Your home magazine (May 2012)

Right to Buy saved us £75,000 on our Hammersmith flat

Continued on page 2

INSIDE>>n BUSTED! Hidden camera catches burglars in the act as council and police team up SEE PAGES 6-7

n Hope for 1,000 new homeowners as council’s Home Buy team look to help locals get on the

property ladder SEE PAGE 12

n Residents step up to help tenants and leaseholders have a greater say on their homes SEE PAGE 13

n With the Olympics and Paralympics rolling into town, see our helpful advice and event map to help you avoid getting stuck in a jam! SEE PAGES 10-11

n Pioneering new schemes sees two flats up for sale in Becklow Gardens, W12 SEE PAGE 9

May 2012The magazine for tenants and leaseholders brought to you by Hammersmith & Fulham Council

A Hammersmith couple have become the first

people in the country to sign up to a £75,000 Right to Buy extended discount.

Tarek Tuzani and his girlfriend Laura Stevens plan to use the cash they have saved to renovate their Standish House flat and create a new bedroom for their baby daughter, Sophia.

The couple are among hundreds of people in Hammersmith & Fulham who could be in line to receive the new bumper reduction after the Government revived Right to Buy by increasing the discount from £16,000 to £75,000.

And to ensure that as many tenants as possible are taking advantage of the massive discount, the council organised special H&F Right to Buy roadshows last month, with more arranged during May.

Tarek, 31, explained:

“I have a one-bedroom flat, and

when Laura gave birth in June 2011 we were keen to create a second bedroom by moving the kitchen. The problem was that in order to do that we had to buy the flat.”

The couple have been in close contact with Hammersmith & Fulham Council’s Home Buy team since purchasing the flat so that they could submit their application as soon as the new £75,000 discount went live.

Tarek Tuzani and Laura Stevens bought their flat through government scheme

Pictures from the

roadshow!SEE PAGE 19

2 | Your Home Magazine

Dear residents,

WeLCoMe to the latest edition of Your Home Magazine.

It has been a busy time here at the town hall, dominated – as far as housing is concerned – by the new self-financing system for funding housing works, and the long-awaited revival of the Right to Buy.

I am sure you are all aware that the Government has recently raised the Right to Buy discount from £16,000 to £75,000. For some people, this could quite literally be life-changing news.

If you have ever dreamed of purchasing your own home, but never thought that it

Home ownership is now a reality

WELCOME TO yOUR HOME MAGAzINEby Cllr Andrew Johnson, H&F cabinet member for housing

would be financially possible, I urge you to contact the council and find out what this could mean for you.

I know that plenty of tenants have visited our H&F Right to Buy roadshow during the last few weeks.

Here, our experts have been on hand to calculate the exact discount and tell tenants everything they need to know about buying their own home and all of the responsibilities that entails.

The good news is that we are planning

several more events over the coming months.

We will bring you details of what is planned as soon as we can.

Hammersmith & Fulham is a borough of housing

opportunity, with home ownership at its core.

Now that the discount has been increased I hope that many of you

will be encouraged to exercise your right to

buy, and purchase your own home.

I speak to many tenants across the borough and I know

how keen many of you are to buy your own home.

Now that the discount has been increased so significantly this could be the time to act.

There is absolutely no doubt that owning your own home gives you a sense of pride and a sense of empowerment. However, for too long home ownership

has been nothing but a pipedream for most of our

tenants. Please do contact the

council’s Home Buy team so that they can discuss your own personal situation.

They can be contacted on 020 8753 6464 or via

email at: h&[email protected] I also wanted to let you

know that we have refreshed our approach to resident involvement,

and set up two panels to give tenants and leaseholders a greater say.

You can read some of the thoughts of panel members in this magazine, and we hope to hear more from them in future issues.

Cllr Andrew JohnsonCabinet Member for Housing

I speak to many tenants and I

know how keen some of you are to buy your own

home

Continued from front page Tarek added: “I am delighted that we are now eligible for a full £75,000 discount. It is absolutely brilliant that we are able to save this amount of money and it means that we have extra cash to spend on renovations.

“I am sure that we will feel especially proud when we open the front door for the first time as owners of the property. We will finally be getting on to the housing ladder and it does feel quite empowering. once we have bought the property we’ll be looking to create the second room for Sophia very quickly.”

Right to Buy has helped thousands of council tenants in H&F to buy their own home since it launched more

than 30 years ago, but completions under the scheme all but collapsed when the maximum discount in the capital was reduced in 2004 from £38,000 to £16,000.

The move led to a slump from 245 Right to Buy sales in 2004-5 to only seven in Hammersmith & Fulham last year.

Cllr Andrew Johnson, cabinet member for housing, said: “The extended Right to Buy discount is excellent news for thousands of tenants just like Tarek and Laura.

“This borough has the fourth most expensive housing in the country so by extending the discount, homeownership has now become a reality for many of our tenants.

“owning your own home gives you a greater stake in your community and a greater stake in your own future prosperity and I am sure that the £75,000 reduction will have a hugely positive impact on the lives of so many people in this borough.”

The H&F Right to Buy roadshow will visit White City Community Centre, Saturday, May 19, 10am-2pm, India Way, W12.

It offer tenants the chance to meet council experts and discuss their individual situations.

If you are unable to make one of the roadshows, but are interested in finding out more, simply email: h&[email protected] or call 020 8753 6464.

Cllr Andy Johnson with Tarek and Laura in their Standish House flat

‘‘

Home ownership is now a reality

Your Home Magazine | 3

A housing benefit fraudster who faked his own death

and fled to Thailand to avoid detection has been sentenced to nearly three years in prison.

Conman Stephen Kellaway and his wife Nelli scammed Hammersmith & Fulham Council out of nearly £15,000.

Realising that the authorities were closing in, the couple fled to Russia in 2008 where, according to her diary, Nelli underwent a breast enlargement operation.

During that trip, Stephen, 54, faked his own death by allegedly bribing a mortuary worker to place his passport on the body of a tramp.

But in March, Kellaway was sentenced to 20 months’ jail for the benefits swindle, and a further 12 months for the identity fraud. Half of the 32-month sentence will be served behind bars.

Nelli was arrested on the day she flew back to the UK from Russia carrying Stephen’s supposed cremated remains in an urn. She has since been convicted of three counts of fraud and two counts of money laundering, but escaped with a suspended sentence. Stephen Kellaway was not dead, but had made his way to Thailand using a passport allegedly obtained using the birth certificate of a dead child.

