The Barbican Residential Committee was scheduled to discuss a governance review, service charges, and repairs and maintenance. Also on the agenda were reports from the Major Works Programme Board and the Reporting Committee, and an update on Blake Tower.

Governance Review

The committee was scheduled to consider a report recommending a governance review of the Barbican Estate. The review was intended to examine the current decision-making structures, stakeholder relationships, and statutory frameworks under which the Estate operates. According to the report, the review would assess how governance, consultation, and accountability can be strengthened across the Barbican's mix of statutory bodies, resident organisations, and the City of London Corporation.

The proposal, developed by Charles Russell Speechlys (CRS) in collaboration with Inside the box Advisory, outlines a phased programme of work. It combines a legal and management consultancy perspective to ensure that governance arrangements for the Barbican Estate are compliant, robust, transparent, and effective.

The proposal sets out a three-phase review programme:

• Phase One – Diagnostic and Legal Review
• Phase Two – Process and Governance Design
• Phase Three – Resident and Stakeholder Engagement

The report stated that following circulation to House Group Chairs on 16 September 2025, several points of feedback were received and have been incorporated or scheduled for inclusion, including:

• Recordings and written synopses to be shared after key meetings to ensure transparency in early phases.
• The BEO to invite resident observers to specific sessions in response to calls for resident and/or RCC representation during the process.
• CRS to amend language for clarity and include a glossary of stakeholder definitions in response to concern over use of you in the proposal (referring to CoL) and unclear references to stakeholders.
• Explicit statement to be added to confirm statutory rights remain unaffected, in response to a request for confirmation that the process does not affect existing leaseholder rights.
• Resident engagement built into all 3 phases of the work, due to a desire for meaningful involvement before recommendations are finalised.

The review was scheduled to assess the roles, responsibilities, and interactions of the following stakeholders:

Barbican Association (BA) – A recognised RTA with membership-based representation.

Barbican Estate Office (BEO) – The effective managing agent responsible for estate operations.

Barbican Residential Committee (BRC) – A decision-making body composed of elected members (this group takes a steer from the RCC at the start of each meeting)

Freeholder (City of London Corporation) – The overarching legal owner of the estate.

Individual House Groups – Recognised Tenants' Associations (RTAs) representing individual blocks – blocks with unrecognised or informal groups will be in scope if identified & willing to participate.

Leaseholders & Wallside (freehold) – Individual property owners within the estate.

Residents' Consultative Committee and its subsidiary fora (RCC) – A resident advisory body with no decision-making powers.

Town Clerks Department – The governance body of the City of London Corporation.

2024/25 Barbican Estate Service Charges Actuals

The Barbican Residential Committee and Barbican Estate Residents Consultation Committee were scheduled to review the accounts for the Barbican Estate Service Charges for the period 01/04/2024 – 31/03/2025. The consolidated accounts for the Barbican Estate were underspent against the billed estimate.

Billed Estimate: £16,296,044 Actual Spend: £14,911,608 Underspend: £1,384,436

The report stated that the year was one of transition, and in considering the outturn the following points need to be borne in mind:

• It was agreed following the BEO Review and Altair Report that the BRE should have a dedicated Assistant Director managing it. Previously the Assistant Director had been responsible for the Barbican Residential Estate (BRE) and all other Corporation housing.
• It was also agreed, on the recommendation of the new Assistant Director (now Director of Property & Estate Management Barbican) and in line with the Altair report that Property Services should move away from the shared service with other Corporation housing to join the dedicated BEO workforce.
• The implementation of these decisions, which RCC were consulted upon and BRC approved, took place during the year as existing staff left and new staff were recruited to the emerging organisation structure.

The changes above mean that for the financial year 2024/25 the Barbican Estate Office - Costs of Management & Supervision have increased but are largely offset by savings achieved within General Repairs & Maintenance and Technical Services .

The report also included detailed breakdowns of:

• Barbican Estate Office - Costs of Management & Supervision
• Resident Staff (Resident Engineers)
• Cleaners
• Car Park Attendants
• House Officer
• General Repairs
• Technical Services
• Lift Maintenance
• Electricity (common parts and lifts)
• Heating
• Non-Annually Recurring Works

The report included a table showing the Actual Service Charge Costs 2024/25, and the Actual and Estimated costs for 2023/24, 2024/25 and 2025/26 for:

• Andrewes House
• Ben Jonson
• Brandon Mews
• Breton House
• Bryer Court
• Bunyan Court
• Cromwell Tower
• Defoe House
• Frobisher Crescent
• Gilbert House
• John Trundle Court
• Lauderdale Tower
• Lambert Jones Mews
• Mountjoy House
• Seddon House
• Shakespeare Tower
• Speed House
• Thomas More House
• 2 Wallside
• Wallside freeholders
• Postern and Wallside

Repairs & Maintenance (Lot 2) – In-House Updates

The committee was scheduled to receive an update on the implementation of the in-house repairs service following Barbican Residential Committee (BRC) approval. The Barbican Estate Office (BEO) is adopting a phased approach to ensure continuity of service, effective management of resources, and a smooth transition.

