The Leaseholders' Forum is scheduled to meet on Wednesday 23 September 2026. The agenda includes discussing progress on previous actions, reviewing recommendations from a former Associate Cabinet Member for Leaseholders' Report, and receiving updates on leaseholder satisfaction surveys and energy procurement. The meeting will also cover communication with leaseholders, contractor quality, and transparency on service charges.

Review of Progress on Recommendations of the Former Associate Cabinet Member for Leaseholders' Report

The meeting agenda includes a review of progress made on recommendations from the former Associate Cabinet Member for Leaseholders' Report. This review is expected to cover updates on communication strategies with leaseholders, the quality of contractors, and the coordination of procurement between Major Works, Repairs, and Leaseholder Services within Camden. Discussions are also anticipated regarding transparency on service charges and major works bills, the role of a Leaseholder Councillor as an advocate, and broader engagement with leaseholders, including issues related to conferences, complaints, and alleged bullying by frontline staff. The Cabinet Advisor Report on Improving Services to Camden Leaseholders and Advocating for Leaseholders, presented in February 2024, highlighted concerns about communication, transparency, and leaseholder representation, noting that leaseholders often felt second-class and that decisions were made for them rather than with them, with a general distrust of Camden's responsiveness. It also suggested the introduction of an additional formal councillor role to ensure leaseholders' voices are heard across council departments.

Update on Leaseholder Satisfaction Surveys

The Forum is scheduled to receive an update on leaseholder satisfaction surveys, to be presented by the Head of Housing Policy, Performance and Assurance. The previous survey was conducted in Winter 2024, and the next is planned for Summer 2027. Camden is currently exploring contractors for this survey, with Housemark having conducted the previous one. The 2024 survey involved a random telephone sample of 550 leaseholders. The Senior Data Analyst is expected to present the questions from the previous survey, and a small working group of Forum volunteers will be formed to review and provide input on the questionnaire for the upcoming survey. The possibility of conducting the survey online, in addition to or instead of telephone calls, is also being explored.

Energy Procurement

An update on the Council's energy procurement strategy will be provided by the Council's Energy Procurement Team. Camden currently procures energy through a public sector buying organisation (BO) called LASER. This strategy aims to limit exposure to energy market volatility by allowing for forward purchasing of energy over an 18-24 month period. The report notes that Camden has historically supplied gas to its housing sites for approximately 50% of the retail gas price over the last decade. In January 2023, Camden was granted a dispensation exempting the Council from statutory consultation procedures for purchasing gas and electricity for its housing sites, as consulting with leaseholders in a timely manner during the energy buying process is not practical. This dispensation expires in early 2027, and a further dispensation will be sought to cover the next energy contract period.

Progress Report

The Forum will receive a progress report on actions taken following previous meetings. This report will detail the status of actions agreed upon in earlier sessions.

Other Business

The agenda also includes a slot for Any Other Business, allowing for the discussion of any urgent or relevant topics not otherwise listed.

The meeting is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, 23 September 2026, at 7:00 PM in Committee Room 1, Town Hall, Judd Street, London WC1H 9JE.