Councillors Ask Regulator to Investigate Housing Association

North Bermondsey councillors have formally asked the Regulator of Social Housing to investigate Clarion Housing Association, citing longstanding failures in the management of Messenger Court on Spa Road, two years after a major leak and power failure exposed serious problems at the block. 

This action follows years of complaints from residents and repeated representations by councillors to Clarion's senior management. Councillors say that despite ongoing engagement and promises of improvements, residents continue to report serious issues affecting their quality of life. 

The campaign for action has been led in recent years by Cllr Rachel Bentley, who has worked with residents, organised site visits and repeatedly pressed Clarion's senior leadership for improvements. Despite those efforts, councillors say residents continue to face unacceptable conditions in the block.

In their letter to the regulator, the councillors highlight concerns including overflowing bins, rat and mouse infestations, drug use and rough sleeping in communal areas, repeated lift breakdowns, poor estate management and failures to carry out promised improvement works following the leak. 

Residents have reported feeling unsafe in parts of the building, with some saying they avoid communal areas because of vermin and anti-social behaviour. The councillors argue that the issues may amount to breaches of the regulator's consumer standards on safety, neighbourhood management and accountability. 

The councillors have asked the regulator to consider whether the issues at Messenger Court point to wider failures in estate management, tenant safety and landlord accountability.

Cllr Francesco Guerrieri, Liberal Democrat councillor for North Bermondsey, said:

"Two years after the leak and power outage at Messenger Court, residents still tell us they are living with vermin infestations, anti-social behaviour and poor management.

We've repeatedly raised these concerns with Clarion, but they've clearly fallen on deaf ears; residents have seen too little progress. That's why we're left with no option but to escalate the matter to the Regulator of Social Housing and are asking it to investigate."