After spending two years on the run, a bedraggled Kellaway was eventually tracked down to Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok in 2011, where he had been sleeping rough.

Fed up of constantly looking over his shoulder, the fugitive handed himself in to the Thai authorities and, after spending time in immigration detention, was flown back to

London in December. He was met at Heathrow by police who charged him with benefit and identity fraud offences.

Kellaway, formerly of Uxbridge Road, Shepherds Bush, appeared at Harrow Crown Court on February 16 where he pleaded guilty to four charges of benefit fraud and identity fraud. on March 8 he was sentenced at Croydon Crown Court.

Cllr Greg Smith, cabinet member for residents’ services, said: “You can run but you cannot hide. No matter what you do, if you decide to commit benefit fraud you will eventually get busted. This rogue went to extraordinary lengths to avoid detection and now he is exactly where he deserves to be, in prison.

“This case shows that wherever you run to you will eventually be tracked down and made to pay for your crimes. We will be doing everything we can to seize this man’s assets.”

Fraudster jailed for £15k council benefits scam H&F mayor Frances Stainton

signs the Armed Forces Community Covenant in March after the Freedom of the Borough parade in Hammersmith, inset below

THE council has welcomed the decision by the Chancellor to double the rate of council tax relief for families of serving military personnel to 100 per cent in March’s budget.

Cllr Andrew Johnson said: “Years of loyal service to Queen and country should not become an obstacle to success and prosperity, and this announcement reaffirms the country’s commitment to supporting our armed forces and their families when they need it most.

“Locally, this council has shown its gratitude

to the armed forces by announcing plans to look at moving regular armed forces and members of the Territorial Army towards the front of the housing list.

“In addition, we have also become one

of the first local authorities in London to sign the Armed Forces Community Covenant.”

The duo’s scam came to light after Stephen Kellaway submitted a claim for housing and council tax benefit in March 2008.

Among other offences, he failed to declare rental income from property in Camden, and nearly £200,000 he and his wife had in savings.

He also said he was a single parent when he was really living with his wife, and failed to state that Nelli had more than £80,000 cash in a series of undeclared bank accounts.

Hammersmith & Fulham Council also prosecuted on behalf of Richmond Council, from which Kellaway swindled £28,000.

Since her conviction, Nelli Kellaway has been made to pay back £55,000 of defrauded money via the Proceeds of Crime Act.

Tax relief to double for military families

Conman Stephen Kellaway and his wife scammed the council out of £15,000


THe current hosepipe ban was avoidable and the Thames Tunnel ‘super sewer’ is an example of water companies making the same mistakes again, according to a national expert in water management.

Thames Water brought in the ban on April 5 to deal with reduced rainfall over recent months.

However Prof Richard Ashley, professor of urban water at Sheffield University, says decades of failed water management are responsible for the unnecessary and ‘regrettable’ measures.

Fourteen million Thames Water customers, including

all Londoners, face the double whammy of a hosepipe ban in addition to coughing up £80 a year for life on top of current bills to pay for the controversial super sewer.

Prof Ashley says it could all have been avoided had Thames Water seen rainwater as a valuable resource.

Thames Water bosses have told customers to take shorter showers, and there is talk of standpipes in streets to limit water usage.

The company claims emergency measures are needed as the capital is facing its worst drought since 1976, but Prof Ashley says droughts

are just part of the natural variation in rainfall, and that the test of a country’s water management policy lies in the ability to cope with this.

Prof Ashley warns that Thames Water is repeating the mistakes of the past in favouring multi-billion pound concrete infrastructure projects, rather than investing in greener sustainable urban drainage solutions like water butts, using rainwater for toilet flushing, green roofs and permeable pavements that conserve rainwater.l For more details, visit: www.lbhf.gov.uk/supersewer

Hosepipe ban is aThames Water washout

Leafy H&F maintains treemendous record

n Alice Gillatt Court, Fulham (1)n Arlington House, Tunis Road, Shepherds Bush (2)n Batman Close, White City (3)n Bayonne estate, Fulham (13) n Cheeseman’s estate, Star Road, West Kensington (1)n Chelmsford Close/St Alban’s Terrace, Hammersmith (2)n Clem Attlee estate, Fulham (6)n Ethel Rankin Court, Fulham (3) n Kelmscott Gardens, Hammersmith (1)n Lancaster Court, Fulham Road, Fulham (7)n Lintaine Close, Moylan Road, Fulham (2)n Margravine estate, Hammersmith (3)n Mortimer House, North End Road, Fulham (3)n Queen Caroline estate, Hammersmith (6)n Springvale estate, West Kensington (6)n Standish House, Hammersmith (2)n Vereker Road, West Kensington (2)n Waterhouse Close, Hammersmith (2)n Wormholt estate, White City (10)

SO WHERE HAVE NEW TREES BEEN PLANTED?

A total of 76 new trees have been planted on council

housing land across the borough.

Hammersmith & Fulham Council has spent £8,750 on the trees, which include birches, limes and London planes.

Councillor Harry Phibbs, cabinet member for

community engagement, said: “Trees bring life to our streets and make neighbourhoods even better places to live. A greener borough improves lives for residents and visitors, so I am delighted we have been able to plant so many new trees recently.”

A further 250 street trees have also been planted

on the pavements of the borough. Approximately 100 of these are new trees in new locations and the other 150 are replacements for street trees that have died.

Hammersmith & Fulham is ranked fourth in London among boroughs with the highest number of trees per square mile, with more than 8,700 street trees.

Cllr Harry Phibbs with daughter Georgina and a new tree at Standish House; right, planting on the Queen Caroline estate


Aprogress report around the decision on

whether to include West Kensington and Gibbs Green estates in the planned comprehensive redevelopment of Earls Court was discussed by H&F Council’s Cabinet.

A decision on whether to include the estates in wider plans for the area is likely to be made in the coming months, but H&F Council leader Cllr Stephen Greenhalgh said he wanted to put as much in the public domain now as possible so people can be clear on where the council is in its thinking.

Preliminary results from a consultation show that opinion is divided.

out of those who took part in the consultation, more people in the wider area support the plans and more people on the estates object.

In terms of the statutory consultation on the estate itself, 331 secure council tenants out of 584 eligible submitted responses of which 215 objected (37% of all secure tenants) and 102 supported (17% of all secure tenants), 25 did not give fixed views (4% of all secure tenants). out of the total number of statutory tenants who could have taken part 42% (242) did not return feedback forms.

of 73 leaseholders who responded, 30 supported and 37 objected.

