
the borough. Your Lewisham re-housing officer and
your L&Q Resident Liaison Officer will be able to
assist and advise you throughout the process.
Only if you are not able to choose and be allocated
a property in the given timescales (which will be
outlined at the start of the process) will you begin
to be directly offered properties. In selecting a
property to offer you Lewisham will do their best to
take your known preferences into account.
If residents choose to be permanently
re-housed outside the borough of Lewisham,
L&Q will work with them to try and find them
a suitable property once they have been given
priority re-housing status. There will be no minimum
bedroom offer, with offers based on housing need
and the availability of properties in the preferred
location.
Where residents choose a permanent move
through Lewisham Council or with L&Q, they will
be expected to pay the target rent for this property.
Target rent is what the government deems is
acceptable for a social landlord to charge for a
specific property in a specific location.
Homeloss and Disturbance Payments
All residents that have lived in their property for
more than 12 months are entitled to a Homeloss
Payment. This is a statutory payment set by the
government (currently set at £4,700 for tenants) to
compensate residents for the loss of their home.
You can apply for this as soon as you have signed
the Tenancy Agreement for your initial move (to
your new home or temporary move).
You should note that if there are any arrears of
rent remaining on your account at the end of your
tenancy these will be recovered from the Homeloss
payment and you will be paid the balance.
If you do require a temporary move and you are
resident in this property for over 12 months (each
new build phase is scheduled to take approximately
18 months to build) you will be eligible for a second
Homeloss payment, meaning the total Homeloss
payment you could potentially receive is £9,400.
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All residents will be eligible to claim for reasonable
costs associated with their move. This is known
as a Disturbance payment. This is to cover items
such as removal expenses, disconnection and
reconnection charges, redirection of mail and
the purchase and fitting of new curtains and
carpets. Residents will be able to claim costs from
Lewisham’s re-housing officer by providing receipts.
Disturbance payments can be claimed for each
move made by residents.
Compensation for improvements you have
made to your property
In addition to the above payments, residents
may be able to claim the cost of improvements
they have made to their home. This is a statutory
payment outlined in government legislation Section
99 A&B Housing Act 1985.
In order to qualify, eligible improvements must
have been started on or after 1st April 1994 and
tenants will need to present confirmation that work
has been carried out in accordance with Lewisham
Council’s standards.
Only work from the following list will be considered
for compensation:
• Bath or shower
• Hand basin
• Toilet
• Kitchen sink
• Storage cupboards (bathroom or kitchen)
• Work surface for food preparation
• Space or water heating (including central heating)
• Thermostatic radiator valves
• Insulation of pipes, water tanks or cylinders
• Loft insulation
• Cavity wall insulation
• Draught proofing or external walls and windows
• Double glazing or other external window
replacement
• Rewiring or the provision of power and lighting or
other electrical fittings (including smoke detectors
– mains fitted)
• Security measures (locks, bolts, security,
lights etc.)
Claims for compensation will be considered at
the same time as the claim for Homeloss and
Disturbance payments.
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In your new home
The following arrangements relate to life in your new
property on the regenerated Excalibur estate.
Rent
In consultation with residents, a rent structure for
the new homes has been devised to ensure rents
are comparable to current levels. Annual rent
increases for the new homes will continue in line
with government policy.
The government has introduced a system for
regulating social housing rents to ensure that the
rents charged by housing associations and councils
become the same for equivalent properties in
similar areas. This is called the property’s target
rent. Whether your landlord is L&Q or the Council,
your rent will have to move towards the appropriate
target rent for your home.
Whether or not the Regeneration scheme goes
ahead, under current government policy:
• The maximum weekly rent increase that a landlord
such as the Council or L&Q can make each year
will be the rate of inflation plus 0.5% plus £2 until
the target rent is reached
• After your target rent has been reached, weekly
rents can rise only by the rate of inflation plus
0.5% (subject to any change in government
policy).
L&Q is keen to limit the potential financial impact
of you moving into your new homes. It is therefore
setting rents for the new homes at reduced levels
in comparison to target rent. If you moved into
your new home today the net rent you pay would
correspond to the table below:
Your net rent covers all the housing management
and maintenance responsibilities required by L&Q
as your landlord. The net rent does not cover your
service charge or other charges such as water rates
or Council Tax.
