• FROM April 2021 Camden Council have told their 33,000 tenants to expect a 1.5 per cent increase in rent and service charges.

Cllr Meric Apak says that despite the pandemic, and tenants being furloughed, and some losing their jobs, the increase is necessary to stave off cuts to services.

He gives cuts in tenants’ repairs and possible caretaker redundancies as examples. Perhaps before cuts and redundancies he should look to make savings a bit closer to home.

Camden’s estate services might be a good place to start. From September 2020 estate services employed an extra 26 caretakers making the overall total of caretakers employed by Camden to 196.

These 196 have 30 managers, five principal managers, salaries up to £47,000; and 25 caretaker managers, salaries up £42,000; the cost of these managers £1.25 million per year.

Then in April 2020 they decided to employ a caretaking support manager, salary up to £60,000; two safer housing team leaders, salaries up to £42,500; five safer housing caretakers, salaries up to £28,000; two administrators, salaries up to £30,000; two project managers, salaries up to £42,000; and three quality assurance inspectors, salaries up to £38,000. Another annual cost of over £500,000.

So would Cllr Apak, cabinet member for better homes, give us an explanation as to why if any cuts were to be made Camden’s estate services would not be the place to start?

TE, NW5