There is a much higher degree of opposition from freeholders and tenants living in housing association properties.

In the wider area 448

supported and 108 were opposed.

The full draft terms of a conditional land sale agreement (CLSA) to include the estates in wider plans were also discussed at the meeting.

If it is agreed, this is what it would mean for people living on the estates:l All homes on the estate will be replaced within the redevelopment area.l People will only have to move when their new home is ready to be occupied.l People who are currently overcrowded on the estate will be offered a home with more bedrooms. l People who are under-occupying will be offered a new home with one additional bedroom above their need.l Secure council tenants will remain secure tenants and receive a £4,700 compensation per household, plus new white goods, carpets and curtains. All reasonable fees will be paid and a dedicated rehousing officer will help every step of the way.l Resident leaseholders will receive the market value of their home, which is independently assessed, and an extra 10% of that amount in compensation. They will be offered a 10% discount on the value of a new home should they wish to buy back into the redevelopment. They will not have to increase

their mortgage costs to do this.

If redevelopment happens, it would be based around the vision of Sir Terry Farrell’s masterplan which would create 9,500 new permanent jobs and 36,000 temporary construction jobs.

The masterplan is built on a vision of creating four separate ‘villages’ linked by a new high

street. overall this would include 7,583 new

homes, of which 1,500 would be affordable. It would also include new shops, offices, parkland, leisure facilities,

a new school, new transport

links and a healthcare centre.

A detailed planning application to build 808 homes at Seagrave Road has been approved by H&F Council. If the CLSA is agreed, approximately 200 of these

homes would be used in a first phasing plan.

People would be moved in defined blocks designed to minimise disruption, keep neighbours together and ensure that people only have to move once.

Cllr Greenhalgh added: “We are making good progress in considering future options.

“We want to be as open and transparent as possible on where we are in our thinking, which is why we are taking the step of making all consultation responses available for inspection.

“We recognise that while some people on the estates are clearly in favour, many more have concerns.

“Yet it is clear that the majority of people living on the estates have yet to tell us either way, or simply do not know.

“We will continue to talk to all residents in explaining how the conditional land sale agreement will affect them should it be agreed.”

Councillors discuss the progress of estate plan

People who are currently overcrowded on the estate will be offered a home with more bedrooms

‘‘

The 92-acre Earls Court site could be new homes, offices and community centres if plan is approved


Smile! Our secret cameras are helping catch housebreakers

Homes and vehicles in Hammersmith & Fulham have been fitted with

cameras in a sting operation to capture thieves and burglars in the act.

Already operation Glatton, part-funded by the council, has netted 49 convictions since its launch in June last year.

The zero-tolerance approach is a first for London, with would-be thieves’ actions captured in detail, leading to a 100 per cent

conviction rate at court.Since it began, more than £5,000 of

stolen property has been returned to its rightful owners, and those convicted have been given a combined total of eight years in prison.

Hammersmith & Fulham is the first borough to run a successful sting house operation in a council property, building on its success with decoy vehicles.

Chief Supt Lucy D’orsi, Hammersmith & Fulham borough commander, said: “We are committed to catching burglars and car thieves in this borough and will use all methods and technology available to us to bring them to justice.

“Anyone who thinks they can get

away with burglary and theft should study the quality of the video clips and reflect on the potential custodial sentences and criminal records that will result.

“The next car or home you break into may be one of ours, and we will do everything we can to get you before the courts.

“A large proportion of burglaries happen in properties which are insecure. The police and local authority are working hard to reduce burglary, but it is also important for residents to lock their doors and windows, and never leave anything valuable in view.”

Cllr Greg Smith, cabinet member for residents’ services, added: “every crook who eyes up someone else’s property in our borough now needs to ask whether it is a sting house rigged with police cameras.

“Criminals who chose to steal other people’s property will find a huge array of evidence against them when we take them to court. So far we have a 100 per cent conviction rate, so the odds are heavily stacked in our favour.”l Take a look at the sting video footage for yourself by clicking on http://youtu.be/568jNIrdekU or read more about anti-crime measures at: www.lbhf.gov.uk/crime

A cap on crime. This burglar was filmed and convicted in the sting operation

Your Home Magazine is asking for your help to track down this filthy

yob who has a nasty habit of urinating in lifts at Bush Court.

The time is shortly after 1.15am on Wednesday February 22, and this hooligan can clearly be seen relieving himself in the lift of the Shepherds Bush block.

Do you know who this person is, or were you the man who unfortunately had to share a lift with him?

If so, contact the council now so that we can track him down.

This disgusting act was captured by Hammersmith & Fulham Council’s state-of-the-art CCTV surveillance system, which is linked to numerous estates across the borough.

All images are relayed back to the council’s main CCTV control room at Hammersmith Town Hall where trained operators scour the footage looking for incidents of crime and antisocial behaviour.

Councillor Andrew Johnson, cabinet member for housing, said: “I find this act truly appalling.

“The sooner this despicable individual is caught, the better.

“This lift is used every day by decent, law-abiding people, including women and children, and we will not tolerate louts like this who refuse to live by

the rules of a civilised society. “This council spends more

than £200,000 a year on clearing up after wanton acts of mindless vandalism and unfortunately, at the end of the day, we have no choice but to pass some of that cost on to tenants and leaseholders in the form of rent or service charges.

“The message to hooligans like this is even when you think that there is no one around, we are watching you.

“Nothing would make me happier than if a reader of this magazine is able to shop this nasty piece of work.”

The council takes a zero-tolerance stance towards crime and antisocial behaviour on estates.

New tenants now undergo a 12-month

probationary period, meaning that they have to be on their best behaviour if they want a secure tenancy.

The council also uses

wardens to patrol estates, and

works with the police to tackle crime at the earliest opportunity.

The council also has a dedicated team of concierge staff who work with estate residents to combat crime and assist residents with their daily lives.l If you know this person, or their friend, please call the council’s Bush Court housing officer on 020 8753 6886.

This yob is taking the p***! Do you know who he is?


Do you know

who this

person is?

If so, contact

the council now

‘‘


Sting nets its first illegal sublet culprit

A SCHeMe to snare tenancy fraudsters has uncovered the first person illegally subletting in the borough.

Hammersmith & Fulham Council works with the credit reference agency experian to use data-matching to tackle social housing fraud. Anyone caught subletting can be evicted.