The net rent plus the service charge is known as
the gross rent.
The rent structure has been devised in consultation
with residents to ensure rents are comparable
to current levels. As with the Council, maximum
annual rent increases will be limited to inflation plus
0.5% plus £2 per week (subject to any changes in
government policy).
Once your target rent has been reached, your
weekly rent will only rise by the rate of inflation plus
0.5%, subject to any change in government policy.
L&Q has trained Revenue Officers to assist you with
your rent. You will be able to pay in the following
ways:
• At a Post Office
• At a bank or building society
• By Direct Debit
• At a Pay Point of Pay Zone
• By telephone
• By post (cheque)
• At the local housing office (cheque)
• On the internet
L&Q will only use grounds for possession (i.e.
reasons for taking you to Court to seek possession)
similar to those currently used by the Council where
tenants are in breach of their tenancy agreement..
Any rent arrears owing from your prefab or any
temporary move (if required) will still need to be paid
to the relevant landlord once you have moved into
your new home.
Housing Benefit
Being in your new home will not affect your
ability to claim housing benefit. Housing benefit
applications will still be made to the Council who
will make payments to those who qualify. L&Q will
work closely with the Council to ensure a smooth
changeover for claimants.
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Home Type 2010/11 Rent
2 bed over 55s apartment £66.28
2 bed bungalow £71.75
2 bed house £71.75
3 bed house £82.67
4 bed house £93.60

Advice on housing benefit will be available from
both Lewisham Council’s re-housing officer and
L&Q’s Resident Liaison Officer.
Service charge
Your service charge covers additional services to
those included in your net rent such as grounds
maintenance for communal spaces and estate
lighting. As with all social housing providers, your
service charge will be included in the gross weekly
rent and is based on the actual cost of providing
those services.
Through consultation with residents on the
Regeneration Forum, L&Q understand that you
want the service charge on the new estate to
remain low. L&Q has therefore worked with you
to produce a masterplan which keeps service
chargeable areas to a minimum. Not until the
final detailed masterplan has received planning
permission can the exact cost of the service charge
on the new estate be determined.
As the service charge is based on the services used
by individual households, the new houses and over
55s apartment blocks will be subject to a different
service charge.
Residents in the new houses will simply pay an
estate service charge. At a recent comparable L&Q
Regeneration scheme in Lewisham the residents
living in brand new houses pay:
• £1.62 for all grounds maintenance of external
communal areas and management costs for
providing this service.
The over 55s apartment blocks will pay for the
additional services they use, for example lift
servicing and cleaning of the internal communal
areas. L&Q will work with the affected residents
before setting any service charges for these blocks
and the emphasis will be on keeping them to a
minimum.
Where L&Q provides these type of services, they
are eligible for housing benefit and supporting
people benefit.
Once you are in your new home, new services will
not be introduced without consultation with you.
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Other charges
Once in your new homes, you will be responsible
for paying your water bills directly to Thames
Water. Like all new homes, the new properties
will be required to be fitted with water meters and
be highly water efficient. This will assist you in
conserving the water you use.
You will still pay Council Tax to the local authority
in your new home. Your Council Tax banding is
determined by the local authority and is based on
the valuation of your home. The exact bandings of
the new homes can only be determined when the
new homes are built.
You can claim Council Tax Benefit from the
Council and your L&Q Revenue Officer can help
you with this. If you currently receive a Council Tax
exemption or reduction, it will be possible for you to
apply for this to cover any increase.
L&Q’s service standards for housing
management
Currently the Excalibur Tenant Management
Organisation (TMO) is responsible for your housing
management and maintenance services on behalf
of your landlord, Lewisham Council. The TMO
delivers the services set out in the management
agreement with Lewisham Council.
L&Q are committed to working with the TMO if
residents indicate they still want it to provide the
management services and if it can show it can
meet the accepted national standards for TMOs. If
this does not happen, L&Q will directly provide your
housing management and maintenance services.
With L&Q as your landlord you can expect:
1. Tenancy Services
• A welcoming local housing office with
approachable staff
• Strong daily management and supervision
• A dedicated Neighbourhood Services Officer to
deal with tenancy issues
• An efficient caretaking and estate cleaning service
• Estates inspected regularly by housing
management and resident representatives
• Access to a local environmental improvement
fund, which provides fund for works to estates
and properties that would not be funded from the
day to day repairs budget.