Two distinct phases have been identified to support the successful transition:

• Phase One: Managing the handover between Chigwell and Elkins to ensure services continues uninterrupted following Chigwell's departure.
• Phase Two: Developing the BEO's internal capability in a considered and structured way, ensuring adequate time, staffing, and systems are in place before full implementation.

An open resident meeting has been scheduled at St Giles Church to discuss the approach, share key milestones, and gather resident feedback.

Report of Major Works Programme Board

The committee was scheduled to receive a report updating them on the recent work of the Major Works Programme Board (MWPB). The meeting was held on 3 September, 1 October and 1 November 2025 at the Barbican Estate Office. The Board reviewed progress on the Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM) Programme, Contracts Matrix, Project Tracker, and Capital Expenditure Plan and draft compliance risk register.

It was noted that future iterations of the PPM will include evidence attachments confirming task completion and that task frequencies should be expressed as calendar dates for clarity.

The Compliance Register remains under development and will be reformatted for improved readability and accuracy over the coming months. It was agreed that compliance data should present a real-time picture rather than a static risk log, with clearer distinction between statutory and nonstatutory requirements. The register will identify responsible officers and any delegated individuals for each compliance area. Work is under way to integrate the compliance tool with the PPM system to allow live compliance tracking.

The Board reviewed progress on several ongoing and planned projects.

Fire Signage: The fire signage pilot for Bunyan was discussed. Errors in the original drawings for Bunyan and Ben Jonson are being corrected with BB7 (fire engineers). A new pilot block will be identified following feedback that Bunyan was not suitable. Resident consultation and sample boards will form part of the next phase.

Fire Doors: Testing is under way with Gerda Security for proposed letterbox designs. It was agreed that a one-page highlight report will be produced for each live project, summarising sponsor, manager, timeline, cost, and risks. A resident working group will be established once the pilot fire door is in place.

Brandon Mews Canopy: A joint meeting will be arranged with consultants, MWPB members, and Brandon Mews leaseholders.

Lift Replacements: Resident engagement has taken place regarding Tower lifts. A FAQ sheet and Section 20 notice are being prepared.

Expert Witness (Ben Jonson): Jane Cook (expert witness) to visit the estate in advance of the pre-start meeting.

The Board reviewed the Capital Expenditure Plan and agreed it should clearly distinguish between City Fund and leaseholder contributions. The total of £106 million represents an 11-year period, not five years; documentation to be corrected. Members requested clear criteria for what constitutes a Major Works project and consistency between the CapEx report and the Project Tracker. It was agreed that TBC figures and VAT estimates must be transparently presented in future versions.

Given the size of the agenda pack, the Board agreed not to include all minutes and actions in every RCC/BRC pack. Transparency remains essential so residents can see the Committee's progress.

Report of Reporting Committee

The committee was scheduled to receive a report updating them on the work of the Reporting Committee since the last cycle.

D. Sanders provided an update on the Governance Review proposed by Charles Russell Speechlys (CRS), the sole respondent to outreach among five independent legal professionals.

Members raised concerns about limited resident engagement in early phases and suggestions included sharing documents with House Group Chairs, providing meeting summaries/recordings, and including resident representatives in future meetings. The review is intended to strengthen, not reduce, Resident Tenants' Associations (RTAs), and align them with legal requirements. Some RTAs may lack full clarity on their legal position; clearer communication is needed. Members welcomed development of a single, authoritative governance information source for all stakeholders.

Following RCC, the Reporting Committee noted two amendments for BRC consideration:

• Removal of Brandon Mews Canopy from Roofing Gateway (G1 & G2).
• Withdrawal of Service Charge guides until the meeting of the SCWP.

The Reporting Committee received draft versions of:

• Planned Preventative Maintenance Programme
• Capital Expenditure Plan
• Contracts Matrix
• Project Tracker

D. Sanders presented the current Barbican Estate Office (BEO) organisational structure following service review and realignment. The structure reflects the current operating model and an aspirational framework to deliver improved governance, accountability, and resident experience.