Nationally, it is estimated 160,000 tenants sublet their homes. H&F Council has a dedicated anti-fraud service protecting the council and taxpayers against corruption. The team investigates subletting cases and evicts and prosecutes people when necessary.

Until now there has been no effective data sharing between social housing providers, so fraudsters have been able to obtain multiple tenancies in different locations.

Working with experian, the council can cross-match accommodation lists to look for evidence the same person living in two places. The scheme also tracks the economic footprint of suspects.

The council has tracked down a woman who has been living in east Anglia since 2000 while subletting her council house in Hammersmith.

Investigation officers paid the unsuspecting fraudster an early morning visit and obtained a signed statement and an immediate agreement to vacate the property.

Last year, the fraud team successfully prosecuted a tenancy fraudster under the Fraud Act.

Catherine Hennessy claimed housing and council tax benefit for a flat in osram Court, Hammersmith, despite subletting it and buying a home in Bognor Regis with her partner.

When interviewed under caution Hennessy admitted subletting the flat and was sentenced to three months in prison, suspended for two years. She was also ordered to do 150 hours of unpaid work in the community, to be completed within two years.

If you suspect someone is subletting their council property in Hammersmith & Fulham, call 020 8753 1273.

DIY could hold the key to cutting maintenance costs for every tenant

Tenants might be able to do some of the repairs

within their home under a new scheme designed to save money and help teach new skills.

New government proposals encourage tenants to fix minor faults, such as leaky taps, and

tackle other small DIY jobs.

Hammersmith & Fulham Council currently spends £7million a year maintaining its houses and flats, and is investigating if the scheme would work locally.

The initiative could help reduce that bill, and give tenants the opportunity to become ‘apprentices in the home’.

The scheme also aims to help tenants get on the career ladder with the chance of basic training programmes to develop their skills.

Cllr Andrew Johnson said: “We want our tenants to feel proud of their homes, and there is no doubt that carrying out DIY is a sure-fire way of achieving that.

“If tenants are doing their own minor repairs they are more likely to treat their property well, reducing the amount of

maintenance work required, and therefore the demand on council services.

“Not only might the scheme save the council money, which is a key objective as we look to make significant savings in the housing budget, but, for some, it could even serve as an apprenticeship in the home, and the start on a path to a whole new career.

“We will be exploring the proposals in detail to see if the scheme could be introduced here.”

At present, tenants call the council about repairs that are the landlord’s responsibility, and the council arranges for a contractor to fix the problem.

There would also be a reduction in bureaucracy if tenants are able to do the work themselves (as millions of people do each year) rather than calling in the council repairs team.

Skilled work, such as central heating repairs and electrical or gas work, will still be done by specialist qualified contractors.

However, until further details are announed, residents should continue to report their repair needs to the council.

Tenants could be paid to do routine DIy work to save council cash


Work to transform a derelict former health clinic in

Shepherds Bush into two contemporary one-bedroom flats is almost complete.

Three months ago, the Becklow Gardens clinic in Becklow Road was nothing but a derelict shell of a building.

Since then, builders have been working tirelessly to convert the space into two flats with spacious kitchens and modern bathrooms.

Becklow Gardens is the first of seven sites across the borough where Hammersmith

& Fulham Council intends to construct a total of 25 new

affordable properties. The council

announced last year that it would be establishing its own

housing development company in order to directly

provide new affordable homes for the first time in 30 years, to help local people living or working in the borough to get on to the property ladder and help create a borough of opportunity.

H&F has the fourth highest house prices in the UK, and

the scheme aims to give local people on low to middle incomes a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own their own home at a discounted market rate.

The council has been inundated with interest since marketing the two properties, which will be sold at a discounted market rate to people with a household income of up to £60,000.

each property comprises a contemporary fully-fitted kitchen, including a dishwasher and washing machine, central heating and double-glazed windows, as well as off-street parking and communal gardens.

Cllr Andrew Johnson, cabinet member for housing, said: “I’m delighted to see the completion of the first of our local housing company’s new homes at Becklow Gardens.

“When I came to see this derelict building at the start of the year, it was hard to

envisage it being converted into such stylish and modern homes, yet we’ve done it.

“Schemes like this show that there is light at the end of the tunnel as we strive to create a low-cost home ownership borough of opportunity.”

Through the housing development company structure, the council will be able to maximise its financial return, retain the benefit of any affordable housing that is developed and maintain greater control over the design of the new housing schemes.

The housing development company will initially be

funded by money the council has saved

from selling off empty properties that are too expensive to repair, but in the

longer term it is intended to

become self-financing.

Any profit made in the early years could pay for estate improvements, such as better open spaces, and improved security for residents, as well as more new homes.

Derelict shell set to turn into new flats

l H&F Home

Buy will undertake

the process of

identifying suitable

applicants from the

Home Buy register. To

register with Home Buy

call 020 8753 6464 or

email h&fhome-buy@

lbhf.gov.uk

Council wants Chelsea to stay

at the Bridge

SW6’s Stamford Bridge has been the home of Chelsea FC since 1905

CHELSEA’S future should be at Stamford Bridge, in an expanded stadium, according to the council.

The 2010 Premier League champions say a new 60,000 stadium on the current site would cost more than £600million and that planning risks would be ‘insurmountable’.

Chelsea FC claimed: “It is clear that a complete new build of a 60,000-seat stadium has little chance of acceptability, and that after discussions with the local council, they have come to the same conclusion.”

However, Hammersmith & Fulham Council says while it recognises expanding the Blues’ historic home would not be easy or cheap, it could be done to benefit the club and local businesses, without unreasonably affecting residents.

The alternative of moving away from Stamford Bridge could cost much more, according to the council.

At 41,837-capacity, Stamford Bridge is the eighth largest Premier League ground. CFC wants extra matchday income to compete with rivals such as Manchester Utd and Arsenal.

Council deputy leader Cllr Nick Botterill said: “We are proud to be the only borough in the country with three Premier League clubs, and we do not want our local businesses and residents to lose out on the economic and social benefits that this brings.”