2. Repairs and Maintenance
Residents at Excalibur will be moving into brand
new 21st century homes. These homes will
incorporate modern technologies and are designed
to require minimal maintenance. L&Q will keep the
structure and exterior of the new homes in good
repair and regularly maintain the installations for the
supply of utilities and sanitation.
From day one as an L&Q resident you will also
receive the following as a minimum in terms of
repairs and maintenance:
• A customer service centre (L&Q Direct), open
to residents from 8am-8pm Monday-Friday and
9am-1pm on Saturday, with fully trained staff
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• A 24-hour freephone emergency repairs line
• Good quality contractors with appointment times
kept
• Vigorous monitoring of the quality of the repairs
and services provided
• Using residents’ responses to continuously
improve the repairs service
• Consultation before starting any planned major
repairs to your home
• A responsive aids and adaptations service to
allow elderly or vulnerable residents to reside in
their homes comfortably
• Cyclical internal decorations for the vulnerable:
tenants who are over 60 years of age or are
registered disabled (and do not have an able
bodied person below retirement age living with
them) are entitled to have 3 rooms within their
home re-decorated every 7 years
• A vulnerable residents’ pack, which is provided
when a resident is considered to be at risk in their
home and is designed to make them feel secure
in their own home
• Compensation for missed appointments and/or
delays in carrying out repairs
• A responsive repairs service within L&Q’s clearly
defined time-spans:
• Emergency repairs will be responded
to within 24 hours. This is when the repair
presents an immediate danger to the occupant
or members of the general public e.g. loose or
falling brickwork, tiles etc, gas leaks, electrical
faults likely to cause shock or fire. Further
damage will be caused to the property if the
repair is delayed and/or presents a health
hazard e.g. burst pipes, severe roof damage,
drainage problems causing waste water to back
up or flooded entrance paths.
• Urgent repairs will be responded to
in 5 working days. These repairs cause
considerable inconvenience or risk to the
occupants e.g. loose or damaged stair tread or
hand rail, defective multi-point or central heating
boiler, loss of staircase lighting. In addition they
could be minor structural faults likely to create
further damage in the short term, e.g. missing
or slipped slates, dripping pipe or waste or a
front entrance or fire door needing easing and
adjusting.
• Essential repairs will be responded to in 20
working days. These are routine repairs that
do not fall into the previous 2 categories.
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Your new Tenancy Agreement
Council tenants have either a secure or an
introductory tenancy. The rights of secure and
introductory tenants are set down in law by Acts of
Parliament. In your new home you would become
an assured tenant. As an assured tenant your rights
would be covered partly by Acts of Parliament and
partly by a legally binding contract – your tenancy
agreement – between you and LQ.
LQ has agreed to maintain your rights in the
new homes so that they are similar to your
existing rights with Council.
As part of the Stock Transfer process residents
were involved in creating a bespoke Excalibur
Tenancy Agreement. Under a Regeneration scheme
LQ are free to offer returning residents a standard
LQ Assured Tenancy Agreement. However, LQ
wants to provide you with, where possible and
appropriate, the rights and responsibilities in the
negotiated Excalibur Tenancy Agreement.
This would mean that residents would:
• Retain the same rights of succession and
survivorship as with Lewisham Council, meaning
the same people can inherit your home. In
addition, if a current tenant inherited their prefab,
when they sign the new Tenancy Agreement they
will start afresh with a new right to pass on their
tenancy.
• Have the Right to Acquire instead of the Right
to Buy (In a Regeneration scheme LQ cannot
offer the Right to Buy). The Right to Acquire will
allow tenants, providing they meet certain criteria,
to buy their home at less than market value.
• Gain the right to approve any changes to the
rights in the tenancy. This provides tenants with
greater protection against changes to the tenancy
than exists with the Council.
The above is not an exhaustive list of the rights and
responsibilities in the new Tenancy Agreement. You
will have a copy explained to you before moving
into your new home.
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Resident Involvement
LQ has a strong track record of resident
involvement and residents have already been
heavily involved, through the various residents’
working groups and Excalibur Steering Group, in
the creation of these Regeneration Proposals.
