First Chelsea Bridge Wharf Leaseholders’ meeting with Urang – have we dialled the wrong number?

If you attended the meeting with Urang at BPS on 9th June, I would be interested to hear what you thought of it. In my view there were some good questions from leaseholders but very few meaningful answers from Urang. There was a good turnout (I would estimate 70 people) but it was a very slow and boring presentation in a deliberately slow and boring style from Urang, as if speaking to children who need to be kept calm and to use up as much time as possible. Urang very carefully avoided discussing any of the important issues around the lack of leaseholder consultation in their appointment, why their contract with the Chelsea Bridge Wharf Right to Manage Company is being kept secret, why the elections for directors of the RTM company have been delayed until September (these elections were originally promised In February and even that only happened after a lot of pressure from myself and others through a petition). As recently as September 2024, Larissa Villar Hauser and Louis Sebastian Kendall said that they would not ”allow’ elections for the RTM directors and they did not feel any need to explain why.

At the meeting on 9th June there was no attempt to explain to leaseholders what RTM is or how it works. I know that some people are up to speed on that but many are not as was clear at the meeting. The directors of the Right to Manage Company did not introduce themselves and did not speak at any point during the meeting apart from a claim by one director that he had been working with Rendall and Rittner in 2024 to make service charge billing clearer (a claim which I have some reason to doubt but that is another story). This director also said that it was the intention of the RTM company to reduce service charges but this is in contradiction to what they have previously said and what Urang said at the meeting (i.e. that in their view it was not clear that this was a leaseholder priority and that it might not be possible) and they have given no indication of how savings would be achieved. But how do Urang even know what leaseholders’ priorities are since they have not asked us?, despite promising some time ago that there would be a survey of leaseholders.

When I did get a chance to speak (briefly) at the meeting I did point out at the meeting what the major issues were (as above – the fact that leaseholders have had no meaningful say in appointment of Urang that we cannot see the contract with Urang, the unexplained delay with the election of directors (now promised for September 14th but no protocol or plan given) and the atrocious track record of the Chelsea Bridge Wharf Residents’ Association including their denials, until recently, that Right to Manage was possible. I also highlighted the need for accountability of the directors of the RTM company and Urang) and was very pleasantly surprised to get a round of applause from leaseholders present – so thanks for that and to the many people who offered support during and after the meeting. Even after I had raised it, Urang were unable to explain why the contract could not be shared. Is it their decision, or the RTM directors or both, and if there is nothing to hide then why not simply share it to leaseholders? i.e. the people who are actually paying Urang’s fees (whatever they may be) as well as the service charges.

My ‘agenda’ has been the same for about 5 years – to get Right to Manage and an accountable and democratic RTM company. I resigned from the CBWRA committee in 2021 because it was clear RTM was being blocked and Rendall and Rittner were being protected/defended and it was also clear that there would never be fair elections for chair of the CBWRA. Even then the Chair was trying to play games with the constitution to stay in power way past the elected term and these games with elections have continued ever since. There was also an extreme bullying culture on the CBWRA committee which is well documented in recorded zoom meetings, phone calls and emails and on the CBW app. My CBW app account was closed in 2022 simply for saying that RTM was possible, when CBWRA were telling us that it was not and remains closed, preventing any meaningful discussion and also preventing fair elections. The CBWRA tradition of electoral manipulation/avoidance and the constant extension of terms of office continues sadly!

We have won half the battle by getting Right to Manage (despite, not because of, most of the current directors) but the other half of the battle (for a democratic and accountable RTM company) is just as important. So whatever your views on RTM, Urang or anything else, please feel free to express them and do not allow yourself to be intimidated into silence and accepting the culture of fear. Unlike the CBW app there is freedom of speech on this blog and in the Chelsea Bridge Wharf Community Facebook group and zero tolerance for bullying of any kind. All views are welcome and discussion and debate are not only normal but essential to make this into a real community.

Urang and the RTM directors need to answer these questions:

• What is the plan and protocol for the election of RTM directors?
• Why have the elections have been postponed till September?
• When there will be a survey of residents as promised?
• Why can’t we see a copy of the contract with Urang?
• For what period have Urang been engaged, what fees are they being paid, what is the notice period on either side?
• Who will decide if Urang’s contract is renewed and on what criteria will that judgement be made?
• When there will be an Annual General Meeting of the RTM company?
• When will the next meeting with Urang and leaseholders be?
• Why are Urang and the RTM company failing to respect leaseholders’ clear wishes for quarterly meetings? (Incidentally, when my motion for quarterly meetings was passed, CBWRA stated that it was unnecessary as Urang had wanted to do that anyway. The truth is that Urang say they know nothing about that and only want to meet leaseholders twice a year.!).
• Despite many requests to the property manager and CEO of Urang over many weeks, it seems they are unable to supply a copy of their complaints policy. Why is that?

So much for Urang’s ‘new era of transparency’. If you would like to leave a review for Urang on Trustpilot (good or bad) the link is here and link for Google reviews here. Remember that they are, in theory, working for us and if they cannot behave accordingly then their stay should be as short as possible. I hope that things do work out with Urang and if they really do want to start a new era of transparency then I will be happy to support them. So far it just seems like empty rhetoric. I do appreciate they are being controlled by the five unelected RTM directors but they need to remember that they are ultimately answerable to all leaseholders.

Anyone who wants to contact me directly can get me at this email address residents@chelseabridgewharf.org.uk