H&F Council leader Stephen Greenhalgh and Cllr Andy Johnson at one of the new Becklow Gardens homes


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Hammersmith

West Kensington

Shepherd’s Bush

GoldhawkRoad

Latimer Road

Ladbroke Grove

East Acton

Shepherd’s Bush Market

Wood Lane

Stamford BridgeRavenscourt Park

Holland Park

Notting Hill Gate

Queensway

Warwick Avenue

Maida Vale

White City

Key

24.2.12

Olympic Route Network (ORN) andParalympic Route Network (PRN)(Will operate during the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games and for a couple of days before and after)

Olympic Route Network (ORN)(Will operate during the Olympic Games and for a couple of days before and after)

ORN on road event days only, including Cycle Road RaceAffected stationVenueResident and businessparking protection areaCycle Road Race route - road closed(Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 July)

London Borough ofHammersmith & Fulham

Earls Court will be usedfor the Volleyball betweenSaturday 28 July andSunday 12 August

1

Lord’s will be usedfor Archery betweenFriday 27 July andFriday 3 August

2

0 2000

metres

1000

N

© Crown Copyright and database right 2012.All rights reserved. Ordnance Survey Licence number 100046062.

ORN/PRN towardscentral London

and Olympic Park

ORN/PRNtowardsHeathrow,Eton Dorney,Weymouthand Portland

Cycle Road Race routetowards Hampton Court

and Surrey

Cycle Road Race routetowards central London

ORN towardscentral London

ORN towardsWembley

Hammersmith & Fulham Transport for London


This year brings the largest sporting events in the world to

the UK – the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Because London is hosting these large events, you’d expect roads and public transport to be much busier than usual.

olympic bosses Locog and Transport for London (TfL) will be working hard to host a great Games and keep London moving. The information on the map on the previous page will help you understand where the transport network will be busiest, and how your journey could be affected.

THE OLYMPIC anD PaRaLYMPIC ROUTE nETWORKS (ORn/PRn)This network of roads connecting venues, accommodation and transport hubs across London will be open to all general traffic. Some changes to these roads will be in place to ensure reliable journeys for athletes, officials, workers and the media.

The changes along the A4,

such as the introduction of Games Lanes, will be in place for both the olympic and Paralympic Games. Changes around the earls Court venue, including changes to stopping and parking, and some bus stop relocations, will only be in place for the olympic Games.

Vehicles that park or stop illegally on the oRN/PRN will be issued with a fine and could be taken to a vehicle pound.

GaMES LanESThese clearly marked lanes will be on about a third of the oRN/PRN and, when operational, they will not be open to general traffic. They will only be available for accredited vehicles and the adjacent lane will remain open to general traffic.

In Hammersmith & Fulham, there will be Games Lanes on

parts of the oRN/PRN on the A4. To avoid a fine, do not drive on Games Lanes when they are operational. They will be easily identifiable by

clear markings on the lanes and signs along the

roadside.

EaRLS COURT vEnUEChanges to parking and local access around earls Court will

discourage spectators from parking in the area, ensure local businesses and residents can park during Games time and help minimise disruption. There will be additional restrictions around the venue for security and operational requirements. London 2012 is sending information to affected residents and businesses. Spectator walking routes will be very busy before and after events.

ROaD EvEnTSThe Cycling Road Races will take place on roads in Hammersmith & Fulham on Saturday July 28 and Sunday July 29.

The route and surrounding roads will be closed to traffic but emergency and local access will be maintained as far as possible.

on Saturday July 28, road closures in the borough will begin at 3am with roads reopening after the race as soon as it is safe to do so. on Sunday July 29, roads will be closed from 5am and will reopen as soon as possible.

When road events use the oRN, athletes, officials, workers and the media will use alternative routes. These routes are highlighted on the map.

OLYMPIC TORCH RELaYThe olympic Torch Relay will pass through Hammersmith & Fulham on Thursday July 26. There will be a rolling road closure as it travels through the borough.

PUBLIC TRanSPORTSome stations and lines will be particularly busy, including earls Court, Fulham Broadway and West Brompton on the District line. You can minimise disruption to your journey by avoiding these stations at the busiest times.

Many bus services will operate more frequently, and there will also be some diversions. Detailed information will be available closer to the Games.

PLan YOUR jOURnEYSJourneys will be affected across London. To find out more about how roads and public transport will be affected and how to get around more easily visit GetAheadoftheGames. com follow us on Twitter @GAoTG or call 0843 222 1234 (You pay no more than 5p per minute if calling from a BT landline. There may be a connection charge. Charges from mobiles or other networks may apply.)

Stay ahead of the traffic jams

and road closures by following @GaOTG on

Twitter

Olympics roll into town

Riders in the 2011 Olympic test cycle event rip through Fulham’s streets on their way to The Mall. Left, TfL map shows impact of the Games on local roads


One thousand low to middle-income earners will be helped to buy a home in

Hammersmith & Fulham by 2014.The borough has the fourth

highest house prices in Britain and many residents who dream of owning a home in the borough are currently priced out of the market.

Hammersmith & Fulham Council’s Home Buy team, dedicated to helping residents on to the housing ladder, has enabled 686 people to buy homes in the past five years via low-cost schemes such as shared ownership, discounted market sale and rent to buy.

The council has also allocated more than 117 rental properties to Hammersmith & Fulham residents and workers through the intermediate rent scheme, which is also managed by the Home Buy team.

The council has also helped 64 people into homeownership through the Right to Buy scheme which allows council tenants who wish to buy their council property to receive a discount. That number is set to rocket after the government has extended the maximum discount to £75,000.

Sixteen families have already moved in, with 53 properties likely to be sold in the Imperial Wharf development by the same method before June.

Cllr Andrew Johnson said: “With property prices so high, and hard-working residents finding that their

disposable income is shrinking, it is becoming harder and harder for first-time buyers to take that first step onto the housing ladder.

“owning your own home gives you a greater stake in your community and a greater stake in your own future prosperity, so I am delighted that the council has been able to have such a positive impact on the lives of so many.”

over the next year, the council is selling a further 39 discounted homes at Chelsea Creek and Imperial Wharf.

The council has also sold 17 properties through its right to freehold scheme, with a further three in the pipeline, giving leaseholders the chance to buy their freeholds.

Alexandra Johnson bought the freehold to her home in Nella Road, Hammersmith, in December.

She said: “We always wanted to own the freehold, but we had

to wait for the flat upstairs to be in a position to buy the

freehold too. “It only felt that

we owned half of the property, because someone could have

come in at any time and changed the windows.

