North Tyneside Living Panel - 29 January 2025
North Tyneside Living Panel – 29 January 2025
Location: North Tyneside Council offices, Quadrant, Cobalt Business Park
Attendees:
Tenant members – Margaret: Chairperson (Feetham Court), Eleanor (The Orchard), John (Rosebank Hall), Fred (Phoenix Rise), Sybil (Chapelville), Morag (Percy Lodge), Janet (Victoria Court), Bob (Eldon Court), Teresa (Rosebank Hall), Heather (Cedar Close), John (Windsor Grange)
Linda Herman, Senior Service Manager
Anthony Howe, North Tyneside Living Manager
Mark Colvin, North Tyneside Living Manager
Simon Campbell, Customer Relations Manager
Angela Melvin, Housing Engagement Manager
Odmond John, Morgan Sindall
Apologies:
Tenant members – Nora (Charlton Court), Denise (Rothley Grange), Patricia (Moorcroft), Jack (Eccles Grange)
1. Minutes of the last meeting and matters arising
Notes of the last meeting were agreed.
With regard to the action log:
- Window cleaning schedules are on noticeboards
- Tablets for use in lounges – this is now with the council’s IT team.
- The volunteer code of conduct has been well received.
- Condensation, damp and mould video – this is in development now, it was noted that the issue is more relevant for our bungalows rather than the shared schemes.
- Notes of meetings being made available in communal areas – AM to mark future shared copies as ‘please do not dispose of’.
Tenants went on to discuss issues around condensation and tenants not knowing how to use the ventilation units in some of the schemes. LH will pick up.
2. Terms of reference
Standard terms of reference have been prepared for our tenant panels and are being shared at the January/February round of meetings. The draft was agreed by the panel.
3. Update from Morgan Sindall
OJ gave a general update. Schedules for window cleaning are already on noticeboards in many schemes, in the remaining schemes they will be on display by tomorrow (30 January). LH reminded tenants that window cleaning is affected by the weather, so published dates may not always be met.
Regarding interior and exterior decoration, nothing is currently planned for 2025/26. There is a lifecycle for redecoration and this work is part of a contract which needs to be followed.
Brown bins for garden waste had previously been asked about, tenants in bungalows will need to pay for future brown bin collections, in line with all other households.
4. Intergenerational work update
Tenants at Eccles Grange have been working with students from George Stephenson High. Artwork is ready to be hung in communal areas, with an unveiling on 7 February.
More NTL schemes will be taking part in this work in future, which was welcomed by the panel. LH reported that the service is going to enter a housing competition focused on tenant wellbeing, using the intergenerational work. Excellent testimonials have been received from tenants, saying how much they have enjoyed it.
Equitex (a PFI partner) are funding the remainder of these art projects, which are organised and co-ordinated by The Learning Trust.
5. Performance reporting 2025-26
MC shared a ‘scorecard’ table, which featured a range of performance indicators. Some had previously been used and some were suggested for future monitoring – covering health and wellbeing, tenants’ meetings, voids and customer satisfaction.
The panel agreed they would like the proposed new indicators to be included in future reports. AM will ensure future performance updates are sent out with meeting papers.
6. Complaints reporting
SC outlined his role, the work of his team and the complaints process.
A complaints performance report was shared with the panel, covering complaints as a whole and the numbers specific to NTL, which are low.
Future panels will receive a complaints report with meeting papers, but ‘for information only’ rather than being an agenda item (unless there is a specific issue that needs to be addressed).
LH reminded the panel of the process for raising issues within the schemes, to address any problems before it escalates to a formal complaint.
7. Any Other Business
- John – Morgan Sindall don’t give details of when repairs will be sorted, eg with a date and timeslot, which is frustrating. OJ was concerned to hear this and apologised, explaining that the process is that tenants should get an am/pm timeslot. He will pick up with the head office team and contact LH with an update.
- Heather – a neighbour in a bungalow scheme has had someone calling saying they are from the council to do a safety check, the tenant was unsure as she hadn’t had a letter about it and so didn’t allow access. SC knows the team who are doing this and will pick up with them.
- Bob – Asked OJ who decides whether a repairs appointment is urgent or not. What appears to be a small job can mask a larger issue. OJ advised that if tenants can give as much information as possible that will help the call handler prioritise the call. MC also said that housing officers are on hand to help.
- LH suggested some work be done to show tenants how to use equipment in the schemes/how things work, eg the ventilation units. The panel agreed this would be useful and LH will pick up.
- Eleanor raised an issue of people using washing machines for only a few items, which uses a lot of electricity. LH fed back that there is some work going on to evaluate energy use and how to encourage smarter use of washing machines, including reducing their use by non-tenants. Feedback on proposals will be gathered at scheme tenants’ meetings.
- Bob raised the issue of untaxed cars being parked in resident parking areas. He has contacted the Police ,but no action has been taken. There is an option to report an abandoned vehicle on the council website and LH will ensure housing officers are aware of that.
- Fred asked about the hatched parking areas, which people park on. LH replied that these are not actually required, as ambulances can access the buildings without them. She will ask if the hatched areas can be removed to create extra parking.
- Fred also asked about problems with wifi access in the lounges. MC will pick up.