LQ hope that this involvement will continue in the
new homes. There are numerous ways in which
residents can participate in the running of the
organisation and these are highlighted in LQ’s ‘10
ways to get involved’ leaflet, which is available on
request. They can also be discussed with LQ’s
dedicated Neighbourhood Investment Team, which
encourages and supports resident involvement and
community investment.
Community Investment
LQ know you are justifiably proud of the
community you have at Excalibur. LQ will
therefore work hard with you to develop an
even stronger and more vibrant community
on the regenerated estate.
Subject to further discussions with the church
and Lewisham planners, LQ remain committed
to providing a new community facility on the
regenerated Excalibur estate. Designs for such a
facility are at early stages, but design development
will proceed in conjunction with residents and local
stakeholders.
The Neighbourhood Investment Fund is a pot
of money that LQ sets aside for community
projects. This funding pot is managed by LQ’s
Neighbourhood Investment Coordinators. These
LQ officers have extensive experience of
addressing community need and are a part of a
dedicated Neighbourhood Investment Team. In
addition to allocating funding they work to provide
practical support to suitable initiatives. They also
maximise LQ’s investment by using local partners
and community organisations to assist in the
financing and running of projects. The Lewisham
Neighbourhood Investment Coordinator will be able
to assist you in your new home.
Residents are heavily involved with allocating money
in the Fund. The Community Fund is a sub-pot
of money for projects up to £5,000. Allocations
from this fund are made by panels which include
a number of resident representatives. A good
example of a recent project that was part funded is
an activity programme run by Marvels Lane Youth
Centre in Grove Park. The programme provided a
wide range of activities for over 40 young people
in the area. The resident panel felt this project
offered good value for money and a broad range of
educational and fun activities for those taking part.

Tackling Anti-social behaviour
LQ believes that everyone has the right to live
the way they want as long as it does not spoil the
quality of life for others. This means having respect
and tolerance for each other.
LQ has a specific team, the Respect and
Tenancy Sustainment Team, which deals with
serious cases of harassment, racist incidents and
domestic violence. Through this team LQ work to
uphold the rights of all residents and their families,
enabling them to live in peace and without fear for
their own safety. More details of the work of this
team and their approach to anti-social behaviour
are available on request.
Supporting vulnerable residents
The proposed masterplan for the estate includes
wheelchair standard bungalows for residents
and their families with additional needs. These
bungalows and all of the remaining homes will be
designed to the Lifetimes Homes standard. This
means they can be easily adapted to meet the
changing needs of a family, enabling people to stay
in their homes into the future.
Lewisham Council and LQ aim to have your
new home allocated to you before it is completed
and will therefore identify any necessary aids and
adaptations to your home before you move in.
As outlined above, LQ will also provide vulnerable
residents’ packs, cyclical internal decorations and
an aids and adaptations service where necessary.
LQ will also work closely with Social Services,
Occupational Health Teams, hospitals and other
specialist support providers to meet the needs of
vulnerable residents.
LQ is committed to ensuring information is
accessible to all its residents and therefore has
interpretation and translation services available.
Future moves
Transfers to Lewisham borough will continue to go
through Lewisham Homesearch, the choice based
lettings system for all social housing in Lewisham.
Priority will be given to those people in housing
need. This system will also apply to lettings to new
residents on the new estate.
For moves to other areas, LQ will continue to
operate a tenants’ transfer policy. This will enable
tenants who need to move to bigger or smaller
properties, or to another type or location of
property, to be considered for a move.
As with the Council, tenants will also have the
ability to mutually exchange, both between LQ
properties and with other housing associations
and councils.
Complaints and Compensation
LQ takes residents’ complaints seriously and
therefore operates a responsive, transparent and
robust policy. LQ’s target for initially responding
to complaints is 10 days and this will be adopted
at Excalibur.
LQ will, where appropriate, award compensation
in the following instances:
• Unreasonable delay in providing a service
• Refund for a service not received
• Failure to supply a service to a published standard
• Failure to follow policies, procedures or guidelines
• Unfair discrimination against a resident
• Failure to tell residents about their rights
and entitlements
• Inaccurate or misleading advice to a resident

Contact us:
Lewisham Council (Andrea Hall): 020 8314 9701
LQ – freephone: 0800 988 8242
PPCR – freephone: 0800 317 066

Tenant-Regen-Proposals-2010[1]

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