A Resident Communication Strategy is planned for Q1 2026 to set out open, transparent, and consistent engagement, establish communication standards, introduce feedback loops, and strengthen links between engagement, service delivery, and performance monitoring.

The new structure aims to clarify roles, responsibilities, and reporting lines. Continuous review and improvement will be central to ensuring consistency and quality. Members welcomed the clarity of the updated structure and the intention to pair it with a robust communication strategy. The scale of BEO operations was recognised; Members supported an annual review to ensure responsiveness to resident needs. Broad endorsement for a focus on transparency, performance monitoring, and clearer resident-facing communication.

The Committee recognised that some resident groups and the Barbican Estate Office (BEO) currently operate on differing quarterly cycles, with some referencing calendar quarters and others using financial quarters. To ensure clarity, consistency, and effective coordination, it was agreed that all reporting, planning, and performance references will align to the financial year, as this underpins the Barbicans budgeting and operational cycles.

Director of Property & Estate Management Report

The committee was scheduled to receive a report from Daniel Sanders, Director of Property & Estate Management. It highlights progress on the Governance Review, the in-house repairs service transition, organisational realignment within the Barbican Estate Office (BEO), the ongoing major works programme, and the submission of Building Safety Cases for the three Barbican towers to the Building Safety Regulator.

Work continues with Charles Russell Speechlys (CRS) on the independent Governance Review, which examines the legal and operational framework underpinning the management of the Barbican Estate. The review aims to strengthen governance clarity, improve resident engagement, and ensure alignment with statutory obligations.

Following BRC approval to bring the repairs service in-house, the BEO is progressing with a phased implementation model to ensure a controlled and efficient transition. Phase One focuses on the handover between Chigwell and Elkins, maintaining service continuity and ensuring no disruption to residents. Phase Two focuses on the establishment of the in-house delivery model, ensuring appropriate resources, systems, and staffing are in place before full rollout.

The new BEO organisational structure, approved in 2024, continues to bed in following a period of recruitment and service realignment. The structure brings together three key service areas: Resident Services, Property Services, and Finance, providing clearer accountability, communication, and governance. A Resident Communication Strategy, scheduled for publication in Q1 2026, will support the structure by setting standards for openness, transparency, and resident feedback. An annual review cycle will ensure that performance, capacity, and service outcomes remain aligned with resident needs and corporate priorities.

The Major Works Programme Board continues to oversee the delivery of the estate's large-scale capital projects and planned maintenance works. Recent meetings have focused on:

• Refining the Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM) Programme and Contracts Matrix, improving tracking of cyclical works and contractor performance.
• Reviewing the Capital Expenditure Plan, which outlines all major projects and funding allocations, distinguishing clearly between City Fund and leaseholder contributions.
• Progressing key projects including fire safety improvements, lift refurbishments, and building envelope works.

In line with statutory requirements under the Building Safety Act 2022, the City of London Corporation has formally submitted Building Safety Cases for the three Barbican residential towers:

• Shakespeare Tower
• Cromwell Tower
• Lauderdale Tower

The Building Safety Regulator has acknowledged receipt of all three submissions, which are now under review.

The Director notes that different workstreams and committees have previously operated using a mix of calendar and financial quarters. To ensure consistency and strategic alignment, all reporting and planning will now be based on the financial year (1 April – 31 March).

The Director has committed to undergo a comprehensive review of estate servicecharge apportionment to ensure that contributions remain fair, transparent, and reflective of actual service delivery across the Barbican Estate as well as accounting for all units which have changed over time such as Frobisher Crescent and Blake Tower (as examples).

Barbican Estate Office – Organisational Chart

The committee was scheduled to review the Barbican Estate Office – Organisational Chart.

The structure will be subject to annual review and refinement to ensure it remains fit for purpose as the organisation continues to evolve. It was agreed following the BEO Review and Altair Report that the BRE should have a dedicated accountable Director. Previously the role had been shared across the BRE and all other Corporation housing.

It was also agreed on the recommendation of the new Director and in line with the Altair report that Property Services should move away from the shared service model with other `Corporation housing to form a dedicated workforce for the BRE.

The implementation of these decisions, which RCC were consulted upon and BRC approved, took place during the last 12-18 months leading us to the emerging organisation structure we are presenting today.

In Q1 2026, the BEO will further develop this work through the publication of a Resident Communication Strategy, designed to accompany the organisation chart and set out how the office engages effectively and transparently with residents.

Outstanding Actions

The committee was scheduled to note the actions tracker for the Barbican Estate Residents' Consultation Committee (RCC) and the Barbican Residential Committee (BRC).