Now it is an amazing feeling to know that it is all under our

control. The council was very helpful throughout the process and, once the property was valued, the whole thing only took a couple of weeks.”l For more on first-time buyer homes in Hammersmith & Fulham call H&F Home Buy, 020 8753 6464, or register online at: www.lbhf.gov.uk/homebuy

Over the next

year, the council

will sell a further

69 discounted

homes

‘‘

New buyers will snap up affordable homes in the borough

1,000 new homeownersthanks to council help

Residentsneed to have a say by Anthony Wood (pictured below)

Let’s talk complaintsby John Ryan – Repairs working group

I JOINEd the local residents’ panel partly because as a tenant in sheltered housing it is important that the 1,100 residents in the borough’s 22 sheltered housing schemes are represented.

It is also vital that all residents have a say in how their homes and estates are managed and maintained.

I hope that the panel will play a key role in monitoring the performance of housing services and working with them to improve areas such as repairs, caretaking and security – all major areas of concern for residents.

Of equal importance is for the panel to work closely with all resident-led groups and forums to strengthen our voice and ensure our views and concerns are listened to.

This year will be a challenging one and I am certainly up for it.

I LOOK forward to working with my colleagues on the repairs working group to make some changes that will be beneficial to tenants and leaseholders, by scrutinising services, especially around complaints and how they are dealt with.

We also want to receive feedback from tenants and residents about the repairs service and how they would like to see improvements.

We have a long way to go, so all the support we can get from all stakeholders will be greatly appreciated.

Local residents’ panel


Two panels are ready to help residents get points across

Private sector expertiseby Ibrar Dar (pictured left)

Join us and help out by Tom Flynn – Repairs working group

yOUR SHOUT Views from residents

Resident involvement in housing matters has been given a

boost after the council set up two panels to give tenants and leaseholders a greater say.

More than 17,000 homes returned to council control last year after H&F Homes (the arm’s-length management organisation) was replaced with a single housing and regeneration department.

Following the move, the council identified improving resident involvement as a key priority.

This decision was reached after leading independent resident involvement expert Phil Morgan scrutinised levels of tenant and leaseholder engagement in the borough.

Mr Morgan argued that a borough-wide body – such as Hafftra (the Hammersmith and Fulham Federation of Tenants’ and Residents’ Associations), which has co-ordinated and managed

the way that the council engages and consults with its tenants, was no longer an effective way to engage and did not represent good value for money.

Instead, he suggested that the council should expand the way that it engages by setting up a number of new residents forums.

Residents had, collectively through a levy, been paying an annual sum of £160,000 to fund Hafftra.

When the council wrote to its 12,500 tenants earlier this year, only 11 people directly supported retaining the levy.

That levy has now been abolished and the council has set up a residents’ involvement panel and a repairs working group to improve levels of engagement.

Here, Your Home Magazine hears from a number of residents who have already joined the panels.

I AM looking forward to working with other panel members of the

repairs working group and to have an input into the group.

This will include reviewing the working arrangements and interviewing the current contractors. There are still spaces on the residents’ panel and the repairs working group.

In addition, the council is looking for people to join an e-panel and a readers’ group to review its communication materials.

To find out more – or to put yourself forward for one of the groups – please contact daniel Miller or Shaun dunleavy at [email protected] or call 020 8753 4244.

WHEN the council developed its new strategy for resident involvement, I immediately thought this was a good idea. I wanted to get involved so that I could help influence and shape thinking on how we can all collaborate to bring greater efficiency and improve the quality of services provided to all residents. Having spent nearly 20 years working in the private sector as a management

consultant I believe I may be able to bring some of this experience to the proposed new resident panels. It’s early days at the moment but we have already begun looking at reviewing our service standards across a number of areas and also how we can make it easier to understand some of the complicated documents sent to residents.

Work by contractors (like the one pictured) will be scrutinised by the repairs group

Local residents’ panel


Apprentice Jack Kenny paints a wall

THE council has issued advice to residents on how to prevent fire from breaking out.

Residents should always ensure their flat entrance door is in a good state of repair and preferably closes on its own. Residents are also urged never to wedge open communal fire doors.

If you spot broken or damaged fire doors, faulty lighting, missing signage and items stored in the common parts of your block please call 0800 131 3423 or 0800 093 3132.

THIEVES have been stealing metal from railway signal cables and sheet lead from church roofs across the UK. But very few people realise that housing properties in H&F are not safe from metal thieves.dramatic increases in raw material prices have also brought increases in the scrap value of not only lead and copper, but also in iron and aluminium.As a result, thieves have turned their attention to smaller items and the council has suffered from a number of incidents recently. Lead flashings and gutter linings have been stolen from the roofs of blocks in the White City area resulting in costly repairs to fix consequent leaks. Copper pipes from boilers have also been stolen in a number of areas. Cllr Andrew Johnson said: “Metal thieves need to be aware that the council and police will do everything possible to track you down and bring you to justice.”To address the problem, the council is:l Making sure that the roof access routes are secure l Investigating the possibility of marking existing roof covering materials and coding them so that each item is traceable to an individual blockl Replacing stolen items with more modern materials with limited value.Rolls of lead need to be transported; it is unlikely that sufficient scrap value would be obtained from the amount of lead that could be carried on foot; so vehicles will be required.Only authorised staff from the council or one of their recognised contractors is allowed to gain access to the roof of any block of flats.All contractors will carry identification and will be wearing clothes with a company logo.Report any theft promptly – alert caretaking staff or neighbourhood wardens.

A GROUP of apprentices have been putting their skills to good use by taking part in a number of community projects across the borough.

The apprentices, from council contractor Willmott dixon have refurbished Clem Attlee Residents’ Association’s office in Fulham.

They have also improved the kitchen facilities at the Vereker

Road Sheltered Housing scheme in West Kensington.

Patricia Roberts of Willmott dixon said: “The changes to the communal kitchen are incredible.

“The room was in dire need of a spruce up and the apprentices have done a fantastic job. The residents are so grateful for the time and effort that has gone into this.”

Clem Attlee residents call in at local pub after gas leak evacuation

A gas leak on the Clem attlee estate saw more than 100 residents evacuated to

Hammersmith Town Hall.Gas started leaking from a pipe

at Herbert Morrison House in Fulham at about 8pm on Saturday, February 25, and when engineers were unable to fix it quickly, police called for the block to be evacuated.

The council laid on special buses to transport residents to Hammersmith Town Hall while nearby pub the Rylston London stayed open throughout the night, offering tea and entertainment.

Rylston landlord Adam Newberry said: “The community centre across the road was locked so the police asked if we could stay open. We moved a load of furniture around to get people in and we must have had about 150 people, including families, children and dogs.

“It was an amazing atmosphere

and by the end people were laughing and joking. People who wouldn’t normally speak to each other were getting on.

“Some elderly women told me the spirit and camaraderie of people in the pub reminded them of the Blitz.”

James Smith, who lives on the ninth floor of Herbert Morrison House, said: “There was a nice atmosphere and some beds were arranged for maybe half the people.

“Some nice council staff gave out hot drinks and, when I left at about 6.15am to get some breakfast with my brothers, some of the staff had gone out to buy food for people.”

Councillor Greg Smith said: “disruption was kept to a minimum because the council, together with the police and local businesses, were able react quickly to support residents when they needed it most.”

Apprentices have brush with fame

METAL THEFTS HIT ESTATES IN WHITE CITy AS COUNCIL VOWS TO TRACK DOWN THIEVES

PREVENT FIRE BREAKING OUT By FOLLOWING SAFETy RULES

Hammersmith & Fulham Council

for helping us cut council tax by…




keeping your streets cleanYour help in reporting street problems alerts us to where we need to send our staff, reducing the cost of monitoring our 250 miles of local streets and pavements.

Recent figures show that 98 per cent of the borough, is cleaner than it was this time last year - that’s an increase in performance of eight per cent. In August 2011, research proved that 98 per cent of streets in the borough complied with Keep Britain Tidy cleanliness standards.

Last year we investigated 2,759 fly-tips and cleared away 4,740, removed 1,264

incidents of graffiti and 1,210 fly posters, which led to 382 fines being issued and 23 prosecutions.

The council will continue to clamp down on litter louts who cost the taxpayer money with highly visible proactive ‘beats’, inspecting streets and checking key routes daily.

Last year, 1,054 people were fined for littering the streets of H&F.

The council’s Parks Constabulary have also fined 21 dog owners for dog fouling incidents since the beginning of the year.

We are making it even easier to report enviro-crimes like litter and graffiti with the new Report It mobile phone application. The app allows you to report an incident immediately to the council at the touch of a button, using your smart phone.

•graffiti•dumpedrubbish•litter•dogmess

•noise•pavement

obstructions•potholes

57px

iPhone icon sizes

114px

512px

29px

58px

We are doing our bit by reducing management and overhead costs by 50 per cent by combining some services with neighbouring councils, saving H&F taxpayers around £11million by 2014/15.

Thank you ! . . .for cutting council tax by 3.75o/o Go to: www.lbhf.gov.uk/waystosave

Did you know? you can do your bit by reporting it on your mobile

Go to www/lbhf.gov.uk/reportitH&F residents can now download a fully integrated mobile app for reporting street problems:

If you are one of the growing number of residents recycling your household waste, we would like to extend a special thank you to you.

On average every Hammersmith & Fulham resident throws away seven times their body weight (about half a ton) in rubbish every year.

Disposing of one ton of non-recyclable rubbish costs £136, whereas it is much cheaper for the council to recycle - it only costs £77.50 a ton. That means the council saves £58.50 every time a ton of waste is recycled rather than sent to an energy-from-waste plant, where rubbish is incinerated.

Last year, you helped recycle almost 15,000 tons using the orange Smart Sacks and Smart Banks and almost half of all household waste











collected in Hammersmith & Fulham is eventually recycled, reused or composted.

You can help by putting the following items in your Smart Sack or Smart Bank: • Mixedglass• Paperandcard• Plasticbottles• Cartons• Tins,cansandaerosols• Plasticpots,tubsand

trays

Please remember to:• removelidsfromjarsand

bottles • givebottles,jars,cans

and cartons a quick rinse in your washing up water

• flattencardboardboxes• squashplasticbottles

and cartons

You can do even more to help this year by throwing away as little waste as possible. You can compost

food and garden waste by ordering a composter at a discounted price through the council, and if you have children, you are entitled to a free real nappy voucher worth £45. A child uses around 5,000 nappies in their lifetime - that’s about a ton of household waste, which is sent for incineration - but real nappies could save you around £700 and save the council tens of thousands of pounds a year.

You can send your old electrical items, furniture and other bulky items to be recycled or reused by our partners at the London Reuse Network, who will then pass them onto a new home.

Go to www.lbhf.gov.uk/recycling


recycling your rubbishPutting out your paper, glass and other recycling, helped us save £800,000 a year.




Recent figures show that 98 per cent of the borough, is cleaner than it was this time last year - that’s an increase in performance of eight per cent. In August 2011, research proved that 98 per cent of streets in the borough complied with Keep Britain Tidy cleanliness standards.

Last year we investigated 2,759 fly-tips and cleared away 4,740, removed 1,264

incidents of graffiti and 1,210 fly posters, which led to 382 fines being issued and 23 prosecutions.

The council will continue to clamp down on litter louts who cost the taxpayer money with highly visible proactive ‘beats’, inspecting streets and checking key routes daily.

Last year, 1,054 people were fined for littering the streets of H&F.



•graffiti•dumpedrubbish•litter•dogmess

•noise•pavement

obstructions•potholes

57px

iPhone icon sizes

114px

512px

29px

58px

We are doing our bit by reducing management and overhead costs by 50 per cent by combining some services with neighbouring councils, saving H&F taxpayers around £11million by 2014/15.


Did you know? you can do your bit by reporting it on your mobile

Go to www/lbhf.gov.uk/reportitH&F residents can now download a fully integrated mobile app for reporting street problems:















collected in Hammersmith & Fulham is eventually recycled, reused or composted.

You can help by putting the following items in your Smart Sack or Smart Bank: • Mixedglass• Paperandcard• Plasticbottles• Cartons• Tins,cansandaerosols• Plasticpots,tubsand

trays

Please remember to:• removelidsfromjarsand

bottles • givebottles,jars,cans

and cartons a quick rinse in your washing up water

• flattencardboardboxes• squashplasticbottles

and cartons

You can do even more to help this year by throwing away as little waste as possible. You can compost

food and garden waste by ordering a composter at a discounted price through the council, and if you have children, you are entitled to a free real nappy voucher worth £45. A child uses around 5,000 nappies in their lifetime - that’s about a ton of household waste, which is sent for incineration - but real nappies could save you around £700 and save the council tens of thousands of pounds a year.

You can send your old electrical items, furniture and other bulky items to be recycled or reused by our partners at the London Reuse Network, who will then pass them onto a new home.

Go to www.lbhf.gov.uk/recycling


recycling your rubbishPutting out your paper, glass and other recycling, helped us save £800,000 a year.



using our website50,000 residents have online council accounts, helping us cut back-office costs by £1.6million.

You can help by opening an online account today to… renew your parking permit

Go to www.lbhf.gov.uk/myaccountIf you have a parking permit and have received a renewal

letter, you can renew it quickly and easily online by opening a council account. All you need is an email address and your name and address as displayed on your parking permit letter. You can also check your permit details and apply for Smart visitor permits.

Manage your council tax statement

Go to www.lbhf.gov.uk/myaccountKeep up to date with your council tax payments and

check your outstanding balance and billing periods. You can also check your council tax details, apply for a sole occupier discount or empty property exemption, and set up or amend a direct debit.

report litter, graffiti and noiseGo to www.lbhf.gov.uk/reportitHelp us keep your streets clean by reporting street problems

online or on your mobile. You don’t need an online account to do this but, if you do have one, you can keep track of progress. Now available as mobile download!

register for e-updatesGo to www.lbhf.gov.uk/newsupdates

If you would like to be kept up to date with local events, news, consultations and special offers for residents,

you can now register for email updates when you open an online account.

check your housing benefit claimGo to www.lbhf.gov.uk/housingbenefit

You can now check details of your council tax benefit or housing benefit claims by opening an online account. You

can also use our online benefits calculator to work out what benefits you could claim, and apply online.


H&F Homes Magazine | 19


using our website50,000 residents have online council accounts, helping us cut back-office costs by £1.6million.

You can help by opening an online account today to… renew your parking permit

Go to www.lbhf.gov.uk/myaccountIf you have a parking permit and have received a renewal

letter, you can renew it quickly and easily online by opening a council account. All you need is an email address and your name and address as displayed on your parking permit letter. You can also check your permit details and apply for Smart visitor permits.

Manage your council tax statement

Go to www.lbhf.gov.uk/myaccountKeep up to date with your council tax payments and

check your outstanding balance and billing periods. You can also check your council tax details, apply for a sole occupier discount or empty property exemption, and set up or amend a direct debit.

report litter, graffiti and noiseGo to www.lbhf.gov.uk/reportitHelp us keep your streets clean by reporting street problems

online or on your mobile. You don’t need an online account to do this but, if you do have one, you can keep track of progress. Now available as mobile download!

register for e-updatesGo to www.lbhf.gov.uk/newsupdates

If you would like to be kept up to date with local events, news, consultations and special offers for residents,

you can now register for email updates when you open an online account.

check your housing benefit claimGo to www.lbhf.gov.uk/housingbenefit

You can now check details of your council tax benefit or housing benefit claims by opening an online account. You

can also use our online benefits calculator to work out what benefits you could claim, and apply online.


Tenants get ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ chance to snap up £75,000 discount to buy their homes

H opeful homeowners-to-be were queuing around the block at

the first H&F Right to Buy roadshow last month.

Hammersmith & Fulham Council estimates that almost 400 people visited the event at 145 King Street, W6, to find out if they were eligible for a discount of up to £75,000 on the price of their council home.

Queues began to form even before the event opened and 130 people made it through the door in the first hour.

Two hundred people said that they wanted to sign up to the extended Right to Buy scheme, meaning that since the discount was increased earlier this month, 250 H&F council tenants have began the process of buying their homes.

Following calls from Hammersmith & Fulham Council, the Government has increased the maximum Right to Buy discount from £16,000 to £75,000.

This means that thousands of tenants now have a once-in-a lifetime chance to get onto the housing ladder.

one person who attended was mother of three, Maria Afonso. Maria, 38, of Cathnor Road, Shepherds Bush, said: “It was a very good event.

“There was lots of information available and I was able to find out everything that I needed to know about buying my own council home.

“My husband and I will be applying because it really is a huge discount and a fantastic opportunity to do something positive for our family.”

Cllr Andrew Johnson, cabinet member for housing attended the event and said: “The queues stretching around the building were more reminiscent of the first day of the post Christmas sales than a council event.

“Now that the discount has been extended, hundreds of residents have voted with their feet and said that they want to buy their own council home.

“We knew that the extended Right to Buy scheme would be popular but we never quite imagined that 400 people would attend out first Roadshow.

“Hammersmith & Fulham is a borough of housing opportunity with home ownership at its core and I

hope that those tenants who were not able to make the launch will visit one of the other roadshow events that we shall be holding soon.”

At the event, officers from the council’s dedicated Home Buy team calculated the exact discount that tenants are eligible for and discussed the responsibilities that buying your own home entails.

Representatives from Nationwide were available to discuss how to apply for mortgages and two independent financial advisors were also on hand.

Right to Buy has helped thousands of council tenants in H&F to buy their own home since it launched over 30 years ago, but completions under the scheme all but collapsed when the maximum discount in the capital was reduced in 2004 from £38,000 to £16,000.

The move led to a slump from 245 Right to Buy sales in 2004/2005 to a only seven in H&F last year.

Tenants should not worry if they missed the launch event because the Roadshow will be coming to a location near you in the coming weeks!

Future dates for the H&F Right to Buy Roadshow:l White City Community Centre, Saturday, May 19 10am-2pm India Way, W12

For more information about Right to Buy in Hammersmith & Fulham email: h&[email protected] or telephone 020 8753 6464.

To qualify, residents must meet certain criteria. For example the tenant must have been living in the property for at least five years.

The property must also be the tenant’s only or principal home. other conditions apply.

‘‘We knew the Right to Buy scheme would be popular

Left, H&F’s Maylene Cave talks to Aquil Jawad at the Right to Buy roadshow at the H&F Advice Centre

See overleaf for how to get your hands on the keys to a bright future

*This is a summary of the process

As a council tenant, you could be eligible to buy the home you live in

Do you want to buy your own home?with a discount of up to

£75,000!Visit the h&F right to buy roadshow at white City Community Centre

Saturday, 19 may10.00am-2.00pm India Way, W12 7QT

Five easy steps to owning your own home*

Call the council’s HomeBuy team on 020 8753 6464

Learn about the responsibilities that buying your own home entails with one of our HomeBuy experts

Apply for Right to Buy by returning your signed application form

If you are eligible, you will receive an offer letter from the council

Sign on the dotted line


If you are unable to make one of the roadshows but are interested in finding out about Right to Buy in Hammersmith & Fulham email: h&[email protected] or phone: 020 8753 6464

Subject to eligibility: The tenant must have been living in the property for at least five years. The property must be the tenant’s only or principal home. Other conditions apply.

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Documents

Your home magazine (May 2012)